This week’s top stories — 28 Jun–04 Jul
Dubai launches city-scale digital twin; SDAIA earns World Bank recognition
This was the week that Dubai launched one of the world’s most ambitious city-scale digital twin platforms, mapping more than 280,000 infrastructure assets and 195,000 buildings in 3D to support smarter urban planning and AI-powered city management.
In other news, Saudi Arabia’s SDAIA earned World Bank recognition for its Digital Learning Sandbox initiative; Inception42 unveiled its enterprise Arabic AI platform Seraj in collaboration with Microsoft; sovereign AI startup 1001 raised $30 million led by Lux Capital; and Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE joined the Pax Silica Summit with a joint statement on trusted AI collaboration.
Here are this week’s biggest AI news stories!
Sunday, June 28th
🔥 Bahrain, Qatar and UAE sign Pax Silica Summit joint statement
Abu Dhabi’s G42, Core42 and MGX join Washington Pax Silica Summit.
Monday, June 29th
🔊 Listen to Monday’s Daily News Minute
🔥 SDAIA trains 215 students from 28 universities
Programme aims to build Saudi Arabia’s national AI talent pool.
🔥 Many UAE firms unprepared for AI risk
Despite widespread AI adoption, only a third of organisations train staff against AI data breaches.
🔥 Saudi tourism ministry launches AI vision
New TourismX platform brings AI tools to tourism operators.
Tuesday, June 30th
🔊 Listen to Tuesday’s Daily News Minute
🔥 1001 raises $30 million to build sovereign AI for the GCC
Lux Capital leads AI platform funding round backed by Sanabil Investments.
🔥 UAE weather body deploys its first AI agents
NCM rolls out agentic AI assistants to support weather forecasting.
🔥 Quarter of UAE, Saudi firms run AI unchecked
KnowBe4 study highlights governance gaps and shadow AI risks.
Wednesday, July 1st
🔊 Listen to Wednesday’s Daily News Minute
🔥 Five MENA startups graduate from Silicon Valley AI residency
Propeller’s inaugural Kernel Camp completes its first Bay Area cohort.
🔥 AI activity is pushing Gulf networks toward breaking point
Most Saudi organisations expect network capacity constraints within two years.
🔥 Saudi-Kurdish deal launches first Kurdish AI platform: KI
OmniOps deploys sovereign AI supporting Kurdish dialects.
Thursday, July 2nd
🔊 Listen to Thursday’s Daily News Minute
🔥 Inception42 advances Arabic AI for enterprise with Seraj
Seraj is built on GPT-4.1 in collaboration with Microsoft.
Friday, July 3rd
🔊 Listen to Friday’s Daily News Minute
🔥 Dubai launches city-scale digital twin platform
More than 280,000 infrastructure assets and 195,000 buildings are now mapped in 3D.
🔥 SDAIA’s digital learning sandbox earns World Bank recognition
652 submissions from participants across 55 countries and three programme cohorts.