Good morning!
Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News email digest, brought to you by big data analytics and AI company Presight!
First of all, this is Presight Presents AI Week - a week of AI-focused media shows which are taking place daily this week until tomorrow, Friday 26th! I will be hosting AI Lunchtime Live today and tomorrow from 12 noon to 2pm! More info here!
And this week Presight and venture capital firm Shorooq announced a new $100 million AI fund (I talked about this with Presight CEO Thomas Pramotedham on Tuesday’s AI Lunchtime LIVE). Also big news from Technology Innovation Institute and NVIDIA, with the opening of a new AI & robotic lab in Abu Dhabi! See below!
🎤 Don’t miss today’s AI Lunchtime LIVE - part of Presight Presents AI Week - when I’ll be talking to Magzhan Kenesbai, Chief Growth Officer of Presight, Alex Kipman, founder of Analog and Mihai Mărcuță founder of NodeShift! Join us live online from 11am KSA | 12 noon GST! 🎤
Thank you for reading! Find out more about our Strategic Sponsor Presight here!
/Carrington
Startups
Presight and Shorooq unveil $100m AI fund
#UAE #funding - Abu Dhabi’s Presight and Shorooq have launched a $100 million AI innovation fund to back startups worldwide in sectors including smart cities, fintech, energy, AR/VR, and deep tech. Portfolio firms will gain venture capital plus access to Presight’s cloud and GPU infrastructure and Shorooq’s regional network. (Middle East AI News)
Sindbad Tech secures $4.8m seed funding
#Saudi #funding - Riyadh-based Sindbad Tech has raised $4.8 million in seed funding led by Alkhabeer Capital during Money20/20 Middle East. Founded in 2013, the fintech will use the funds to expand offerings, boost transaction efficiency, and support Saudi Vision 2030’s digital transformation goals. (Wamda)
Hubs, Labs & CoEs
TII and NVIDIA launch joint AI robotics lab
#UAE #R&D - Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and NVIDIA have opened the Middle East’s first joint AI and robotics lab. The TII–NVAITC facility will integrate TII’s Falcon AI models with NVIDIA’s accelerated computing to advance humanoid technologies, embodied AI, and autonomous systems. (Middle East AI News)
Algeria unveils NIIF-backed digital tech hub
#Algeria #innovation - Algeria’s National Investment Fund has launched a new technology hub in Algiers to drive the country’s digital transformation. Backed by local telecom and IT firms, the hub will focus on modernising state institutions and accelerating financial sector digitalisation. (Telecom Review Africa)
EnergyX sets up global robotics hub in Qatar
#Qatar #robotics - South Korea’s EnergyX has relocated its global command centre to Doha and plans to shift its headquarters there. Based at Qatar Financial Centre, the hub will integrate R&D, engineering and production, and build a smart robotics factory plus a certified plus-energy building. (Middle East AI News)
MODON to set up AI centre for industry
#SaudiArabia #industry40 - Saudi Arabia’s MODON has signed an agreement with ASAS and Takween IT to establish an AI Centre of Excellence for industrial digital transformation. The initiative supports Vision 2030 by boosting efficiency, innovation and competitiveness across 40 industrial cities hosting 8,000 establishments. (SPA)
HPC
Oman Data Park deploys NVIDIA H200 GPUs
#Oman #compute - Oman Data Park has upgraded its AI infrastructure with NVIDIA H200 GPUs, the first deployment of its kind in the Sultanate. The move boosts performance for NLP, deep learning and HPC, aligning with Oman Vision 2040 and strengthening the nation’s digital resilience. (Zawya)
Global Policy
Saudi Arabia co-hosts UN AI governance debate
#SaudiArabia #governance - Saudi Arabia is co-hosting the first high-level AI governance debate at the UN General Assembly in New York, alongside Kenya and the UN. Organised by SDAIA, the event coincides with the UN’s launch of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, planned for 2026. (Middle East AI News)
National AI Strategy
Presight signs MoUs to support Azerbaijan AI plan
#Azerbaijan #digitaltransformation - UAE-based Presight has signed MoUs with Azerbaijan’s government to advance its 2025–2028 AI Strategy and integrate AI into education. The agreements include digital transformation, talent programmes and Azerbaijani language model development, following July’s UAE–Azerbaijan CEPA deal. (Middle East AI News)
Security
Kuwait deploys AI-equipped security patrols
#Kuwait #seecurity - Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior has rolled out AI-powered patrols equipped with facial recognition, licence plate detection, and portable fingerprint ID. The system cross-references data in real time with ministry databases to speed up identification of wanted individuals and vehicles. (The Times Kuwait)
Education
Oman launches ‘Irtiqa’ digital transition programme
#Oman #education - Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology has launched Irtiqa, a programme to develop national talent for leading digital transition in government. Partnering with RAM, UTAS and OSHRM, the initiative aims to boost service excellence and advance the knowledge economy. (Oman News Agency)
Air Mobility
Saudi partners sign MoU with EHang on AAVs
#SaudiArabia #aviation - Front End and Cluster2 have signed an MoU with China’s EHang to deploy Autonomous Aerial Vehicles and Urban Traffic Management systems across the Kingdom. The partnership aims to move beyond trials into full passenger and logistics operations, supporting Saudi Vision 2030. (Zawya)
Sport
G42 publishes new sport and AI report
#UAE #sportstech - Abu Dhabi-based AI powerhouse G42 has released the second edition of its Future of Sport and AI report, developed with UK consultancy The Future Laboratory. A global survey found 88% of senior sports executives optimistic about AI adoption, though many lack clear strategies to scale. Download report. (G42)
Waste
Abu Dhabi launches AI-powered waste firm
#UAE #sustainability - Tadweer Group has launched Tajmee’e, a new Abu Dhabi waste collection company using AI, predictive analytics and real-time data to optimise routes. The initiative aims to cut fuel use, reduce emissions, and boost efficiency in line with the emirate’s sustainability goals. (The National)
