Analysis Artificial Intelligence DeepSeek’s arrival opens door for Middle East AI developers Serious competitor for ChatGPT Region must move quickly Balance between US and China A global artificial intelligence battle looks to be building between China and the US that could well benefit Middle East AI startups through lower dev... Register now: It’s easy and free This content is available for registered members only. Register for your […] February 10, 2025
Opinion Tech US ambitions are a fork in the road for GCC crypto If Trump follows through on deregulation, the States could be a serious competitor to the Gulf February 4, 2025
Tech Qatar leads funding for quantum computing company Alice & Bob, a Paris-based quantum computing company, has raised $104 million in a Series B funding round led by an investment joint venture between Qatar Investment Authority and Bpifrance. The funding will accelerate the development of the French company’s quantum computing platform, which utilises its “cat qubit” technology. A qubit (quantum bit) is the […] January 28, 2025
Energy Abu Dhabi’s Phoenix Group signs Ethiopian power deal Abu Dhabi-based technology conglomerate Phoenix Group has acquired an 80 megawatt (MW) power purchase agreement (PPA) in Ethiopia. It follows just weeks after the company launched a 50MW cryptocurrency mining facility in North Dakota in the US. A PPA is usually a long-term electricity supply agreement. The deal, secured in partnership with UAE cybersecurity company […] January 22, 2025
Tech Tech and crypto make a mark as Trump takes charge Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday as the 47th President of the United States was an overt display of the evolving ties between technology, politics and finance. The presence of tech industry titans and the cryptocurrency market’s dramatic response highlighted the strong relationship between Trump’s administration and the tech world, with potential long-term impacts for Gulf […] January 21, 2025
Artificial Intelligence Saudi networking platform Halo AI secures $6m funding Saudi networking platform Halo AI has secured $6 million in seed funding to expand globally in a funding round led by Raed Ventures and Shorooq Partners, highlighting the Gulf region’s enthusiasm for artificial intelligence. Halo AI seeks to connect content creators and brands using highly autonomous or “agentic” AI technology developed by tech leaders such […] January 16, 2025
Analysis Banking & Finance Gulf sets ambitious targets in its quest to go cashless The Middle East has set ambitious targets in its bid to become a cashless society. The UAE is aiming for 75 percent of transactions to be cashless by 2026 and Saudi Arabia has set a target of 70 percent by 2030. Late last year, the process was made simpler by the introduction of Tap to […] January 16, 2025
Tech 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 […] January 9, 2025
Artificial Intelligence 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, […] January 9, 2025
Analysis Artificial Intelligence 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 […] January 6, 2025
Artificial Intelligence 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 […] December 24, 2024
Analysis Artificial Intelligence 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 […] December 19, 2024
Artificial Intelligence 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 […] December 18, 2024
Analysis Banking & Finance The ‘race is on’ to set up bitcoin national reserves The concept of national bitcoin reserves is moving from theoretical discussion to geopolitical reality. A member of Russia’s parliament has called on its central bank to consider bitcoin as a reserve asset, it was reported last week. Thirteen nations already hold the cryptocurrency, according to a report released this month by bitcoin exchange River. The […] December 16, 2024
Banking & Finance UAE stablecoin gets green light from Central Bank UAE businesses could soon be able to accept AE Coin, the first regulated cryptocurrency in the Emirates. The AE Coin, which has just received regulatory approval from the Central Bank of the UAE, is pegged to the dirham, making it less volatile than other cryptocurrencies. Cryptos tied to a fiat, or government-issued, currency are known as […] December 11, 2024
Finance Eric Trump tells Abu Dhabi bitcoin will hit $1m President-elect Donald Trump is planning to make the US the “crypto capital of the world”, his son Eric Trump said in a keynote speech in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Speaking at the Bitcoin Mena event being held at Abu Dhabi’s ADNEC centre, the younger Trump said he was “confident” that bitcoin would hit $1 million. […] December 10, 2024
Tech 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 […] December 4, 2024
Analysis Media & Advertising It’s not just Elon Musk critics flocking to X rival Bluesky Social media challenger Bluesky hit 20 million users this month, mostly by attracting people who have grown disillusioned with X and its owner Elon Musk. Bluesky has gained roughly 100,000 users a day since the US presidential election, when Musk was a full-throated supporter of Donald Trump. Its global user base reached 15 million people […] November 26, 2024
Health AI in healthcare is not a cure-all solution Large language models such as the AI chatbot ChatGPT are gaining traction in healthcare, and Gulf states are investing heavily in the prospect, but LLMs’ integration into clinical practice presents challenges. A study led by Dr Ethan Goh, published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association Open Network, tested whether ChatGPT could […] November 22, 2024
Artificial Intelligence Sales of Nvidia stock soar in UAE in record rally As Nvidia’s stock market value hit $3.65 trillion on Thursday to make it the world’s most valuable company, so shares are in hot demand among retail investors in the Gulf. The Californian chipmaker overtook Apple, which previously held the record for the highest closing market capitalisation at $3.57 trillion on October 21. “It’s our most […] November 8, 2024
Finance Bitcoin price passes $70,000 on US election speculation The price of Bitcoin reached $72,479 this week, the first time that the cryptocurrency has gone above the $70,000 price mark since June. Although still below its March peak of $73,803.25, the world’s most prominent digital currency may have headroom to rise further. “Bitcoin has rallied more than 65 percent year-to-date, with prices surging above […] October 30, 2024
Artificial Intelligence Saudi Aramco’s VC unit to invest $100m in AI startups Wa’ed Ventures, the $500 million venture capital fund owned by Saudi Aramco, plans to invest $100 million in early-stage artificial intelligence startups. It has appointed an advisory board made up of AI leaders to source promising investment and accelerate localisation of the AI industry in the kingdom. The board includes experts with experience at Meta, […] October 29, 2024
