Researchers from Alexandria University introduce AlexU-Word, a new dataset for offline Arabic handwriting recognition. The dataset contains 25,114 samples of 109 unique Arabic words, covering all letter shapes, collected from 907 writers. The dataset is designed for closed-vocabulary word recognition and to support segmented letter recognition-based systems. Why it matters: This dataset can help advance Arabic handwriting recognition systems, addressing a need for high-quality Arabic datasets in NLP research.
MBZUAI alumnus Abdulwahab Sahyoun launched SnowHeap LLC, an AI-powered data analytics company. Sahyoun, a machine learning engineer with roots in Lebanon, aims to provide strategic tech consulting and develop in-house AI products. He was inspired by MBZUAI and the UAE's startup ecosystem to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions. Why it matters: The story highlights MBZUAI's role in fostering AI entrepreneurship and the UAE's attractiveness for AI ventures.
KAUST hosted the Advances in Uncertainty Quantification Methods, Algorithms and Applications conference (UQAW2016) in January 2016. The event featured 75 presentations and 20 invited speakers from various countries. Professor Raul Tempone presented research on computational approaches to fouling accumulation and wear degradation using stochastic differential equations. Why it matters: This work provides a new computational approach based on stochastic differential equations to predict fouling patterns of heat exchangers which can optimize maintenance operations and reduce engine shut-down periods.
A new study uses the UNet++ deep learning model and Sentinel-2 satellite data to monitor mangrove dynamics in the UAE from 2017 to 2024. The model achieved a mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) of 87.8% on the validation set. Results indicate a significant increase in mangrove area, primarily in Abu Dhabi, contributing to enhanced carbon sequestration across the UAE.
KAUST researchers have recreated a 1917 coral reef survey in American Samoa to analyze a century of reef change. Marine biologist Alfred Mayor's original survey documented the reefs surrounding Pago Pago Harbor. The resurveyed data reveals patterns useful for reef management and protection amid declining coral reefs worldwide. Why it matters: This long-term study provides critical insights into coral reef resilience and the impact of climate change, informing conservation efforts in the Red Sea and beyond.
MBZUAI researchers have released ALM Bench, a new benchmark dataset for evaluating the performance of multimodal LLMs on cultural visual question-answer tasks across 100 languages. The dataset includes over 22,000 question-answer pairs across 19 categories, with a focus on low-resource languages and cultural nuances, including three Arabic dialects. They tested 16 open- and closed-source multimodal LLMs on it, revealing a significant need for greater cultural and linguistic inclusivity. Why it matters: The benchmark aims to improve the inclusivity of multimodal AI systems by addressing the underrepresentation of low-resource languages and cultural contexts.