News/MENA
Turkish manufacturing embraces AI to speed up digital shift
MESS, the Turkish Employers Association of Metal Industries, is transforming manufacturing in Türkiye through its comprehensive innovation center MEXT. Launched in 2020 with McKinsey's partnership, MEXT provides digital transformation, sustainability capabilities, and AI integration for Turkish manufacturers that represent 40% of the country's total manufacturing exports. This ambitious initiative is strategically positioning Türkiye's industrial base to remain competitive in an increasingly digitalized global manufacturing landscape. The big picture: MESS serves as a vital industrial association representing over 230,000 employees across Türkiye's key manufacturing sectors, including automotive, machinery, durable goods, iron and steel, and cabling. The organization has a significant economic...
read May 7, 2025Abu Dhabi-based AI firm Presight expands to Global South markets for growth
Presight AI is leveraging its strong domestic performance to fuel ambitious global expansion plans, particularly across emerging markets. The data analytics provider's strategic pivot toward international growth comes amid impressive financial results, with first-quarter sales more than doubling year-over-year, signaling the company's growing influence in the global AI analytics landscape. The big picture: Presight AI reported first quarter sales of 563.9 million dirhams ($153.5 million), marking a substantial 115% annual increase as the company accelerates its international expansion strategy. Key details: Around 23% of Presight's current sales originate from outside the United Arab Emirates, with the company targeting an ambitious...
read May 7, 2025UAE mandates AI education for all students starting fall 2025
The UAE is leading a global educational shift by mandating AI learning across its school system starting fall 2025, a move designed to address classroom disengagement while preparing students for an AI-dominated future. This comprehensive curriculum overhaul will reach up to 400,000 students and represents one of the first national-level commitments to integrating artificial intelligence education from kindergarten through high school, positioning the UAE as a pioneer in technology-focused educational reform. The big picture: The UAE will implement mandatory AI education in all public and some private schools starting in the next academic year, with approximately 20 lessons planned for...
read May 5, 2025UAE launches AI curriculum for students to lead tech innovation
The United Arab Emirates is taking a bold step toward positioning itself as an AI leader in the Middle East by integrating artificial intelligence education into its public school system. Starting with the 2025-2026 academic year, students from kindergarten through 12th grade will receive AI education that combines technical knowledge with ethical considerations, representing a significant investment in developing future AI talent and literacy across the entire educational pipeline. The big picture: The UAE is implementing AI education across all grade levels in public schools beginning this academic year, signaling the country's commitment to becoming a regional AI powerhouse. The...
read May 2, 2025The top 6 countries to watch in the AI infrastructure boom
The global race for AI infrastructure is heating up as nations compete to host the specialized data centers needed for training and running advanced AI models. Beyond traditional data center requirements, AI facilities demand exceptional power capacity, advanced cooling systems, robust connectivity, and supportive regulatory frameworks. This infrastructure competition will shape which countries become the dominant players in the AI economy, influencing everything from research innovation to computational sovereignty. 1. United States The U.S. leads in AI infrastructure with major installations from tech giants Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta, supported by abundant land resources, sophisticated power grids, and extensive fiber...
read Apr 21, 2025UAE leans into AI-written law, raising questions about human legal judgement
The United Arab Emirates is pioneering the integration of artificial intelligence into core governance functions with its plans to use AI for drafting legislation. This initiative represents a significant evolution in how governments leverage technology to transform traditionally human-centered processes like lawmaking. By positioning itself at the frontier of AI governance applications, the UAE continues its pattern of embracing technological innovation as a cornerstone of national development strategy. The big picture: The UAE is preparing to become the first country in the world to use artificial intelligence to draft laws, marking a potentially revolutionary approach to legislative processes. Why this...
read Apr 7, 2025AI-powered cyber threats outpace defenses in Middle East, warns Zain security chief
The Middle East's cybersecurity landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation as AI-powered threats evolve faster than defense mechanisms. In an exclusive interview, Zain Group's Chief Risk Officer reveals how nation-states and criminal groups are leveraging AI to launch sophisticated attacks against critical infrastructure, telecommunications networks, and supply chains across the region. This escalating cyber arms race coincides with a crippling talent shortage, highlighting the need for collaborative security approaches as Middle Eastern countries push forward with ambitious digital transformation initiatives. The big picture: Middle Eastern organizations face increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks as the region accelerates digital transformation through smart cities, AI...
read Mar 31, 2025Jersey shores up energy relations with $25 billion UAE partnership to power US data centers
New Jersey-based Energy Capital Partners and UAE's ADQ are launching a massive $25 billion partnership focused on developing power generation projects for data centers across the United States. This collaboration addresses the surging energy demands driven by AI technology and cloud computing, which could consume up to 12% of total U.S. electricity by 2028. The venture represents a strategic response to what experts predict will be a tripling of data center power needs by 2030, requiring over $1 trillion in investment to meet this growing infrastructure challenge. The big picture: Energy Capital Partners (ECP) and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund...
read Mar 21, 2025Wooing with ooze: UAE uses oil wealth to secure strategic AI partnerships with the US
The UAE is leveraging its immense wealth to establish strategic technological partnerships with the United States, particularly in artificial intelligence. A recent White House dinner between President Trump and Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan highlights the growing ties between American tech leaders and Emirati investment funds, creating a new dimension of influence that extends beyond traditional diplomatic channels into the rapidly evolving AI landscape. The big picture: Sheikh Tahnoon, the UAE's national security advisor and brother of Abu Dhabi's ruler, met with President Trump at the White House for a banquet dinner that focused heavily on strengthening technological partnerships....
read Mar 12, 2025Italy signs $2.5 billion AI deal with UAE to build “cognitive cities”
Old World unite! Italy's landmark $2.5 billion AI deal with the UAE signals a significant shift in urban management as cities worldwide seek technological solutions to complex infrastructure challenges. The agreement between Italian AI firm Synapsia and UAE's Bold Technologies represents one of the largest international AI contracts to date, positioning both Italy as a technology exporter and the UAE as an emerging AI hub amid growing regional competition from Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The big picture: Synapsia has secured a $2.5 billion contract with UAE's Bold Technologies to develop AI-powered city management systems for Abu Dhabi. The Italian company...
read Mar 7, 2025State Department using AI to track pro-Palestinian social media posts by visa holders
The U.S. State Department's new AI-driven initiative targets foreign student visa holders who express pro-Palestinian views on social media, marking a significant expansion in using artificial intelligence for immigration enforcement. This move follows President Trump's January executive order to combat antisemitism and his pledge to deport non-citizens involved in pro-Palestinian protests amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. The implementation of AI surveillance in visa enforcement raises important questions about the intersection of national security, free speech protections, and the evolving role of technology in government monitoring. The big picture: The State Department is implementing an AI-powered "Catch and Revoke" program to...
read Mar 5, 2025Arabic AI benchmarks emerge to standardize language model evaluation
The Arabic AI ecosystem has entered a new phase of systematic evaluation and benchmarking, with multiple organizations developing comprehensive testing frameworks to assess Arabic language models across diverse capabilities. These benchmarks are crucial for developers and organizations implementing Arabic AI solutions, as they provide standardized ways to evaluate performance across tasks ranging from basic language understanding to complex multimodal applications. The big picture: A coordinated effort has emerged to establish standardized testing frameworks for Arabic AI technologies, spanning multiple critical domains and capabilities. The benchmarks cover LLM performance, vision processing, speech recognition, and specialized tasks like RAG generation and tokenization....
read Mar 5, 2025Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan challenges Trump’s AI-generated resort vision
The latest clash between Trump's AI-generated "Gaza Riviera" vision and Egypt's reconstruction proposal highlights the intensifying debate over Gaza's future amid ongoing conflict. As regional powers gather in Cairo to counter Trump's controversial plan, which suggested relocating Palestinians to neighboring countries, the stark differences between these competing visions underscore the complex challenges of rebuilding a war-torn territory where over 46,000 Palestinians have died since October 2023. The big picture: Egypt has presented a 91-page draft proposal for Gaza's reconstruction that directly challenges Trump's AI-generated vision of a Mediterranean resort destination. The Egyptian plan envisions modern housing blocks with clean lines,...
read Feb 26, 2025Hamas not feeling Trump’s AI-generated Gaza video
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has entered a new phase of public discourse as former U.S. President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated video depicting Gaza as a luxury resort destination. The video, which sparked immediate controversy, shows a dramatic transformation of the war-torn region into a Mediterranean paradise complete with Trump-themed imagery. Key context: The video emerges during a fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, as negotiations continue for prisoner exchanges following the October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and led to Israeli military operations resulting in 48,000 Palestinian casualties. The ongoing ceasefire has facilitated exchanges...
read Feb 26, 2025Riyadh Air partners with IBM for AI-driven aviation innovation
The rise of Saudi Arabia's aviation industry has become a cornerstone of the nation's economic diversification strategy, with ambitious plans to handle 330 million annual passengers by 2030. Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia's newest airline, is positioning itself as a digital-first carrier through a strategic partnership with IBM that emphasizes artificial intelligence integration across its operations. Strategic Overview: Riyadh Air's collaboration with IBM marks a significant step toward becoming the world's first digital-native airline, with operations scheduled to begin in late 2025. The partnership centers on implementing IBM's WatsonX AI portfolio to enhance both guest and employee experiences The airline aims...
read Feb 26, 2025Microsoft workers protest sale of AI to Israeli military
Microsoft's $1.2 billion cloud computing contract with Israel's defense ministry has sparked internal protests among employees concerned about the technology's use in military operations. Recent investigations revealed a significant increase in Israeli military's use of Microsoft Azure and AI services following the October 2023 Hamas attack. Latest developments: Five Microsoft employees disrupted CEO Satya Nadella's company-wide meeting with a dramatic protest over the company's military contracts with Israel. Protesters wore T-shirts spelling out "Does Our Code Kill Kids, Satya?" before being quickly removed from the venue Nadella continued his presentation without acknowledging the demonstration Company representatives stated they support employee...
read Feb 23, 2025Qatar partners with Scale AI to enhance government services with AI
Qatar's recent move to enhance government services through artificial intelligence marks a significant development in the Gulf region's technological landscape. The five-year partnership between Qatar and Scale AI, announced in February 2025, aims to modernize government operations through AI-powered solutions. Deal specifics: Scale AI will collaborate with Qatar's government to implement AI tools and training across public sector services. The partnership spans five years and includes the development of more than 50 AI use cases for Qatar's government Scale AI will provide tools for predictive analytics, automation, and advanced data analysis The financial terms of the agreement remain undisclosed Company...
read Feb 21, 2025DataVolt to develop AI-ready data center in Riyadh’s First Technology Park
In Saudi Arabia, rapid technological growth has created an urgent need for advanced data processing facilities, particularly those optimized for artificial intelligence workloads. DataVolt, a digital infrastructure developer with extensive experience in renewable energy projects, has announced plans to construct a major AI-focused data center in Riyadh. Project Overview: DataVolt has secured a land lease agreement with MODON to develop a 55,000-square-meter AI-ready data center in Riyadh's First Technology Park. The facility will primarily serve hyperscalers, cloud providers, and enterprise customers in Saudi Arabia The project represents a portion of DataVolt's larger USD 5 billion investment in Saudi Arabian digital...
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