Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
du has launched the first Arabic Telecom LLM with Microsoft, Nokia, Khalifa University, and ITU. The UAE-developed model enhances telecom operations with culturally fluent AI, supports sovereign AI ambitions, and sets the stage for customer-facing applications and multilingual expansion.
Saudi Arabia is investing $40B to become a global AI hub, with AI projected to contribute 12% of GDP by 2030. Backed by SDAIA and ranked 3rd globally in AI governance, the Kingdom is coupling bold adoption with ethical frameworks to drive growth across healthcare, energy, finance, and mobility.
Ooredoo and Qatar Airways have signed a strategic MoU to strengthen AI, Cloud, and Cybersecurity collaboration. The partnership will create a national AI hub, invest in local talent, and leverage Ooredoo’s NVIDIA GPU platform to accelerate innovation, reinforcing Qatar’s leadership in digital transformation and economic diversification.
Dubai has announced a $1 million prize for AI-generated short films at the 2026 1 Billion Followers Summit. Backed by Google’s Gemini, the competition emphasizes storytelling, humanitarian messages, and innovation, while broader funding initiatives highlight the UAE’s ambition to lead the global content economy.
Saudi Arabia will allow foreigners to own property starting 2026 through a digital ID system, enhancing transparency and investment under Vision 2030. Meanwhile, AfricAI, a new venture by global and regional partners, aims to deploy localized AI across Africa, focusing first on Nigeria before expanding continent-wide.
Dubai, in partnership with Google, has launched a $1M award for AI-generated short films at the 2026 1 Billion Followers Summit. The contest aims to showcase AI’s creative power in filmmaking while promoting humanitarian storytelling, aligning with the UAE’s investment in the global content economy.
Saudi Arabia, under Vision 2030, has established itself as the region’s AI leader and a rising global power. With SDAIA, Humain, supercomputing investments, and Arabic AI models, the Kingdom is building a comprehensive ecosystem to secure long-term competitiveness and set global standards in artificial intelligence.
Pakistan will introduce AI regulatory sandboxes to help 50 enterprises test applications safely by 2027. Backed by HPC centres, AI hubs, and national data repositories, the initiative is part of a strategy to build a robust AI ecosystem, boost innovation, and strengthen global cooperation.
Beyon has partnered with Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior to launch an AI-powered traffic monitoring system, deploying 500 smart cameras to enhance road safety and discipline. The project aligns with Bahrain Vision 2030 and reinforces the Kingdom’s role as a regional hub for digital transformation and artificial intelligence.
Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN Chat, powered by the ALLAM 34B model, has been launched by PIF-backed HUMAIN to enrich Arabic digital content. SDAIA President Dr. Abdullah Alghamdi praised the initiative as a step toward positioning the Kingdom as a global leader in AI and preserving the Arabic language online.