UAE government unveils first AI Agents; Qiddiya to deploy Google AI
Middle East AI News weekly digest...
Good morning!
Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News email digest!
Way too much AI news for one newsletter again this week! In this edition, the UAE launches its first operational AI agents for public services; G42 and India finalise details for an 8-exaflop Cerebras-powered AI supercomputer; Saudi Arabia’s mega-city development Qiddiya adopts Google Cloud; Aramco and Pasqal launch the Middle East’s first commercial quantum computing cloud platform; AI-native Islamic bank Mal secures in-principle UAE regulatory approval; and TII sells UAE-developed cryptographic AI technologies to California startup.
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Thanks for reading and wishing you an early Eid Mubarak!
/Carrington
UAE Agentic AI Project
UAE launches first AI agents for public services
#UAE #AgenticAI - This week the UAE Government unveiled its first four operational AI agents for procurement, tax auditing, customer happiness and technical support as part of its Government 4.0 strategy. The new agents were announced at a government Agentic AI Retreat chaired by Vice President and Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and attended by 400 ministers and officials. (Middle East AI News)
UAE Cabinet approves AI government services
#UAE #AgenticAI - The UAE Cabinet has approved the first AI-powered government service bundles under its new agentic AI programme. The framework targets AI adoption across half of all federal services within two years while training 80,000 government employees. (Middle East AI News)
HPC
G42 and India finalise AI supercomputer project
#UAE #supercomputing - G42 and the Government of India have finalised the commercial framework for Condor Galaxy India, an 8-exaflop AI supercomputing cluster in Abu Dhabi. Powered by 64 Cerebras CS-3 systems, the infrastructure will support research, government and enterprise AI workloads under Indian data jurisdiction. (Middle East AI News)
Smart Cities
Qiddiya adopts Google Cloud AI for mega-city
#Saudi #smartcities - Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya City will deploy Google Cloud Gemini-powered AI systems across its 360 square kilometre entertainment development near Riyadh. Qiddiya Investment Company says the platform will support construction management, visitor operations and city-wide analytics for 40 million annual visitors. (Middle East AI News)
Dubai RTA expands AI transport monitoring systems
#UAE #transport - Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is scaling AI-powered monitoring and digital infrastructure systems from its Technology Operation Control Centre. The RTA now oversees more than 200 server-hosting units and handles over 500 support requests daily as Dubai advances its smart city ambitions. (Khaleej Times)
Quantum
Aramco and Pasqal launch quantum cloud service
#Saudi #quantum - Aramco and French company Pasqal have launched the Middle East’s first commercial Quantum Computing as a Service platform in Dhahran. The initiative provides remote access to a 200-qubit neutral-atom quantum computer for industries including logistics, energy optimisation and carbon storage research. (Middle East AI News)
Startups
Mal secures UAE approval for AI Islamic bank
#UAE #banking - Abu Dhabi-based digital bank Mal has secured in-principle approval from the Central Bank of the UAE following its record $230 million seed funding round. The AI-native Islamic banking platform aims to expand Shariah-compliant mobile financial services for global markets. (Middle East AI News)
UAE cryptographic AI tech reaches global scale
#UAE #cybersecurity - UAE-developed confidential AI and post-quantum security technologies have entered global commercial markets after San Francisco-based OPAQUE acquired assets from Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute. The deal strengthens the UAE’s position as an exporter of advanced AI infrastructure technologies for regulated industries. (Middle East AI News)
ChatSign launches AI sign language platform
#UAE #accessibility - NYU Abu Dhabi spin-out ChatSign has launched an AI platform translating spoken Arabic and English into sign language in real time. The Abu Dhabi-developed system supports both American and Emirati Sign Language for healthcare, education, transport and government applications. (Middle East AI News)
Aumet raises $12m to expand healthtech platform
#Saudi #healthtech - Saudi startup Aumet has secured $12 million in Series A funding to expand its AI-enabled healthcare procurement platform across regional and global markets. The Riyadh-based company supports more than 12,000 pharmacies and processes over $1 billion in annual gross merchandise value. (Zawya)
DeepTech
Qatar launches $30m DeepTech venture fund
#Qatar #deeptech - Qatar Foundation’s Qatar Science and Technology Park has launched a $30 million venture fund targeting AI, robotics, biotech, advanced materials and clean technology startups. The Doha-based initiative includes partnerships with five international venture capital firms spanning North America, Europe and Southeast Asia. (Middle East AI News)
Implementation
Dubai Holding partners Microsoft on AI rollout
#UAE #digitaltransformation - Dubai Holding and Microsoft are deploying enterprise-wide AI systems across the group’s operations in real estate, hospitality, retail and entertainment. More than 45,000 employees will gain access to OpenAI and Anthropic-powered tools in what the companies describe as the region’s largest enterprise AI rollout. (Middle East AI News)
DEWA deploys Microsoft 365 Copilot cowork
#UAE #AgenticAI - Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has become the first UAE government entity to deploy Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork, embedding agentic AI into employee workflows. DEWA said the digital coworker will streamline multi-step operational tasks, accelerate decision-making, reduce costs and support Dubai’s smart city ambitions. (Middle East AI News)
Research
INSEAD study highlights UAE AI governance model
#UAE #AIstrategy - New research by INSEAD and Yango Group says the UAE has moved beyond isolated AI pilots by treating artificial intelligence as public infrastructure. (INSEAD)
Education
MBRSG launches AI governance master’s degree
#UAE #governance - Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) has launched what it describes as the world’s first master’s degree focused on AI governance for government leaders. The programme is designed to support the UAE’s national AI strategy and accelerate the shift towards agentic government operations. (Middle East AI News)
Jordanian students win global AI healthcare award
#Jordan #healthcare - Jordan’s LifeSense student team secured first place in the Arab world and third place globally at the Codeavour 7.0 competition in Jakarta. The Latin Patriarchate Secondary School students developed an AI and IoT healthcare system for kidney failure patients, featuring wearable monitoring and early complication detection capabilities. (Petra)
Hajj
Saudi deploys AI robot at holy mosques
#Saudi #robots - Saudi Arabia has introduced an AI-powered multilingual robot at Mecca’s Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. The system delivers religious guidance, visitor assistance and translation services as the Kingdom expands digital technologies to improve Hajj and Umrah pilgrim experiences. (Gulf News)
[ This newsletter was both AI edited & human edited ]