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Artificial Intelligence

News, insight and analysis of the developing AI industry in the Middle East, covering artificial intelligence companies and projects in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the entire region.

Artificial Intelligence overview

Artificial Intelligence news

Abu Dhabi data centre

Abu Dhabi seeks bidders for unified data centre project

Abu Dhabi has issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) to develop a unified data centre, a critical part of its plan to consolidate digital infrastructure across more than 40 government entities in the UAE capital. A unified data centre is a centralised facility that securely stores and manages data and applications, serving as the backbone […]

The US is anxious to ensure that advanced chips from companies such as Nvidia do not end up in Russia or China

Tighter US chip rules offer challenges and opportunities

Despite fierce industry opposition, the White House on Monday further tightened the government’s grip on exports from the US of advanced semiconductors outside of fewer than 20 partner countries, none of them in the Middle East. However, some industry experts say, it is not all bad news for Gulf states such as the UAE and […]

Rahul Tikoo, vice president at chip designer AMD, holds HP's AI-capable Zbook Ultra G1a laptop at CES 2025 in Las Vegas

US PC makers bank on AI to regain Gulf market share

US technology majors Dell and HP have launched a range of PCs featuring artificial intelligence capabilities. Industry analysts believe this may help them regain lost market share in the Gulf region and reverse the decline in demand for PCs. Global PC shipments, including in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, dropped 14.6 percent in the […]

Industry bodies have warned US commerce secretary Gina Raimondo that a limit on AI chip exports could undermine US leadership in the sector

Middle East wary of US AI chip export rules

The US government’s proposed new rule to control global access to its artificial intelligence chips has ignited widespread debate, and has implications for the Middle East’s AI ecosystem. The “Export Control Framework for Artificial Intelligence Diffusion” would restrict exports of US-made AI chips in the hopes of curbing China’s military advancements using the technology. However, […]

Downtown Riyadh. A surge in businesses registering in Saudi Arabia has been led by cloud computing, AI and app development

Tech companies fuel spike in Saudi business registrations

Commercial business registrations in Saudi Arabia increased by more than two-thirds in the fourth quarter of 2024, led by a proliferation of technology-based companies setting up in the kingdom. Over 160,000 new records were issued throughout the three-month period, taking the number of active commercial registrations in the country to more than 1.6 million, according […]

While businesses are focused on innovation, governments are grappling with the question of regulation

UAE’s AI rules ‘prioritise innovation but run risk of gaps’

The UAE’s emphasis on fostering innovation and economic growth has made it an attractive destination for artifical intelligence (AI) investment but could risk leaving gaps in accountability and oversight of personal information, according to industry experts. The challenge “is to balance innovation with safety in a world where AI is already out of the bottle […]

Growing interest in AI applications has strained existing data centre capacity and fuelled demand for energy

Dubai’s Hodler in global AI data centre partnership

Dubai’s Hodler Investments has partnered with US technology company Vertical Data to launch “sustainable” artificial intelligence data centres in the UAE, the Gulf, Africa and Canada. The companies said they are targeting rising demand for high-performance computing. Growing interest in AI applications has strained existing data centre capacity and fuelled intense demand for energy to […]

Elon Musk xAI funding

Regional investors rush to Musk’s $6bn xAI funding round

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence venture xAI has attracted funding from regional investors including Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Holding, the Qatar Investment Authority and the Oman Investment Authority.  The latest Series C funding round for xAI has closed after raising $6 billion from backers such as BlackRock, Fidelity, Sequoia Capital and Valor Equity Partners, as well as […]

Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, says that ChatGPT receives 1 billion queries every day

ChatGPT’s search expansion raises concerns for businesses

OpenAI’s decision to roll out its ChatGPT search to all users could indicate a shift in how people access information online and pose challenges for Gulf businesses when it comes to issues such as online advertising, data privacy and revenue models. The feature, introduced to premium subscribers two months ago, allows users to receive real-time […]

Elon Musk with President-elect Donald Trump. Oman's investment in Musk's AI project is its latest tie-up with the billionaire

Oman buys stake in Elon Musk’s AI company

The Oman Investment Authority (OIA), the sultanate’s sovereign wealth fund, has acquired a stake in xAI, the artificial intelligence company founded by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man.  The deal was announced on Wednesday by the Omani state news agency but the size of the investment was not disclosed. Musk, who is worth around $486 […]

Retailers in the UAE are focusing on store fit-outs and events among other approaches to keep customers loyal

UAE retailers face rising costs as shoppers demand more

Rising costs for UAE retailers risk hitting marketing budgets in 2025 – even though consumers are spending more cash. Increases in raw material costs and supply chain delays are tightening the margins for companies, experts have pointed out.  Still, a sharp increase in the use of artificial intelligence in the retail industry next year is […]

Adult, Male, Man

Mubadala backs US-based AI startup in $600m funding round

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company is among the investors backing Crusoe, a San Francisco-based artificial intelligence infrastructure provider, in its $600 million funding round. The Series D funding round was led by Founders Fund, with participation from new and existing investors, including Fidelity, Long Journey Ventures, Nvidia, Ribbit Capital and Valor Equity Partners. In June […]

Rendering of Yahsat's Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5 satellites. Space42 will receive AED3.7bn in advanced payments to construct both the satellites

Space42 bags $5bn contract from UAE government  

Space42, a global space technology company based in Abu Dhabi, has signed an AED18.7 billion ($5.1 billion) contract with the UAE government to provide critical, secure satellite communication services for an additional 17 years beyond 2026 until 2043. Under the contract, the Abu Dhabi-listed company, a subsidiary of UAE company G42, will provide satellite capacity […]

Car park in Dubai. Parkin operates 197,000 spaces in the emirate

Dubai’s Parkin signs tech deal with Saudi group BATIC

Parkin, the largest parking management group in Dubai, aims to expand into Saudi Arabia after signing an agreement with the Riyadh-based conglomerate BATIC. The proposed collaboration with BATIC’s Smart City Solutions subsidiary will focus on technologies to improve traffic flow. It will also enhance the parking experience for Saudi motorists, the companies said in a […]

The US has overcome misgivings about the UAE's relationship with China to approve computer chip exports

US clears export of advanced AI chips to UAE

The US has approved the export of advanced computer chips used for artificial intelligence to the UAE, reports indicate. Under the agreement the UAE will allow exports to a Microsoft-operated facility for use by Emirati state-backed AI company G42. Microsoft has invested more than $1.5 billion in G42 and holds a minority stake and board […]

A data centre technician. Amazon, Google and Microsoft are also developing high-tech infrastructure in Southeast Asia

Damac to spend $3bn on data centres in Southeast Asia

Edgnex, the data centre subsidiary of Dubai’s Damac Group, is planning to invest $3 billion in sites across Southeast Asia over the next three to five years.  The investment is part of a $7 billion digital infrastructure strategy that aims to meet rising demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing, Danish Nayar, Damac’s senior vice-president […]

Attendees at the GAIN AI summit in Riyadh in September. Aramco and Kaust are investing $100m into AI research

Saudi R&D growth fuelled by AI and green industries

Research and development spending in Saudi Arabia increased by 17.4 percent in 2023, and the number of people employed in R&D rose significantly.  Figures released by the General Authority for Statistics showed R&D spending of SAR22.6 billion ($6 billion) in 2023, up from SAR19.25 billion in 2022 and SAR14.5 billion in 2021.  The total number […]

Ed Rawles of Nybl says 'our region lags behind the rest of the world when it comes to committing actual cash to new technology' funding for AI Video length: 03:43

Funding squeeze stifles AI innovation in Mena

Emerging technology and AI startups in the Mena region are struggling to find investors. Industry experts say that the Middle East attracts less than 5 percent of global funding for AI because of the lack of specialised venture capital funds that are willing to take risks. “Our region lags behind the rest of the world […]