Artificial Intelligence Adnoc signs $340m AI contract with Abu Dhabi’s AIQ Adnoc, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, has awarded a $340 million contract to AIQ, a joint venture with Presight, a data analytics company based in Abu Ahabi, to introduce autonomous artificial intelligence, or agentic AI, across its upstream operations. The three-year agreement involves deploying EnergyAI, software that uses agentic AI to analyse large amounts […] March 11, 2025
Artificial Intelligence Microsoft urges rule change on US exports of AI chips to Gulf Microsoft has asked President Trump’s administration to ease export restrictions on artificial intelligence chips for a group of US allies, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The AI Diffusion Rule, introduced in the final days of President Joe Biden’s administration, controls access to US-made advanced AI tech, particularly high-performance computing chips and AI models. In […] February 28, 2025
Opinion Artificial Intelligence AI, geopolitics and the Mena opportunity DeepSeek’s emergence has spotlighted the GCC’s role in hosting green AI infrastructure February 27, 2025
Artificial Intelligence G42’s Presight agrees Albania ‘smart city’ deal Data analytics company Presight, a unit of Abu Dhabi technology group G42, has agreed to work with Albania’s ministry of interior to implement an artificial intelligence-powered “smart city” project in the Balkan state. The project will introduce a traffic management platform in 20 cities and towns across Albania with the aim of reducing congestion and […] February 25, 2025
Tech SoftBank CEO admits failing to deliver returns to PIF Japan’s SoftBank Group has not “fully delivered” the expected returns to Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, CEO Masayoshi Son has said. “I haven’t still given him enough return. I still owe him,” Bloomberg reported, quoting Son at a panel discussion at a conference staged by Saudi Arabia’s FII […] February 24, 2025
Artificial Intelligence Qatar opts for AI to boost public services Qatar’s government has signed a five-year deal with artificial intelligence (AI) data company Scale AI to deploy AI-powered tools and training. It is an attempt to improve government services in the Gulf state, a senior Scale AI executive told Reuters on Sunday. “(This deal) can be a blueprint for other governments around the world, and […] February 24, 2025
Opinion Artificial Intelligence There’s a new cold war and the GCC is in its crossfires The US-China AI race is reshaping global tech dominance February 21, 2025
Opinion Artificial Intelligence The case for Gulf ‘free data zones’ How can corporations compete globally if American AI is more expensive than China? February 20, 2025
Artificial Intelligence Saudi companies reap savings benefits with AI Companies in Saudi Arabia are already seeing the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) in boosting efficiency and productivity. Sawaco Water Group, a desalinisation company in Jeddah, for instance, has reduced power consumption by 7 percent and chemical consumption by 15 percent at its largest plant since implementing new AI-driven monitoring systems, its CEO said this […] February 20, 2025
Tech Deals worth $15bn on day one of Saudi Leap tech event Investment deals worth almost $15 billion have been announced on the first day of the Leap 25 tech event in Riyadh. The Saudi communications ministry said that deals signed on day one of the four-day event, which ends on Wednesday, totalled $14.9 billion. The deals included plans for a manufacturing plant in the Saudi capital […] February 10, 2025
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
Artificial Intelligence UAE and France to invest up to $50bn in AI data centre France and the United Arab Emirates agreed on Thursday to a framework accord for a 1 gigawatt data centre dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI) that represents investments of between $30 billion-$50 billion, the French presidency said. President Emmanuel Macron hosted his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on Thursday evening ahead of a summit […] February 7, 2025
Artificial Intelligence OpenAI CEO seeks fresh funding in the UAE Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, is to visit Abu Dhabi to seek fresh funding from the UAE-based technology investment company MGX. The visit is likely this week, Reuters reported, citing two unnamed sources. Altman is looking for $40 billion fundraising to upgrade OpenAI’s ChatGPT model and back artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure developer Stargate amid […] February 6, 2025
Opinion Artificial Intelligence DeepSeek shock suggests what goes up must come down GCC sovereign investors view AI as a core segment of their economic diversification strategies January 31, 2025
Opinion Artificial Intelligence Did DeepSeek cause the market crash? I ask the accused The AI app evades difficult questions but proves to be congenial company January 31, 2025
Artificial Intelligence Oman to release new artificial intelligence policy Oman will release a revised national Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy in the first quarter of 2025, according to a local media report. The updated policy will provide a governing framework for the use and development of AI and safeguard national interests, the Oman Daily Observer reported, citing Hassan Al Lawati, national program head for AI […] January 30, 2025
Opinion Artificial Intelligence You can’t replace ChatGPT for a few million dollars When I asked the AI tool whether it was better than DeepSeek, its response was 'It depends!' January 29, 2025
Artificial Intelligence Tech sell-off deepens as DeepSeek triggers AI rethink Technology shares fell on Tuesday on the day after a global market rout sparked by the emergence of a low-cost Chinese artificial intelligence model, with investors questioning the sky-high valuation and dominance of AI bellwethers. Shares of Nvidia, the poster child of the AI boom in recent years, dragged US stocks lower, sinking 17 percent on Monday and wiping $593 […] January 28, 2025
Opinion Artificial Intelligence DeepSeek sell-off gives Gulf investors plenty to think about The arrival of a Chinese AI chatbot has implications for geopolitics, markets and Mena wealth funds January 28, 2025
Artificial Intelligence MGX could use Trump deal as springboard to global stage UAE technology investment company MGX emerged on to the global stage this week when it was announced as one of the core backers of Donald Trump’s $500 billion Stargate artificial intelligence programme. Among the myriad announcements made in the opening days of Trump’s second stint as US president, was a $500-billion investment over four years […] January 23, 2025
Tech QIA alert to Trump’s tech push The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is open to exploring further technology investment opportunities, as it expects a sharp increase in US tech deals under the Trump administration. The presence of Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos at President Donald Trump’s inauguration suggests his government will be supportive of the tech industry, Mohammed Al Hardan, the head of technology, media […] January 23, 2025
Artificial Intelligence Gulf has a strong hand in Trump’s $500bn AI project Two of the three tech giants that will spend billions of dollars building US artificial intelligence infrastructure in a partnership announced by President Donald Trump have been the recipients of significant Gulf investment. Japan’s SoftBank and US companies OpenAI and Oracle have committed $500 billion over four years to Stargate, an entity tasked with building […] January 22, 2025
