TokenAI releases Horus LLM; DIFC sights set on becoming AI-native
Middle East AI News weekly digest...
Good morning!
Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News email digest!
Lots of news to share this week and Egypt in particular seems to be brimming with technology news! News in this issue includes a new open source LLM (Horus); the launch of The Spoine cognitive city; new AI startup ecosystem launches in Algiers and Cairo; DIFC’s plans to become AI-native; plus last Friday’s launch of Seoul-based tech entertainment company Galaxy Corp. in the UAE!
As usual, thanks to our Middle East AI News sponsor: fast-growing US-based developer of hardware and software for AI inference Positron AI! Start a conversation with Positron and find out about how to achieve the highest performance and the lowest cost per token for AI inference here.
And thanks for reading!
/Carrington
Egypt
TokenAI releases Horus LLM
#Egypt #LLMs - Cairo-based TokenAI has released Horus 1.0-4B, a compact multilingual language model trained on 1 trillion tokens. The model outperforms several larger peers on benchmarks. Arabic-optimised, and available in seven variants to suit different hardware and deployment environments, Horus has been released as open source via a MIT licence. (Middle East AI News)
New 500-acre AI Campus planned for New Cairo
#Egypt #innovation - Orange Egypt, Paragon | Adeer and Plug and Play are developing a 500-acre (2 sq.km.) AI Campus in New Cairo. The initiative aims to support 100 startups by 2030 through infrastructure, training and global market access, strengthening Egypt’s innovation ecosystem. (Middle East AI News)
Egypt unveils EGP1.4T AI-enabled The Spine cognitive city
#Egypt #smartcities - Talaat Moustafa Group is leading the development of “The Spine”, a EGP 1.4 trillion cognitive city project in New Caire. The Spine is designed as an AI-enabled economic hub, integrating business, residential and financial zones, aiming to boost GDP, attract global FDI. (Egypt Today)
Valeo expands Cairo AI development hub
#Egypt #automotive - Valeo has launched an AI Development Centre in Cairo with over 50 engineers, reinforcing Egypt’s role in its global software operations. The company already produces around half its software locally, with AI contributing to 35% of validated code. (Middle East AI News)
Egypt boosts AI integration in defence sector
#Egypt #defence - Egypt is accelerating defence modernisation as President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi orders the integration of artificial intelligence into military production. The strategy focuses on localising advanced manufacturing and expanding partnerships with global technology providers. (Egypt Independent)
Egypt deploys AI drones for environment
#Egypt #environment - Egypt’s Ministry of Local Development and Environment is rolling out AI-powered drones to monitor pollution, waste and land use. Using real-time data and geospatial analytics, the system supports decision-making across governorates. (Daily News Egypt)
Financial Services
DIFC sights set on becoming AI-native
#UAE #fintech - DIFC is transforming into a fully AI-native financial centre, embedding advanced technologies across regulation and infrastructure. The initiative aims to generate $3.5 billion in economic impact and 25,000 jobs, while introducing frameworks for AI agents and robotics. (Middle East AI News)
Entertainment
Galaxy Corp launches AI entertainment in UAE
#UAE #entertainment - Seoul-based Galaxy Corporation has opened a Middle East office in Dubai, unveiling plans for a robotics-driven theme park. The project will combine K-pop, immersive media and AI-powered experiences, bringing new technologies into the region’s creative economy. (Middle East AI News)
Oman film sector adopts AI workflows
#Oman #film - Oman’s film industry is integrating artificial intelligence into production processes, enabling faster workflows and lowering barriers for independent creators. The shift is reshaping technical roles while preserving creative storytelling, signalling a broader evolution in digital content creation. (Muscat Daily)
Startups
Algeria builds AI & cybersecurity startup cluster
#Algeria #startups - Algeria has launched a national AI and cybersecurity startup cluster in Sidi Abdallah. The Abdelhafid Ihaddaden Scientific and Technology Hub connects universities, founders and investors to accelerate commercialisation, with plans to replicate the model nationwide by 2027. (Middle East AI News)
Qatar’s Sufra AI secures $100k funding
#Qatar #funding - Doha-based Sufra AI has raised $100,000 in pre-seed funding from Snoonu through its Startup Factory initiative. The startup develops smart menu systems and personalised dining tools, targeting enhanced customer experiences and operational efficiency in the restaurant sector. (Wamda)
Signit raises $15m to expand AI contracts
#Saudi #contract - Riyadh-based Signit has secured $15 million in Series A funding led by Raed Ventures, with backing from STV and others. Serving over 700 customers, the company is expanding from e-signatures into AI-powered contract lifecycle management. (Middle East AI News)
Digital Transformation
Saudi firms struggle to unlock data value
#Saudi #AIreadiness - A report from Cloudera reveals 62% of Saudi business leaders are failing to use data effectively despite rising adoption of artificial intelligence. The study highlights an “AI readiness illusion”, with organisations lacking governance, infrastructure and workflow integration needed to scale returns. (Zawya)
Kuwait accelerates AI in oil sector operations
#Kuwait #energy - Kuwait’s Ministry of Oil is expanding artificial intelligence across exploration, drilling and pipeline monitoring to boost efficiency and safety. The transformation includes on predictive maintenance and supply chain optimisation, using advanced data analytics to improve discovery accuracy, reduce risks, and enhance environmental performance. (Arab Times)
Environment
Khazna DXB8 becomes first zero-waste data centre
#UAE #datacentres - Khazna Data Centers, part of G42 Group, has achieved the world’s first Zero Waste Certification for its DXB8 facility in Dubai. Verified by SCS Global Services, the site diverted 99.55% of waste from landfill over 12 months, setting a new sustainability benchmark. (Middle East AI News)
Abu Dhabi scales AI desert monitoring
#UAE #climate - The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi is expanding its AI-driven desert vegetation monitoring programme. Using drones and advanced analytics, the initiative reduces survey costs and time while improving ecosystem tracking and strengthening long-term sustainability planning. (Gulf News)
Competitions
Algeria wins four medals at AI Olympiad
#Algeria #AIOlympiad - Algeria’s national team secured two gold and two silver medals at the African AI Olympiad in Tunisia. The achievement reflects growing national investment in digital skills and youth talent development as the country builds its future technology workforce. (Radio Algeria)
[ This newsletter was both AI edited & human edited ]