King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has launched namya, a new venture established in collaboration with SEQUENCIVE, a Riyadh-based venture builder. namya will commercialize KAUST's MiZax technology, which delivers advanced bioactive products to farmers to enhance crop yield and resilience while reducing input requirements. MiZax is the result of over a decade of plant science research at KAUST, focusing on natural metabolites that regulate plant growth, and has shown promise in reducing fertilizer needs in trials. Why it matters: This venture represents a significant step in translating Saudi Arabian scientific research into practical agricultural solutions, directly addressing national food security challenges and promoting sustainable farming practices.
G42, an Abu Dhabi-based technology group, and Banco Santander, a global banking group, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a framework for strategic cooperation in artificial intelligence. The partnership aims to co-develop AI-enabled advisory and savings solutions for banking customers, as well as a banking intelligence layer spanning Santander’s global operations. G42 companies Inception (agentic AI) and Presight (applied AI) are expected to play central roles in this collaboration. Why it matters: This significant partnership between a leading UAE AI entity and a global bank highlights the growing integration of advanced AI, including sovereign AI principles, into core financial services and could set a precedent for large-scale AI adoption in the global banking sector.
SLB, formerly Schlumberger, announced the launch of a new digital marketplace designed to expand its artificial intelligence strategy. This platform aims to facilitate the discovery and deployment of AI solutions tailored for the energy industry. It will likely enable customers and partners to access a range of industrial AI applications and data solutions. Why it matters: This move strengthens SLB's position in the industrial AI landscape, potentially accelerating digital transformation and efficiency improvements within the critical Middle East energy sector.
Google has introduced a new AI feature in the United Arab Emirates, designed to provide more intelligent and personalized answers to users. This feature reportedly leverages user data, with consent, to enhance its responsiveness and relevance. The rollout in the UAE signifies the expansion of Google's advanced AI services into the Middle East market. Why it matters: This launch represents increased access to sophisticated AI tools for consumers and businesses in the UAE, potentially accelerating AI adoption and innovation in the local digital economy.
Drive EV has launched the UAE's inaugural AI-powered buyer intelligence platform specifically designed for electric vehicles. This new platform aims to provide comprehensive data and insights to consumers interested in purchasing EVs, streamlining the decision-making process. It leverages artificial intelligence to analyze market trends and consumer preferences within the burgeoning EV sector in the UAE. Why it matters: This initiative marks a significant step in integrating AI into the automotive retail landscape in the UAE, particularly within the country's growing electric vehicle market.
Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and AI71 are collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to expand global access to TII’s Falcon models and AI71’s enterprise AI products. TII already offers Falcon LLMs through Amazon SageMaker, and new models will be available via Amazon Bedrock. AI71’s products are already available in the AWS Marketplace, providing access for millions of customers globally. Why it matters: This partnership enhances the accessibility of UAE-developed AI technologies and strengthens the UAE's position as a leader in AI innovation by leveraging AWS's global infrastructure and customer base.
The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi has entered a research agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to explore quantum computing applications using Amazon Braket. TII researchers will leverage AWS's quantum and high-performance computing resources for research in machine learning, computational chemistry, and optimization. AWS will provide support, workshops, and facilitate connections between TII and regional enterprise customers to build R&D partnerships. Why it matters: This collaboration advances TII's mission to develop quantum computing capabilities in the UAE and fosters innovation in AI, drug discovery, finance, and other sectors.
Researchers including Dr. Najwa Aaraj developed ML-FEED, a new exploit detection framework using pattern-based techniques. The model is 70x faster than LSTMs and 75,000x faster than Transformers in exploit detection tasks, while also being slightly more accurate. The "ML-FEED" paper won best paper at the 2022 IEEE International Conference on Trust, Privacy and Security in Intelligent Systems and Applications. Why it matters: This research enables more efficient real-time security applications and highlights growing AI expertise in the Arab world.