Saudi AI startup Mozn raises $10m; Biggest 'unmanned' naval exercise
Good morning!
Here’s your weekly roundup of Middle East AI News!
Saudi-based AI solutions and NLP developer Mozn raises $10 million in funding; Saudi Arabia plans to create an industrial fund to help fast-track 4IR manufacturing; and the US Navy's IMX 2022, the largest unmanned maritime exercise in the world enters it's second week.
Scroll down to check out these and more stories below!
Stay safe and have a great day! And if you’re attending LEAP, do enjoy the last day of the event!
/Carrington
Startups
Saudi AI startup Mozn raises $10 million Series A funding round — www.wamda.com
#Saudi #funding - Saudi Arabia-based AI company Mozn has raised $10 million in Series A funding, led by RAED Ventures with participation from Shorooq Partners, VentureSouq, Sukna Ventures and other investors. (Wamda)
Industry 4.0
Saudi Arabia to create industrial fund to help transform 4,000 factories to 4IR — www.arabnews.com
#Saudi #4IR - Saudi Arabia is to create an industrial fund to help fast-track Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) factories. The KIngdom aims to transform 4,000 factories using 4IR technologies such as 5G, AI, BigData and Cloud platforms. (Arab News)
Data Centres
QST joint venture signs deal with Saudi Ministry of Comms to develop 300MW of data centres — www.datacenterdynamics.com
#Saudi #datacentres - Quantum Switch Tamasuk (QST), a Saudi joint venture between UK data center firm Quantum Switch and Saudi infrastructure investor Tamasuk, is to develop 300MW of data center capacity for the government to lure hyperscalers to the country and host public sector data. (Data Center Dynamics)
SFC to launch first Saudi data centre fund — www.arabnews.com
#Saudi #funding - Announced in 2021, the Data Center Fund 1 from Saudi Fransi Capital (SFC) and Al Moammar Information Systems Co. (MIS) is set to launch. The fund aims to construct six hyperscale data centers – with an accumulated capacity of 24MW - across two availability zones in the Kingdom. (Arab News)
Digital Transformation
Dubai’s Moro Hub partners with SAP — www.itp.net
#UAE #automation - Moro Hub, a subsidiary of Digital DEWA, announced its partnership with SAP to develop offerings at Moro Hub’s state-of-the-art data centres to accelerate intelligent automation at government and private organisations. (ITP)
Smart Cities
Honeywell and Etisalat Misr sign MoU to create smart city solutions — www.zawya.com
#Egypt #smartcities - Honeywell and Etisalat Misr have signed an MoU to develop advanced solutions for smart buildings, communities and cities in Egypt. The companies will collaborate to build a cloud-based IoT platform to advance both greenfield and brownfield projects. (Zawya)
IPA Qatar, FLYR Labs in pact to launch first AI hub for transport sector in region — menafn.com
#Qatar #urbanmobility - The Investment Promotion Agency Qatar (IPA Qatar) and FLYR Labs have announced a partnership to establish a FLYR office in Doha. The new operation aims to advance technological transformation of the transportation sector. (The Peninsula)
Farnek launches smart tech facilities management solutions company — www.constructionweekonline.com
#UAE #FM - Smart and green facilities management company Farnek has launched a new smart FM technology solutions company, HITEK. Farnek's HITEK solution 4.0, was originally launched in Q3 2021, connecting people, assets and spaces from multiple remote sites, using intelligent analytical platforms. (Construction Week)
Derq signs MoU for Mecca road safety and traffic performance — newswire.telecomramblings.com
#Saudi #transport - Wadi Makkah Venture, Derq and The Consultants for Business and Development signed an MoU to collaborate on delivering solutions aiming at improving traffic experience, whist reducing congestion and traffic violations. The companies will initially focus on Makkah (Mecca). (T Ramblings)
Sport
Robot VAR offside disallows first goal at FIFA Club World Cup — www.espn.com
#Qatar #UAE #FIFA - FIFA's ground-breaking new limb-tracking VAR offside technology disallowed its first-ever goal at the Club World Cup on Thursday ahead of its roll out at the FIFA World Cup Championship in Qatar later this year. (ESPN)
Environment
Abu Dhabi University students develop robot to clean sea — www.gulftoday.ae
#UAE #robotics - Five female students at Abu Dhabi University (ADU) have created a smart marine robot to clean the sea from various types of plastic, floating and mineral waste, which threaten the marine environment. (Gulf Today)
Defence
IMX 2022, the largest unmanned maritime exercise in the world, in full swing — www.navalnews.com
#Bahrain #MEA #USVs - IMX 2022, an 18-day biennial naval training event led by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, commenced on 31 January. The exercise not only includes 9,000 personnel and up to 50 ships, but is also the but also the largest unmanned maritime exercise in the world with more than 80 unmanned systems from 10 nations. (Naval News)
US, UAE to develop tech to stop drone attacks before launch as defense ties bolster — english.alarabiya.net
#UAE #US #droneattacks - The US will work with the UAE and its partners in the region to develop solutions to stop drone attacks even before they are launched, General Kenneth F. McKenzie, Commander of US Central Command was quoted as saying. (Emirates News Agency)
AI and human intelligence key to countering threats in Middle East — www.airforcemag.com
#Saudi #UAE #US #defence - As the U.S. looks to pivot in the Middle East to over-the-horizon counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan and countering the threat of Iran and its proxies, both artificial and human intelligence will be critical, according to Army Lt. Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, President Joe Biden’s pick to lead U.S. Central Command. (Air Force Magazine)
US Army trains with M-LIDS counter-drone system in Kuwait — www.thedefensepost.com
#Kuwait #drones - The 4th Infantry Division trained with the Mobile Low, Vehicle Integrated Defense System (M-LIDS) vehicle-mounted counter-drone system in Kuwait last month as part of the multi-national anti-ISIS formation Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria. (The Defense Post)
EDGE Group to unveil latest UAE-made unmanned systems at UMEX 2022 — wam.ae
#UAE #UAVs - EDGE Group will showcase over 20 cutting-edge disruptive solutions and products in the areas of autonomous systems and services, and precision-guided systems at UMEX 2022, the only event in the Middle East dedicated to drones, robots and unmanned systems. (Emirates News Agency)
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