Saudi AI strategy ranks no. 1; UAE issues AV licence
Middle East AI News weekly digest...
Good morning!
Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News!
Big news for Saudi Arabia! The Kingdom was ranked first for its government AI strategy by Tortoise Media’s AI Index report. The ranking was one of seven different indexes, but awards well-deserved credit to the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority and partners for developing and implementing effective AI strategy.
Meanwhile, the UAE has issued its first national (federal) licence for self-driving vehicle trials to WeRide. The move is significant, since all previous special permissions have been issued by local authorities. And Ondas Holdings has just announced that its subsidiary Airobotics has just completed a proof-of-concept drone services infrastructure project in Abu Dhabi. The project paves the way for city-wide drone delivery across a number of sectors including security and healthcare.
Scroll down for more AI news from across the region.
Thanks for reading and wishing you Eid Mubarak!
/Carrington
AI Strategy
Saudi Arabia tops Global AI Strategy Index
#Saudi #AIstrategy - Saudi Arabia ranks first in the government strategy sector of Tortoise Media's Global AI Index. The kingdom leads over 60 other countries in the government strategy ranking thanks to its comprehensive AI strategy. (Al-Monitor)
Autonomous Vehicles
WeRide receives UAE's first national self-driving vehicle licence
#UAE #AVs - Chinese company WeRide has secured the first national licence for operating self-driving vehicles in the UAE. This approval marks a significant shift from past autonomous vehicle projects, which all received special permissions from local authorities. (Emirates News Agency)
Drone Services
Airobotics completes Abu Dhabi drone PoC program
#UAE #dronedelivery - Airobotics, a subsidiary of Ondas Holdings Inc., successfully completed the Optimus Drone Infrastructure proof-of-concept in Abu Dhabi. This is a significant step towards a $3.5 million multi-system deal with UAE-based partner SkyGo. (Accesswire)
Healthcare
World's first AI institute in healthcare in Ajman
#UAE #healthtech - UAE's Gulf Medical University inaugurates the first global Institute of AI and Technology in Health Care in Ajman, aimed at enhancing healthcare services through AI and digital skills. The institute is set to open in September. (Khaleej Times)
UAE biotech firm trials AI-designed drug
#UAE #biotechnology - UAE-backed Insilico Medicine initiates Phase II trials for an AI-discovered drug for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, advancing technology use in drug discovery. The firm plans to involve 60 more participants in the US and China. (The National)
Digital Transformation
Lenovo, Al Hathboor Bikal.ai aim for citizen safety
#UAE #cloud - Lenovo and Al Hathboor Bikal.ai collaborate on high performance cloud computing systems for digital transformation projects in UAE, focusing on safety and health innovations. (CSRwire)
Naver plans for Saudi digital projects
#Saudi #digitaltransformation - Korean digital giant Naver is eyeing participation in Saudi Arabia's digital transformation projects and is considering establishing a local Saudi subsidiary. (Korea Times)
Morocco's journey towards education digitisation
#Morocco #education - In the wake of COVID-19, experts recognise a pressing need for better technology integration in Moroccan schools. Despite significant progress, the country faces challenges in fully realising the potential of educational modernisation. (Morocco World News)
Digital Economy
Bahrain and UK forge digital economy partnership
#Bahrain #UK #digitaleconomy - Strengthening their economic ties, Bahrain and the UK have signed a digital economy partnership. The partnership focuses on modernising trade in sectors including fintech, cyber and space. This comes on the heels of a separate £1 billion investment deal. (Arab News)
R&D
AI research flourishes in Tunisia
#Tunisia #AI #R&D- Tunisia's AI research ecosystem is rapidly growing, driven by the government's efforts to promote innovation and technology. Institutions like the Tunisian Association for Artificial Intelligence and the National School of Computer Science are key players in this expansion. (ISP)
Smart Cities
MENA needs to invest $500bn on urban regeneration
#MENA #Saudi #ESG - Countries in the Middle East and North Africa region will need to spend $500 billion on urban regeneration programmes to achieve their sustainability objectives, according to a report from Strategy&. Saudi Arabia expects the population of Riyadh to double by 2030. (Arab News)
AI Ethics
Egyptian Cabinet examines AI ethical challenges
#Egypt#AIethics - The Egyptian Cabinet media center has reviewed the ethical challenges of AI. With the world's increasing dependence on AI, ethical concerns regarding privacy, freedom values, and innovation have been raised. (Egyptian Gazette)
MBZUAI and Etihad explore AI in aviation
#UAE #aviation - Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) and Etihad Airways partner to leverage AI for UAE's aviation industry, aiming to develop initiatives and conduct research in aviation. (Gulf News)
AI Opinion
Middle East employees think AI positives outweigh negatives
#AIsentiment - Employees in the Middle East say the benefits of AI will outweigh the drawbacks, according to research by the Boston Consulting Group. While 58 per cent declare themselves as optimistic about the potential impact of AI, as many as 84 per cent accept that it will make a difference to their jobs. (Arabian Business)
Archaeology
AI deciphers 5,000-year-old cuneiform tablets
#Egypt #archaeology - A team of archaeologists and computer scientists have developed an AI that can instantly translate Akkadian, a 5,000-year-old language, from cuneiform tablets. The project could unlock untold secrets in the historical record preserved in these tablets. (Big Think)
Defence
AI enhances Tunisia’s national security
#Tunisia #AI #nationalsecurity - Tunisia is investigating AI's potential to bolster national security and defense. AI can optimise intelligence gathering, improve border security, and allow swift response to emerging threats. (ISP)