Saudi Arabia taps China’s MiniMax for Arabic AI model The development signals that the kingdom continues deepening AI ties with China while simultaneously pursuing major US technology partnerships, keeping the Gulf state at the center of an intensifying technology race between the superpowers. Saudi Arabia
Starlink expands Middle East footprint with UAE launch: What to know Starlink’s Emirati debut expands the range of connectivity options available and is a significant step in the country’s efforts to bolster its digital infrastructure. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
China's Xi to visit Egypt for first time in decade as military, Huawei ties grow The visit comes as Chinese telecoms giant Huawei seeks to supply more than 2,000 advanced AI chips for Egyptian government data centers. Egypt
Culture Iran war hits Saudi gaming drive as Esports Nations Cup pushed to 2027 The postponement is a blow for the kingdom, which has made growing its esports sector one of the main priorities under its Vision 2030. Saudi Arabia
Interview Why Strait of Hormuz no longer rattles oil markets as much: IMF Jihad Azour Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund
Interview Saudi labor localization will take ‘generation or two': Armada CEO Olivier Badard CEO of Armada Holding
UAE, India to boost cooperation via digital currency The Emirati Central Bank has begun implementing its digital dirham strategy following a financial cooperation agreement with India and the UAE's cryptocurrency push. Legacy: Gulf
Elon Musk denies report that Saudi Arabia, UAE intend to invest in SpaceX An arm of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and an Abu Dhabi-based company were reported to be looking to invest in Elon Musk’s SpaceX, according to The Information, which cited people familiar with investor discussions. Legacy: Gulf
UAE, Oman call for bids on $3 billion transnational railway project The move aims to expand the role of the private sector in the state-owned project and promote regional integration, with the project connecting Oman’s Sohar Port with the UAE's National Rail Network. Legacy: Gulf
UAE center unveils Falcon LLM, 'better, faster' ChatGPT rival The model claims to use only 75 percent of GPT-3’s training compute time, and 40 and 80 percent of DeepMind’s Chinchilla NLP and Google’s PaLM-62B compute times, respectively. Legacy: Gulf
UAE unblocks several Qatar news sites as ties between two nations warm Several Qatari-owned news websites had been inaccessible to UAE residents since relations worsened in 2016 over Doha's support for the Muslim Brotherhood, but at least four are now unblocked. Legacy: Gulf
Turkey fines Elon Musk over Twitter purchase The decision follows the implementation of a controversial social media law in Turkey that prompted Twitter to open an office in the country. Turkey
UAE sends second astronaut to space on longest Arab mission Sultan Saif AlNeyadi will collaborate with NASA and other international space agencies to conduct 19 scientific studies in a wide array of fields. Legacy: Gulf
UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain sign 12 industrial agreements worth $2 billion The third Higher Committee Meeting of the Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Development wrapped up in Amman with 12 new agreements on industrial projects. Legacy: Gulf
New rail network on track to bring billions into UAE economy The railway will serve the UAE’s sustainability goals by reducing carbon emissions in the road transportation sector. Legacy: Gulf
UAE's IDEX weapons fair brings in Russia, China, and billion-dollar deals The United Arab Emirates’ defense expenditure amounted to $22.5 billion last year and is expected to reach $28.6 billion by 2027. Legacy: Gulf
Analysis Ukraine war at year 1: Has Gulf's neutrality on Russia invasion paid off? Gulf countries — mainly the United Arab Emirates, then Qatar — as well as Turkey have been major recipients of Russian real estate investment in addition to direct financial injections. By Salim A. Essaid
Saudi Arabia plans for ‘world’s largest downtown’ in Riyadh The project's centerpiece, a 400-meter cube, will feature both traditional Arabic design elements and futuristic technology. Legacy: Gulf
