Qatar forms national AI committee; DP World automates container terminal

Good morning,

Here’s your roundup of Middle East AI News!

Qatari media yesterday confirmed that an AI committee will be set up to focus on the implementation of the Qatar National AI Strategy. The national strategy was developed by the Qatar Computing Research Institute and announced in 2019.

Meanwhile, there are a number of new applications and projects announced this week, including a maritime fleet optimisation application from Aramco Trading Company (ATC) and Maana, and an announcement from DP World that it has fully-automated Container Terminal 3 at Jebel Ali Port.

There's also a new Master of Science in Information Systems Management from Zayed University, focused on AI and digital transformation and a one-day, business-level AI course for senior executives taking place this month, run by Khalifa University. Scroll down for more!

Stay safe and have a great weekend!

/Carrington

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Startup News

Bahrain’s Brinc, Tamkeen, Batelco invest in Turkey-based smart city startup AREYtech — www.wamda.com

#Bahrain #Turkey #funding - Bahrain-based IoT (internet of things) and hardware accelerator Brinc Mena, Tamkeen Fund and Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco), have jointly invested $53,000 (BHD20,000) in Turkey-based AREYtech, as part of Brinc’s sixth iteration of its acceleration programme. Other startups graduating from this cycle were Bahrain-based 7amdaan.io, Pakistan’s Radical Growth and Egypt-based A1 Smart Cam. (Wamda)

Wa’ed, Taibah Valley Company collaborate to support start-ups in emerging Saudi hub — www.zawya.com

#Saudi #startups - Wa’ed, the entrepreneurship arm of Aramco, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Taibah Valley Company, an emerging Saudi hub for AI, Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain development, to support start-ups in Madinah. (Zawya)

National AI Strategy

Qatar establishes AI Committee for national AI strategy implementation — www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

@Qatar #AIpolicy - Qatar's cabinet has approved a draft decision to establish an AI committee under the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC). The new committee will focus on mechanisms for implementing the Qatar National AI Strategy. Developed by Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), the strategy was launched in 2019. (The Peninsula Qatar)

Healthcare

Dubai launches smart device for home patient monitoring — www.khaleejtimes.com

#UAE #RPM - The Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Dubai's healthcare regulator, is exploring the use of an AI-powered device for remote patient monitoring in collaboration with Enpy, a local start-up. (Khaleej Times)

SEHA, MBZUAI to collaborate on clinical research — wam.ae

#UAE #R&D - Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) has signed an MoU with the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) to integrate the use of AI into the provision of medical care, enhancing clinical expertise and elevating the patient experience. (Emirates News Agency)

Smart Cities

Abu Dhabi’s Tabreed will use AI to predict customer demand — gulfnews.com

#UAE #districtcooling - Abu Dhabi-based district cooling company Tabreed will start using AI and data science to predict customer demand based on a weather forecasting system. The company forecasts a 25 to 30 percent increase in performance, compared to industry benchmarks. (Gulf News)

UAE to have its first AI driver evaluation hub — www.gulftoday.ae

#UAE #driving - Dubai-based company Location Solutions has partnered with Slovenian hi-tech companies AV Living Lab and Nervtech, to bring the first AI Driver Evaluation Hub to the UAE this year. The smart system will test each driver according to KPIs based on their detailed psycho-physical characteristics and ability to cope with critical road scenarios. (Gulf Today)

AMAALA, SAFCSP sign MoU on emerging technologies on drones — saudigazette.com.sa

#Saudi #drones - AMAALA, the ultra-luxury development located along Saudi Arabia’s northwestern coast, has signed an MoU with the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP). The signing will pave the way for the development's adoption of innovative and emerging technologies including drones, programming, and AI. (Saudi Gazette)

Education

Zayed University opens new Master of Science in Information Systems Management — www.zu.ac.ae

#UAE #Masters - Zayed University has launched a new New Master of Science in Information Systems Management programme focused on Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Business intelligence and Blockchain. The programme is delivered in English over 4 semesters at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. (Zayed University)

Khalifa University launches AI course for business executives — www.ku.ac.ae

#UAE #business - Khalifa University has launched a one day AI introductory course aimed at business executives who want to understand AI, its uses and how to implement the technologies in their organisations. The course will be led by Dr. Ernesto Damiani, Senior Director at the university's Robotics and Intelligent Systems Institute. (Khalifa University)

Maritime

DP World, UAE Region implements port automation system in Jebel Ali Port — www.wam.ae

#UAE #portautomation - DP World, UAE Region, has implemented ZODIAC, a Terminal Operating System (TOS), in Jebel Ali Port’s Container Terminal 3 (CT3). The fully automated system includes advanced solutions for remote control of the port’s facilities, including terminal gates. (Emirates News Agency)

Maana and Aramco Trading Company launch AI app to optimize maritime fleet operations — www.businesswire.com

#Saudi #shipping - Aramco Trading Company (ATC) and Maana have launched Fanar on Microsoft Azure, an AI maritime fleet optimisation application purpose-built for the oil and gas industry. The application runs a digital twin of ATC’s global maritime operations. (BusinessWire)

Statistics

UAE to enhance its capabilities in statistics and AI technology — www.gulftoday.ae

#UAE #statistics - Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi (SCAD) and Khalifa University of Science and Technology have signed an MoU for statistical cooperation, the exchange of data and collaboration on statistics, data and AI. (Gulf Today)

Culture & Entertainment

Shurooq, Injazat forge region’s first ‘phygital’ experience for House of Wisdom visitors — wam.ae

#UAE #culture - The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), has partnered with Injazat to co-create a first-of-its-kind 'phygital' user interface for House of Wisdom, a cultural initiative located near the University City of Sharjah. The digital customer experience is enhanced by AI ,facial recognition, IoT (Internet of Things) and robotics. (Emirates News Agency)

Defence

Unmanned systems, artificial intelligence dominate the IDEX showroom — www.defensenews.com

#UAE #IDEX2021 - IDEX 2021, the Middle East and North Africa's international defence fair, which took place in Abu Dhabi last week, had an abundance of unmanned systems on display. From FLIR Systems FLIR PackBot, a man-portable robot that performs bomb disposal, surveillance and reconnaissance, to a Type-X robotic combat vehicle developed by Estonian firm Milrem Robotics and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). (Defense News)

Events

1057th International Conference on AI and Soft Computing

#Kuwait #events - The Academics World 1057th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing (ICAISC) will be held in Kuwait City from 28-29 May, 2021. The event aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars. (Academics World)

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