Riyadh robotaxi trial begins; Tawakkalna superapp sandbox
Middle East AI News weekly digest...
Good morning!
Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News email digest, brought to you by big data analytics and AI company Presight!
After years of small-scale, campus autonomous vehicle trials, Saudi Arabia has finally launched a more extensive city robotasi trial, connecting seven key areas and landmarks in Riyadh! WeRide, which announced it’s Saudi presence in May, is running the trial service in conjunction with Uber and the TGA.
Also, some great innovation stories this week as significant new home-grown products are launched by companies in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, plus a new regulated sandbox for Saudi’s superapp Tawakkalna, opening the platform to private sector innovation for the first time!
Scroll down for these stories and more!
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/Carrington
Autonomous Vehicles
TGA, WeRide begin Riyadh robotaxi trial
#Saudi #AVs – Saudi Arabia has launched a year-long autonomous taxi trial in Riyadh, covering seven key locations. Led by TGA, the pilot involves Uber, WeRide and AiDriver, with 13 pick-up stations and support from multiple government agencies. It marks the Kingdom’s largest AV initiative to date. (Middle East AI News)
Innovation
Saudi launches sovereign AI inference platform
#Saudi #compute – OmniOps has launched Bunyan: Saudi Arabia’s first sovereign AI inference platform. It offers GPU-agnostic deployment for text, vision and speech models, supporting key sectors while ensuring energy efficiency and data sovereignty. (Middle East AI News)
Saudi launches sandbox for Tawakkalna superapp
#Saudi #digitalservices – Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) has opened a sandbox environment for the Tawakkalna superapp, now offering over 600 government services to 34 million users. The sandbox enables private sector collaboration under strict regulation. (Middle East AI News)
PGIM and ADGM to launch real asset lab
#UAE #innovation – PGIM and ADGM Academy will open the RealAssetX Abu Dhabi Innovation Centre in September, backed by Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO). The lab will focus on AI, blockchain and climate tech for the $280 trillion global real asset sector, positioning Abu Dhabi as a deep tech hub for smart cities. (Middle East AI News)
Onepoint to open AI centre in Morocco, create 500 jobs
#Morocco #CoEs – French consultancy Onepoint will establish a Data & AI Centre of Excellence in Casablanca-Settat, creating 500 jobs by 2029. Backed by the Moroccan government, the centre will support Industry 4.0 and SME digital transformation, aligning with Morocco’s Digital 2030 strategy. (Middle East AI News)
AI71 unveils SuperHive for 50% faster construction decisions
#UAE #construction – Abu Dhabi-based AI71 has launched SuperHive, an AI-powered platform optimising the full construction lifecycle. It claims 50% faster decision-making, 70% less manual documentation, and 50% reduction in rework, using automation, real-time data, and digital twins. (Middle East AI News)
Ventures
UAE central bank, Presight form AI fintech JV
#UAE #fintech – The UAE Central Bank has partnered with Presight to launch an AI-powered fintech joint venture supporting national payment systems. The venture will develop digital currency, instant payments, and open finance platforms under the UAE’s Financial Infrastructure Transformation programme. (Middle East AI News)
Digital Transformation
Tajikistan, Presight partner on national AI rollout
#Tajikistan #smartcities – Presight and the government of Tajikistan have signed a strategic AI partnership focusing on smart cities, cybersecurity and energy. The deal includes pilot projects, infrastructure, and support for Tajikistan’s AI technopark. (Middle East AI News)
UAE, Bhutan launch “AI for Development”
#UAE #development – The UAE and Bhutan have launched a joint initiative to explore AI’s role in boosting entrepreneurship, tourism, and agriculture in the Global South. The programme reflects the UAE’s focus on inclusive tech diplomacy. (Zawya)
Jordan completes AI data cleansing project
#Jordan #datacleansing– Jordan’s Ministry of Digital Economy, with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Eqra Tech, has cleaned 4.5 million legacy records, restoring data for over 2 million students and 2.5 million land records. The project boosts Jordan’s AI readiness. (Middle East AI News)
Smart cities
AI powers Abu Dhabi’s Mawaqif parking system
#UAE #mobility – Abu Dhabi’s Mawaqif parking system now uses AI with smart vehicles and cameras automating fee collection and monitoring space occupancy. The upgrade promises quicker, contactless parking services across the emirate. (Middle East AI News)
UAE AI Award 2025 now open for entries
#UAE #awards – The UAE AI Award 2024 is now open for submissions, recognising excellence across five categories. The initiative supports the national AI strategy, with entries accepted from government, academia, and private sector until 31st August. (Middle East AI News)
Healthcare
JOD 125m medical university project advances in Jordan
#Jordan #healthtech – Kingdom Health has launched phase two of its flagship development with a JOD 125 million investment. The new Kingdom University for Medical Sciences will blend AI with modern medical training, supported by UCL and UCL Health. (Zawya)
Huawei, Egypt to build national health AI centre
#Egypt #digitalhealth – Egypt’s Healthcare Authority is working with Huawei to establish a national centre for AI in healthcare. The centre will support smart medical cities and green digital transformation. (State Information Service)
R&D
UAE University patents pipeline swarm robots
#UAE #robotics – UAE University (UAEU) researchers have secured a US patent for smart swarm robots that inspect and maintain underground pipelines. The breakthrough boosts sustainability and innovation in infrastructure maintenance. (WAM)
Algeria, South Africa sign pan-African R&D pact
#Algeria #research – Algeria and South Africa have agreed a 2026–2028 roadmap to advance innovation, research and higher education, with a goal of creating a Pan-African scientific research powerhouse. The plan includes joint research, hubs, and academic exchanges in AI, nanotech, and advanced engineering. (Dzair Tube)
Education
UAE AI Camp returns for seventh edition
#UAE #education – The UAE AI Summer Camp is back with workshops, hackathons and expert-led sessions to train youth and professionals in practical AI applications across sectors. The camp is organised by the UAE National Programme for Artificial Intelligence, in collaboration with the National Programme for Coders (WAM)
MBZUAI trains UAE youth in practical AI skills
#UAE #training – MBZUAI’s NextGen Summer Program is giving 38 high school students hands-on experience in AI, using real-world datasets and tools. Selected from over 150 applicants, the programme covers healthcare, mobility, climate and the creative sector. (Middle East AI News)
Muscat staff trained in AI for public service
#Oman #training – Muscat Governorate has launched a week-long training programme to equip staff with AI skills for public sector transformation and smarter decision-making. (Times of Oman)
[ This newsletter was AI edited & human edited ]