SDAIA readies for GAIN; Abu Dhabi adds freelance AI licences

Middle East AI News weekly digest...

Good morning!

Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News, brought to you by OnDemand, an innovative AI platform which enables you to fast-track AI product development and seamlessly integrate AI and IoT apps into your environment - now used by 25,000 developers!

Abu Dhabi added AI to the permissible business activities that can be included for licences freelancers, making it easier for freelance researchers, developers and data scientists to locate in the capital. Meanwhile, 56% of the regions tech professionals are using AI according to a new survey from Hays (no surprise there). And SDAI’s Global AI Summit - or GAIN as it’s now called - is taking shape with speakers confirmed from all over the world. The event takes place in Riyadh, from September 10th to 12th.

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/Carrington

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Events

Global AI Summit to host 300 experts in Riyadh

#Saudi #GAIN- Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) will host the Global AI Summit from September 10th to 12th, at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Centre in Riyadh. The summit will welcome more than 300 speakers and AI experts from 100 countries, and include more than 120 conference sessions, meetings and workshops during the three days. (Arab News, GAIN website)

Investment

Mubadala invests in UK’s Yondr Group for AI growth

#UAE #datacentres - Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala has made a strategic investment in London-based data centre operator Yondr Group, alongside Apollo Global Management. The investment aims to support Yondr’s expansion to meet growing AI, 5G, and IoT demand, with 878MW of capacity. (Zawya)

AzurX Space Ventures leads Series A round for Space Intelligence

#UAE #UK #geospatial - Space Intelligence, a provider of high-accuracy nature mapping derived from satellite data, has announced the closure of its Series A funding. The round was led by UAE-based AzurX Space Ventures (ASV) with participation from Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (BusinessWire)

Gig Economy

Abu Dhabi adds AI to freelance business licences

#UAE #GigEconomy- Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has added AI development as an approved activity for freelance business licenses, encouraging AI entrepreneurship in the emirate. (WAM)

Advanced mobility

Saudi road code targets self-driving vehicles

#Saudi #AVs - Saudi Arabia's Roads General Authority introduced a new Saudi Road Code, mandating smart communication devices along roadways to interact with self-driving vehicles, ensuring real-time road condition data for safer driving decisions. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia publishes new autonomous mobility framework

#Saudi #AutonomousVehicles - Saudi Arabia's Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the World Economic Forum have released a paper on autonomous mobility, outlining a four-step framework for integrating autonomous transport services, led by the Transport General Authority. (WEF)

Abu Dhabi Airports expands advanced air mobility partnership

#UAE #Aviation - Abu Dhabi Airports and France's Groupe ADP have extended their partnership to develop and operate advanced air mobility infrastructure in Abu Dhabi, following a collaborative agreement from the Abu Dhabi Air Expo 2022. (WAM)

Sentiment

56% of Middle East tech professionals use AI

#UAE #AI - A Hays study of over 5,000 tech professionals across EMEA reveals that 56% of Middle East tech professionals use AI, surpassing European countries. The Middle East also leads in AI training and support, with more organisations offering these resources than nearly anywhere else in the region. (Hays)

Digital Transformation

Saudi Digital Experience Maturity Index hits 85%

#Saudi #DigitalTransformation - The Saudi Digital Government Authority's 2024 Digital Experience Maturity Index showed an advanced level of 85.04%, evaluating 39 platforms based on feedback from 175,000 beneficiaries. (Zawya)

Environment

Abu Dhabi's environment agency begins extensive AI habitat survey

#UAE #AI - The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, in partnership with the UK's Dendra Systems, has launched a large-scale AI-driven habitat survey across 11,000 hectares. The initiative will assess the impact of human activity and climate change on natural habitats. (Media Office Abu Dhabi)

Semiconductor

Saudi Arabia launches advanced chip design training

#Saudi #Semiconductors - Saudi Arabia's Research, Development, and Innovation Authority (RDIA) has introduced advanced training in digital chip design technologies, in collaboration with the National Academy for Industry, aiming to develop local talent for the National Semiconductor Hub. (SPA)

National AI Strategy

Iraq's AI strategy discussed at first committee meeting

#Iraq #AI - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani led the inaugural meeting of the Higher Committee for Artificial Intelligence. The committee reviewed the Iraqi National Strategy for AI, focusing on implementation across government and education sectors. (INA)

int@j launches initiative to boost AI in Jordan

#Jordan #AI - The Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (int@j) launched the “AI Enthusiasts of Jordan” (AI-EJO) initiative to strengthen the country’s AI ecosystem. The initiative aims to build a community of AI professionals, foster knowledge exchange, and promote AI adoption across various sectors. (FANA News)

PDPL

SDAIA seeks public feedback on Data Protection Law

#Saudi #DataProtection - Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) invites public feedback on standard contractual terms for transferring personal data under the Personal Data Protection Law, until August 30, 2024, via the Istitlaa platform. (LinkedIn)

Healthcare

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's robotic kidney transplant

#UAE #Healthcare - Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi performed its first robotic kidney transplant surgery, with both the Emirati donor and recipient treated simultaneously in separate operating rooms using advanced robotic systems. (WAM)

Energy

AIQ Deploys Smarti AI across ADNOC's maritime fleet

#UAE #energy - Abu Dhabi-based energy sector-focused AI company AIQ has deployed its Smarti Intelligent Operation Safety Monitoring solution across ADNOC Logistics and Services' 85-vessel fleet, performing over 1 billion safety predictions daily via real-time video analysis. (Zawya)

Banking

CBE hosts AI training for African central banks

#Egypt #AI - The Central Bank of Egypt is running a Big Data and AI training programme for 10 African central banks this week, in collaboration with COMESA. The programme focuses on implementing AI and Big Data analytics in banking. (CBE)

[ This newsletter was AI edited & human edited ]