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Gitex

Gitex, or the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition, is a global tech show taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the UAE from October 16-20

Chat GPT G42 ChatGPT

G42 and OpenAI launch regional partnership 

Abu Dhabi’s leading artificial intelligence company G42 is teaming up with OpenAI, the research and development company behind ChatGPT, to develop AI in the UAE and regional markets. The partnership, announced on Wednesday, aims to leverage OpenAI’s generative AI models across sectors where G42 already has expertise, including financial services, energy, healthcare and public services.  Using solutions […]

Middle East startups

Middle East needs to make it easier to launch startups

The Middle East is a “very attractive” market for entrepreneurs but its fragmented nature is a barrier to entry, even as jurisdictions compete to attract international startups, executives said at an industry event in Dubai. “None of the countries in the region are large enough or full enough to be an ecosystem on their own,” […]

Ray Dalio, the billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates, spoke on the opening day of the UN Conference on Trade and Development's World Investment Forum in Abu Dhabi

Rich nations can’t pay for entire world, says hedge fund guru

The founder of the world’s largest hedge fund has told a UN investment conference that the governments of developed countries cannot be expected to take care of the rest of the world. Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates, the US-based fund with $124 billion of assets under management, said those nations’ financial burdens were too big […]

Archer Aviation's eVTOL aircraft 'Midnight'

US developer to build flying taxis in Abu Dhabi

The day is drawing closer when a taxi ride between Dubai and Abu Dhabi takes only twenty minutes in an aircraft built in the UAE. A US developer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft has signed an agreement with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to set up a manufacturing centre in Abu […]

Illustration of words on screens Experts say cooperation is needed to tackle the opportunities and threats of large language models and generative AI generative artificial intelligence

Dubai calls for global unity to regulate generative AI

Senior Dubai officials and executives have called for more global regulation of generative artificial intelligence, but dismissed the notion that the technology will lead to widespread job losses. “We need to be ready … We need to understand how we can regulate something as big as AI,” Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation […]

gulf generative AI

How generative AI is gaining momentum in Mena

Generative AI has dominated headlines for almost a year since the launch of US artificial intelligence-powered chatbot Chat GPT in November 2022.  The coverage of ChatGPT has been mixed – the technology had many in awe at first, but a data breach affecting a reported 100,000 accounts soon sparked security concerns. The story is still […]

Gulf longevity healthtech AI

Gulf accelerates longevity push with AI and healthtech

The Gulf is establishing itself at the forefront of the world’s fast-growing “longevity” sector. Saudi Arabia and the UAE in particular are making strides in the global race to prolong life, investing in health technologies that can predict medical risk and help develop medicines.  They are investing in healthtech, building laboratories to support research and […]

AI chips Gulf

Race is on for AI chips as nations seek tech supremacy

The Gulf states are expected to invest heavily in powerful semiconductor chips in the years ahead to drive artificial intelligence forward. However, US restrictions on exports of the world’s biggest player in the chips market are a potential stumbling block.  AI technology is critical to developing global influence and expanding high-growth industries, and the high-performance […]

Cybersecurity

UAE sets itself as the Gulf’s cybersecurity leader

As the world rushes toward a more digital future, cybersecurity remains a paramount concern – and the UAE aims to be at the forefront of the field. The post-Covid era has experienced a surge in cyberattacks, prompting organisations to fortify their defences. Global weekly cyberattacks rose 7 percent in the first quarter of 2023, compared with […]

Investors turn to data centres in Gulf and Mena tech push

Investor appetite for data centres in the Middle East is soaring as the region, particularly the Gulf, accelerates its digital transformation. Experts say they are seeing increased levels of investment and interest from international operators, who are looking to capitalise on the region’s growing need for data processing and storage. Earlier this year the Saudi […]

Careem driver

Clarification: Careem ‘not exploring’ partnerships with China’s Trip.com

Careem has clarified that it is not in official discussions with China’s largest online travel company Trip.com Group to offer its services on its app. Established in Dubai in 2012 offering a ride-hailing service, Careem has grown to what it calls a “Super App”, offering a range of services from local and global companies including […]

Dubai tech startup showcase Expand North Star

Investors to descend on Dubai tech startup show

Expand North Star, the UAE’s annual technology startup event, previously known as Gitex Future Stars, is predicting the number of attendees to at least double this year. The Gulf state is hoping to capitalise on its regional dominance in tech startups, despite a recent decline in funding levels. Such businesses witnessed a slump of 75 […]

Intersect innovation hub palestine startups

Innovation hub helps launch Palestinian startups in Gulf

Startups in Palestine are increasingly expanding in the Gulf as a way of overcoming hurdles such as a lack of access to funding and support systems. Central to their strategy is the Intersect Innovation Hub, a business incubator that is helping to build bridges between Palestinian startups and the Gulf region. Rateb Rabi, CEO of […]

Flat6Labs Afica VC fund

Cairo VC firm launches $95m African startup fund

Venture capital firm Flat6Labs has announced a $95 million seed fund to grow early-stage African tech startups. The African Seed Fund (ASF) will invest in more than 160 companies over the next five years. It will pay particular attention to sectors that accelerate digital inclusion through information technology, as well as healthtech, fintech, edtech, greentech, […]

Metaverse

Become a master of the metaverse

For a time last year, all anybody seemed to be talking about was the metaverse. Some Gulf businesses said they were already planning for it, while others were trying to work out what the fuss was about. The frequently asked questions included: when will it really arrive? How much does it cost? Who’s on the […]

Cybercrime in the UAE has risen over the past 12 months

Anti-money laundering order in UAE to tackle stolen IDs

The UAE’s latest anti-money laundering guidance aims to tighten up rules related to digital IDs. While it will have little impact for traditional banks, it may weed out some of the weaker players in the fast-growing fintech sector. The advice issued by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) last week focused on the use […]

Gulf VC funds

Further slowdown before a rebound, says UAE VC firm

Following years of rapid growth, the Gulf’s venture capital (VC) ecosystem has slowed down, in line with global trends. But the region’s underlying strengths and appetite for VC deals mean it will pick back up again late next year, experts from Apex Group have told AGBI. “Up until about three months ago, we were still […]

Supercomputers operate at a much higher level of performance compared to a general-purpose computer

Rise of the supercomputers: Gulf invests its oil profits in big tech

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the world’s third-largest sovereign wealth fund, has revealed plans to launch ADIA Lab, a centre dedicated to cutting-edge research in data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning and quantum computing.  From its base in the UAE capital, ADIA Lab will start work on December 2, supporting projects on climate change and energy […]

Startups

‘It’s destined for disaster’, expert warns, as startups dilute equity

Investors who demand increasingly bigger stakes in startups amid plunging valuations could be signing their own “death warrants”. Startup valuations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are already seeing a downward correction this year, in line with global trends as VC funding has tightened since interest rates were increased by central banks […]

  • Analysis

MENA startup valuations take a hit as funding tightens

Funding for startups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has continued to decline this year, in line with global trends, but industry experts remain optimistic that the end of the year will see a resurgence. The tightening of cash has also meant investors are looking for increasingly bigger stakes, resulting in startup valuations […]