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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

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 […]

For AI to be properly integrated into healthcare, doctors need proper guidance, experts say

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 […]

Cresta has nearly quadrupled its annual recurring revenue and almost doubled its customer base in the last two years

QIA leads $125m funding round for AI startup Cresta

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has led the new $125 million funding round for Cresta, a US-based generative artificial intelligence (AI) platform for contact centres. The series D round included World Innovation Lab, Accenture, Comcast Ventures, EnvisionX, LG Ventures, Qualcomm, Scan Health and Workday Ventures. The round included returning investors Andreessen Horowitz, Greylock Partners, J.P. Morgan, Sequoia […]

Adnoc CEO Sultan Al Jaber speaks at the Adipec conference in Abu Dhabi, during which he announced the launch of the EnergyAI project

Oil and gas companies place trust in AI

Lower oil prices and the race for higher returns are pushing regional and national oil and gas companies to spend billions of dollars on artificial intelligence.  The hope is that the technology will improve margins and reduce operating costs. Saudi Aramco last year invested around $3.5 billion in research and development including in AI, according […]

green startups Saudi solar

AI is sucking up VC funding, claim green startups

Green startups in the region have appealed for VCs to invest more in clean tech and renewable energy hardware, rather than just looking for quick returns in artificial intelligence projects. The venture capital market across the Middle East and North Africa raised $1.3 billion from January to September 2024, with Saudi Arabia securing 39 percent […]

Nvidia shares Jensen Huang

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 […]

The US is keen to work with go-getting tech companies in the Middle East

US and China in race to get their tech into Gulf markets

Gulf countries are likely to face mounting pressure to adopt American technology as the US tries to exploit its best-in-class semiconductor and artificial intelligence products to muscle China out of their markets before the Asian superpower catches up. The US is walking a fine line between increasing the regional uptake of its chips and software […]

Dan Schulman of Valor Capital Group predicted 15-20 percent unemployment as a result of AI AI future

Leaders all agree: AI will be good – or bad – for the future

Elon Musk thinks it has a 90 percent chance of being for the good of humanity, while critics say it is certain to decimate jobs across the developed world.  Artificial intelligence, or AI, dominated the discussions at Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative (FII) summit this year like never before, with increasingly upbeat – and dire […]

PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan at the Future Investment Initiative. He said the fund is reducing foreign investments and increasing AI spend Video length: 03:46

PIF renews focus on domestic investment and AI 

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is planning to reduce its foreign investments to around a fifth of its total assets under management, as it focuses on domestic funding and artificial intelligence, its governor said on Tuesday.  “Initially we had less than 2 percent of investments internationally, that was with $150 billion assets under management,” Yasir […]