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
Artificial Intelligence Mubadala seeks to balance AI risks and rewards Artificial intelligence “presents a significant amount of risk” but also “a lot of opportunity”, the head of one of Abu Dhabi’s largest sovereign wealth funds said this week. On Tuesday the emirate launched a new digital strategy that aims to invest AED13 billion ($3.54 billion) over the next two years. “In terms of the risks […] 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
Tech Oman starts work on first space economic zone Oman has started construction of Zone 88, the Sultanate’s first scientific and economic zone committed to space industries and advanced technologies. The project is being developed at the Special Economic Zone in Duqm and is 25 percent complete, Bahiya Al Shuaibi, founder and CEO of Global Space and Technology Company, told Duqm Economist magazine. The […] January 16, 2025
Tech 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 […] January 15, 2025
Analysis Artificial Intelligence 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 […] January 14, 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
Economy 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 […] January 9, 2025
Opinion Banking and Finance The rise of AI and the fall of cash: 5 banking trends for 2025 Customers are becoming more demanding, tech is evolving and neobanks are disrupting the status quo January 6, 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
Opinion Energy DP World, energy and AI: five predictions for 2025 Let the guessing game begin – but no promises... December 27, 2024
Artificial Intelligence 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 […] December 24, 2024
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
