This week’s edition of Middle East AI News highlights a period of rapid expansion and strategic partnerships across the region’s artificial intelligence sector. From new data center deals to government initiatives and startup funding, the focus is squarely on building out infrastructure, fostering innovation, and attracting investment.
Key Infrastructure Projects
Several significant infrastructure projects are reshaping the AI landscape in the Middle East.
- HUMAIN and Qualcomm Collaboration: Saudi Arabia’s AI firm HUMAIN and Qualcomm are joining forces to construct a 200MW hybrid AI system. This system will integrate HUMAIN’s Arabic Large Language Models (LLMs) with Qualcomm’s edge computing platforms, powering next-generation enterprise and government services. The target deployment date is 2026. This partnership underscores the growing emphasis on Arabic language AI solutions and combining edge computing capabilities.
- HUMAIN and AirTrunk Data Center Deal: A substantial $3 billion investment from HUMAIN and AirTrunk will create a large-scale data center campus in Saudi Arabia. Backed by Blackstone and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, this project is designed to deliver AI-ready infrastructure capable of handling the increasing demands of the region’s rapidly growing AI applications.
- G42 and Cisco AMD-Powered AI Cluster: Abu Dhabi’s G42 and Cisco are collaborating to build a major AI cluster powered by AMD Instinct MI350X GPUs. Located within the planned 5GW UAE–US AI Campus, this cluster will be integrated by Cisco and aims to significantly expand the region’s GPU capacity, supporting advanced AI research and development.
Sovereign AI and Certifications
- AIREV Supermicro Certification: AIREV Holding has achieved Supermicro certification for its OnDemand agentic AI platform. This certification enables the global sale of Supermicro AI workstations preloaded with AIREV’s sovereign, air-gapped environment, providing secure deployments for sensitive industries like finance, research, and government. The concept of “sovereign AI”— where data and processing are isolated within a country—is becoming increasingly important for national security and data privacy.
Investment and Corporate Expansion
- Aramco’s AI Asset Consolidation: Saudi Aramco is integrating its AI assets under the national firm HUMAIN, accompanied by a minority stake acquisition from the Public Investment Fund (PIF). This merger is aimed at combining Aramco’s AI capabilities, talent, and assets, accelerating HUMAIN’s overall growth and consolidating AI leadership within the Kingdom.
- Artefact’s Expansion into Qatar: Global data and AI consultancy Artefact has established a dedicated Doha office, expanding its presence in Qatar. The new entity will offer analytics, cloud, and governance solutions to public and private sector clients, supporting Qatar’s broader digital transformation goals.
- Presight’s R&D Lab in Kazakhstan: Abu Dhabi-based Presight has opened a research and development lab in Astana, Kazakhstan, in partnership with Alem.ai. The initiative supports Kazakhstan’s technology sovereignty agenda and strengthens Presight’s regional footprint, demonstrating the spread of AI innovation beyond the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Startup Activity and Funding
- Velents.ai Secures $1.5 Million: Saudi-Egyptian startup Velents.ai has secured $1.5 million to expand its Arabic AI employee platform, Agent.sa. This funding underscores the demand for AI-powered solutions tailored to the Arabic language and designed to enhance workforce productivity across diverse sectors.
- MBZUAI’s “Build It Demo Day”: Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has launched “Build It Demo Day,” an event showcasing AI solutions developed by students and startups. The event provides valuable exposure to potential investors and offers access to significant tech credits from leading technology providers.
Emerging Applications
- Riyadh Robotaxi Pilot: Riyadh’s autonomous vehicle pilot program has successfully carried over 1,000 passengers. Operated in partnership with Uber and WeRide, the project is providing crucial real-world data for the wider rollout of robotaxi services as part of Saudi Vision 2030.
- AI-Powered Building Permit System in Qatar: Qatar’s Ministry of Municipality has launched an AI-powered system that drastically reduces building permit approval times from 30 days to just two hours. This illustrates how AI is being applied to streamline government processes and improve efficiency.
- Orange Egypt and EHCAAN Launch AI Airport Assistant: A new AI-powered airport assistant, “Maryam,” has been launched at Cairo International Airport by Orange Egypt and the Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation (EHCAAN). Available in Arabic and English, this assistant provides real-time flight, service, and travel information to passengers.
- Analog and Boston Dynamics Partner on Robotics: G42’s company Analog is collaborating with Boston Dynamics to co-develop a new robotics platform for the UAE. Analog’s neural agent Ana will be integrated into Spot robots, beginning with deployments for government entities.
Policy and Education Initiatives
- Abu Dhabi AI Council Restructuring: Abu Dhabi’s Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council (AIATC) has been restructured with the addition of two new members.
- UAE AI Office and OpenAI Leadership Guide: The UAE’s Artificial Intelligence Office, in collaboration with OpenAI, has released an AI Leadership Guide aimed at providing institutional leaders with a framework for adopting responsible AI practices.
The rapid pace of development across the Middle East’s AI sector reflects a regional commitment to innovation, digital transformation, and strategic investment in emerging technologies. The focus is shifting from initial exploration to building robust infrastructure, cultivating local talent, and creating AI solutions tailored to the region’s unique needs and opportunities.
