UAE president attends AI briefing; Semiconductor startup nets $10M
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!
A quieter news week due to the UAE National Day holiday, but still some interesting news to share nonetheless!
Just before the UAE’s long weekend, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended a high-level government briefing on the national AI strategy: a reminder that the country’s efforts to capitalise on the new opportunities of the AI era are led from the very highest level.
In other news UAE-based fabless semiconductor startup Mastiska has secured $10 million Seed funding; Ooredoo will implement Oracle Alloy to create sovereign cloud services in Qatar; and Qatar’s government has signed an agreement with PwC Middle East and OpenAI to create an AI testbed for government entities and startups.
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Leadership
UAE president attends UAE AI strategy briefing
#UAE #government - UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan reaffirmed Abu Dhabi’s drive to build an integrated national AI ecosystem, attending a Qasr Al Bahr session on the Emirates’ AI strategy and sector use cases last week. Discussions focused on AI’s impact on healthcare, education and government services, plus new national indices to track infrastructure, readiness and cultural alignment. (WAM)
Funding
Mastiska raises $10m for sovereign AI silicon
#UAE #semiconductors - Abu Dhabi-based Mastiska has secured a $10 million seed round to develop sovereign AI silicon, backed by GCC sovereign wealth funds. The fabless startup plans data-centre-class inference accelerators, expand open-source chip design capabilities. (Wamda)
Funch raises $500k for AI-native lunch service
#UAE #foodtech - Dubai-based Funch has closed a $500,000 pre-seed round to scale its AI-native lunch subscription. Founded this year, the startup uses AI to forecast demand, optimise delivery routes and cut waste, offering a flexible, credit-based model that replaces traditional weekly meal plans across the city. (Wamda)
Sovereign Cloud
Ooredoo Qatar, Oracle to build sovereign AI cloud
#Qatar #sovereigncloud - Ooredoo Qatar has signed a strategic deal with Oracle to deploy Oracle Alloy, creating a fully sovereign in-country cloud and AI platform. Hosted in national data centres, it will offer enhanced data control, integrated GPU capabilities and hyperscale performance for government and regulated sectors. (Zawya)
Saudi ranks third globally in AI index hiring
#Saudi #digitaleconomy - The Stanford HAI 2025 AI Index ranks Saudi Arabia third worldwide for leading AI models and hiring rates, reflecting rapid data and AI advances under SDAIA. The Kingdom is one of the fastest-growing hubs for AI talent, capability building and model deployment. (SPA)
Saudi’s CQR launches FENNEC OT security platform
#Saudi #cybersecurity - In Al Khobar, cybersecurity firm CQR has launched FENNEC, an AI-powered OT security platform targeting Saudi critical infrastructure. The system aims to cut compliance effort while strengthening operational technology protection. (Middle East AI News)
Asiacell signs multi-partner AI deals for Iraq
#Iraq #telecoms - Asiacell has unveiled AI-focused partnerships with Google Cloud, Cisco, Enea, Evam and Druid AI to modernise Iraq’s digital infrastructure. The deals bring AI-driven network assurance, collaboration tools and real-time customer engagement across Asiacell’s nationwide footprint, aiming to improve service quality and operational efficiency. (Developing Telecoms)
Education
Oman launches national AI and robotics olympiad
#Oman #education - Oman has launched the National Olympiad for Student Scientific Innovation, Robotics, and AI for the 2025–26 academic year. Bringing together students nationwide, the competition spans AI, cybersecurity, engineering, IT, environmental sciences and mathematics. (Muscat Daily)
ABB opens $2 million AI training centre in Dubai
#UAE #energy - ABB has opened a $2 million, 2,500-square-metre AI-focused training and customer experience centre in Dubai’s Al Quoz district. The facility plans to train 2,000 Middle East engineers annually in digital asset management, electrical systems and predictive maintenance. (Middle East AI News)
Morocco to build advanced technology school in Dakhla
#Morocco #education - Morocco has signed an agreement to establish the National School of Advanced Technologies in Dakhla, expanding regional higher education capacity. The institution will focus on AI, robotics and digital systems, supporting economic development in the southern regions. (Morocco World News)
SAP, Kuwait University plan national AI hackathon
#Kuwait #education - SAP and Kuwait University will co-host an AI Hackathon next February, convening government bodies, students and innovators. The event aims to tackle real public-sector challenges and developing local AI skills, prototypes and startups aligned with national priorities. (SAMENA Council)
Innovation
Qatar, PwC and OpenAI to build government AI testbed
#Qatar #AIadoption- Qatar’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has partnered with PwC Middle East and OpenAI to create an AI testbed for government entities and startups. The collaboration aims to strengthen AI governance frameworks and accelerate real-world adoption. (Middle East AI News)
Algeria’s insurers launch AI transformation hub
#Algeria #insurance - Algeria’s insurance sector is creating an AI hub as an Economic Interest Group, linking the national insurance union with leading mathematics, AI and computer science schools. The initiative will drive digital transformation, nurture startups and embed AI-based projects into insurance operations. (Atlas Magazine)
Water
Egypt rolls out AI-enabled national water management
#Egypt #water - Egypt has detailed nationwide deployment of drones, satellite monitoring and AI to upgrade water management under its Second-Generation Irrigation System. The initiative targets better forecasting, precision allocation and climate resilience for agriculture and cities. (State Information Service)
Agriculture
Jordan to apply AI to 100,000 dunams of farmland
#Jordan #agriculture - Jordan’s Valley Authority will introduce AI into agricultural land management in 2026, initially covering 100,000 dunams in North Shuna. The programme will support farmers with field monitoring, crop selection and water-use optimisation. (Petra News Agency)
Trends
AI now mainstream in UAE and Saudi travel planning
#UAE #travel - New research from Marriott Bonvoy’s 2026 Ticket to Travel Report, finds nearly three-quarters of UAE and Saudi travellers use AI tools for trip planning. Two-thirds are comfortable letting AI platforms select accommodation next year, signalling fast-rising trust in AI-led booking and discovery. (Zawya)
Community
Women in AI Morocco to launch national chapter
#Morocco #womenintech - Morocco’s AI community is preparing to launch the Women in AI Morocco national chapter at the inaugural Women in AI Morocco Summit on December 5 at Technopark Casablanca. The initiative will promote inclusive, responsible and skills-driven AI development. (Morocco World News)
Events
Machines Can Think 2026 summit set for Abu Dhabi
#UAE #events - Abu Dhabi will host Machines Can Think 2026 in January, an AI adopters summit bringing global researchers and technology leaders together. Organisers say the event will focus on advanced industrial applications. (Zawya)
[ This newsletter was both AI edited & human edited ]