Core42, a G42 company, announced a 42MW expansion of its U.S. AI infrastructure at the Lake Mariner site in New York, increasing total site capacity from 18MW to 60MW. This expansion reflects G42’s continued capital investment in scaling AI infrastructure across the United States, supporting both frontier training and high-speed inference. The facility integrates AMD and NVIDIA infrastructure, strengthening its heterogeneous design for workload optimization across multiple accelerator platforms. Why it matters: This significant investment by a UAE-backed company underscores the growing global reach of Middle Eastern AI players and their crucial role in building foundational AI infrastructure worldwide.
Global technology giants have reportedly partnered with Blossom Accelerator, a startup acceleration program. This collaboration is expected to support and foster innovation within the startup ecosystem. The specific global tech giants involved and the detailed nature of their joint initiatives are not specified in the title. Why it matters: Such partnerships are vital for driving economic diversification and strengthening the regional startup landscape by providing crucial resources and mentorship to emerging companies.
TII's Secure Systems Research Center (SSRC) has developed 'Shaheen', the UAE's first RISC-V-based System-on-Chip (SoC), in collaboration with Khalifa University and other global partners. Shaheen is a test chip for drone flight control, incorporating features like a hypervisor extension, Zero Trust security, and a PULP ML accelerator. It serves as a pilot version for the Al Saqr SoC planned for 2023. Why it matters: This achievement provides the UAE with the foundational knowledge for domestic silicon manufacturing, promoting high-skilled jobs and autonomy in critical technology sectors like UAV security.
Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi has launched the UAE’s first secure cloud technologies programme via its Cryptography Research Center (CRC). The program will focus on advancing Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) like fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) and secure multi-party computation (MPC). TII researchers are also developing hardware accelerators to improve the efficiency of FHE. Why it matters: The initiative addresses growing security and privacy challenges in cloud computing, positioning the UAE as a leader in advanced cryptographic solutions for data protection.
KAUST and SABB will award 10 million SAR to entrepreneurs in the fourth TAQADAM Startup Accelerator program, doubling the zero-equity grants from previous years to 150,000 SAR per startup. 59 startups across sectors like agriculture, logistics, and healthcare have joined the cohort. Participating startups will receive expert mentorship and training, industry exposure, and funding to invest in growth and development without sacrificing equity. Why it matters: This increased funding and support from KAUST and SABB signals a strong commitment to fostering a thriving deep-tech startup ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, providing crucial resources and mentorship to promising ventures.
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and SAB concluded the showcase for the ninth cohort of the TAQADAM startup accelerator. The program supported 20 ventures from 13 countries across 12 industries over six months, preparing them to scale within Saudi Arabia. Each participating startup received $40,000 in non-dilutive funding, with the top 10 securing an additional $100,000. Why it matters: This initiative fosters entrepreneurship, supports the commercialization of research, and attracts international innovation into Saudi Arabia, aligning with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 goals.
Blossom Accelerator has launched “DominAite,” a program aimed at scaling global AI startups within Saudi Arabia. The program seeks to attract international AI companies to establish and expand their operations in the Saudi market. It offers resources, mentorship, and access to local networks to facilitate growth. Why it matters: This initiative could accelerate the development of the AI ecosystem in Saudi Arabia by bringing in international expertise and innovation.
QRC has developed Qibo, a Python library enabling classical simulation of quantum algorithms with double precision. Qibo leverages hardware accelerators like GPUs and CPUs with multi-threading. It incorporates a multi-GPU distributed approach for circuit simulation. Why it matters: This framework allows researchers and developers in the region to explore and prototype quantum algorithms using existing classical computing infrastructure, fostering innovation in quantum computing research and applications.