TII builds quantum cloud service: CBUAE to create sovereign cloud
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!
It’s been a busy start to the month of Ramadan with significant launches and announcements from across the region’s ecosystem. Abu Dhabi’s TII has launched the region’s first quantum cloud service; Presight and Shorooq have announced the first investments for their joint $100 million VC fund; HUMAIN is deploying the first phase of its Qualcomm AI data centre announced last year; and G42 and global digital agency Publicis Sapient are to form a joint venture.
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Quantum
TII launches region’s first quantum cloud service
#UAE #quantum - Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII) has introduced the region’s first quantum computing cloud service, providing access to in-house superconducting processors ranging from 5 to 25 qubits. With coherence times up to ten times longer than early prototypes, the platform advances hybrid quantum-classical experimentation. (Middle East AI News)
Funding
Presight-Shorooq Fund I backs five AI start-ups
#UAE #funding - Abu Dhabi’s $100 million Presight-Shorooq Fund I has invested in five AI start-ups across the UAE and US: NodeShift, Candid, Hebbia, Blue and Crunched. The fund links frontier AI firms with the UAE’s sovereign infrastructure and MENA capital ecosystem to accelerate commercial deployment. (Middle East AI News)
Origen secures $50 million from Bluefive Capital
#UAE #funding - Abu Dhabi-based Origen has raised $50 million from ADGM-registered Bluefive Capital. Founded in 2025, Origen embeds AI into government services, smart homes and advanced manufacturing, with the funding set to accelerate product development and regional expansion. (Middle East AI News)
Data Centres
HUMAIN deploys 1,024 Qualcomm AI accelerators
#Saudi #datacentres - Saudi Arabia’s PIF-owned HUMAIN has installed 1,024 Qualcomm Cloud AI 100 accelerators in phase one of an AI data centre. The deployment, one of Qualcomm’s largest globally, supports large-scale inferencing via an edge-to-cloud hybrid architecture. (Middle East AI News)
Governance
G42 unveils AI chip assurance framework
#UAE #semiconductors - Abu Dhabi-based G42 will implement an enhanced assurance framework under the US-led Pax Silica initiative. The system embeds cryptographic tracking and infrastructure-level governance to monitor deployment and authorised use of advanced US-origin AI semiconductors. (Middle East AI News)
Saudi Arabia joins OECD AI partnership
#Saudi #AIGovernance - Saudi Arabia has joined the OECD-hosted Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence through the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA). Becoming one of more than 40 members enhances the Kingdom’s influence in human-centric, trustworthy AI policy development. (Middle East AI News)
HPC
UAE to deploy 8 exaflop AI supercomputer in India
#UAE #supercomputing - Abu Dhabi’s G42 and US-based Cerebras will deliver an 8 exaflop national AI supercomputer in India, partnering with Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) and C-DAC. Hosted under sovereign governance, the platform expands India’s compute capacity and supports the India AI Mission. (Middle East AI News)
Financial Services
UAE builds sovereign financial cloud with G42
#UAE #fintech - The Central Bank of the UAE has partnered with G42 subsidiary Core42 to launch the world’s first sovereign financial cloud services infrastructure. The AI-powered platform strengthens data sovereignty, cybersecurity and unified multi-cloud management across licensed financial institutions. [Middle East AI News]
eNovate and Cobi power Egypt digital payments
#Egypt #UAE #fintech - eNovate and AI platform Cobi are integrating behavioural intelligence into Egypt’s digital payments ecosystem, beginning with the Rize youth wallet. The partnership will enable real-time personalisation and portfolio insights, with regional expansion planned from early 2026. (Zawya)
Deals
G42, Publicis Sapient plan AI-first joint venture
#UAE #jointventures - G42 and global digital agency Publicis Sapient have signed an MoU to explore an AI-first joint venture, targeting launch by mid-2026. Combining sovereign AI cloud infrastructure with enterprise platforms Sapient Slingshot and Sapient Bodhi, the partnership aims to scale deployment across the UAE and Global South. (Middle East AI News)
Accountability
85% of UAE CIOs fear role at risk over AI returns
#UAE #survey - Research by US-based Dataiku, surveying 600 CIOs globally, found 85% of UAE CIOs believe their roles are at risk if AI fails to deliver measurable gains within two years. AI agents already power 65% of business-critical workflows, intensifying governance scrutiny. (Middle East AI News)
Cybersecurity
UAE foils AI-powered cyber attacks on vital sectors
#UAE #cyberSecurity - The UAE Cyber Security Council has thwarted AI-powered cyber attacks targeting critical national infrastructure. Authorities reported increasingly sophisticated ransomware and phishing campaigns enhanced by artificial intelligence, underscoring rising threats to vital sectors. The National
Events
UAE to host 2028 Artificial Intelligence Summit
#UAE #events - The United Arab Emirates will host the Artificial Intelligence Summit in 2028 and co-chair the 2027 edition in Geneva with the Swiss Confederation. Announced in New Delhi, the move strengthens the UAE’s role in global AI governance and responsible innovation. (Middle East AI News)
Competitions
Iraq launches national robotics and AI championship
#Iraq #robotics - Iraq’s Ministry of Higher Education has launched a National University Championship for Robotics and AI Applications in Baghdad. The initiative unites public and private institutions, supporting specialised AI colleges and research centres within the country’s emerging knowledge economy. (Iraq Business News)
Red Bull Basement opens AI innovation contest in Jordan
#Jordan #innovation - Red Bull Basement has opened applications for its 2026 programme in Jordan, inviting founders aged 18–24 to submit AI-driven ideas. National finalists will pitch in Amman, with winners receiving AMD AI laptops, Microsoft Azure credits and mentorship before competing at the World Final in Silicon Valley. (The Jordan Times)
[ This newsletter was both AI edited & human edited ]