Robotic grocery deliverers begin operating in Sobha Hartland, Dubai, through Yango Group and ROOTS. 
These autonomous robots navigate a two-kilometre radius, delivering groceries within thirty minutes. 
Florian Jansen from ROOTS calls the initiative a &#8220;game changer&#8221; for speed and sustainability. 
The move supports Dubai&#8217;s goal of 25% autonomous transport by 2030, reducing emissions. 
This partnership enhances local commerce and accelerates Dubai&#8217;s sustainability objectives.

Saudi Arabia shone at the 2025 Global Youth Summit, focusing on youth leadership in technology. 
Led by Shahad Al-Balawi and Engineer Rakan Al-Anazi, they championed youth as change agents. 
Key discussions included digital empowerment and AI, highlighting the importance of youth education. 
Saudi initiatives like &#8220;Generation Connect&#8221; emphasised collaboration with young people for future tech progress. 
The summit reinforced Saudi&#8217;s commitment to youth development and technological innovation.

The UAE plans to invest USD 1,4 trillion in the US over the next decade. 
Investment focuses on AI, semiconductors, manufacturing, and energy sectors, including a new aluminium smelter. 
The initiative highlights UAE&#8217;s strategy to diversify beyond oil into AI and tech industries. 
A USD 25 billion collaboration aims at enhancing US energy infrastructure and data centres. 
This substantial investment underscores strengthening US-UAE economic and geopolitical ties.

Nathan Myhrvold, Microsoft&#8217;s first CTO, reflected on the tech giant&#8217;s transformative impact at Microsoft@50. 
He compared today&#8217;s AI advancements to the early days of personal computers, full of potential. 
Myhrvold believes achieving true AI intelligence requires &#8220;three to five miracles&#8221; yet to come. 
He credits Microsoft&#8217;s strategic investments, like in OpenAI, for positioning the company as an AI leader. 
Though AI&#8217;s future is bright, Myhrvold dismisses doomsday predictions as mere storytelling.

Telecom operator e&#038; UAE introduces Ciena&#8217;s WaveLogic 6 Extreme in the Middle East and Africa. 
The upgrade boosts network capacity for blazing internet speeds, advancing AI and cloud technologies. 
WL6e’s 3nm silicon technology doubles transmission rates to 1.6 terabits per second per wavelength. 
This strategic move supports both business needs and everyday digital services for consumers. 
e&#038; UAE leads regional digital innovation, ensuring stable, high-speed connections for future growth.

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Pronoia is #1 – Outperforms ChatGPT and DeepSeek in Arabic AI.
Mastering Arabic – Understands dialects and cultural context with high accuracy.
Secure and Flexible – Offers high security and lower costs for businesses.
A Win for Arabic AI – Proves Arabic AI can compete globally.
A Promising Future – Paving the way for smarter Arabic content and AI systems.
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Australian firm icetana AI secured a $1,7 million contract with Iraq&#8217;s High Tech Enterprise. 
The deal marks icetana&#8217;s first and largest sale in Iraq, boosting its AI surveillance reach. 
The AI technology enhances Baghdad&#8217;s &#8220;Safe City&#8221; project with advanced public safety features. 
Systems include facial recognition and Arabic plate reading, ensuring robust security measures. 
Icetana&#8217;s CEO views Iraq as a key frontier, heralding potential industry-wide AI growth.

Morocco and the US are enhancing digital cooperation to explore AI potentials. 
Ambassador Youssef Amrani emphasised productive discussions on innovation and prosperity through technology. 
Meetings highlighted Morocco&#8217;s ambitious AI Roadmap and &#8220;Digital Morocco 2030&#8221; plan. 
In March 2024, both nations supported a UN resolution for safe, sustainable AI development. 
Moroccan lawmakers proposed regulating AI use and establishing a national agency for ethical growth.

Abu Dhabi Government Accelerates Digital Strategy

Abu Dhabi is partnering with Microsoft and Core42 to revolutionise public services digitally. 
The agreement includes establishing a sovereign cloud infrastructure to streamline government interactions. 
Ambitious plans aim to make Abu Dhabi the first fully AI-native government by 2027. 
An AED 13 billion investment supports over 200 AI-driven solutions for public service efficiency. 
This collaboration highlights Abu Dhabi&#8217;s approach to merging technology with governmental needs.

Oro Labs, an Emirati startup, raised $1,5 million in a Pre-Seed funding round. Founded by Usman Saleem, it operates on the fast, low-cost Solana blockchain. The company offers a unique trading platform for gold-backed digital assets. It aims to attract investors seeking stability amid crypto volatility. The UAE&#8217;s dynamic crypto landscape sets the stage for Oro Labs&#8217; growth.

PlaysOut has raised $7 million in seed funding, led by OKX Ventures. The platform enables developers to launch mini-games on Telegram, Discord, and YouTube. Integration of blockchain features streamlines processes for developers and players. Funds will enhance the game ecosystem, form partnerships, and improve market presence. PlaysOut plans to release their embedded SDK, facilitating easier blockchain integration.

Hailuo AI secured AED 22 million to expand into Europe and North America. 
Derq won AED 2,7 million from the US Department of Transportation for AI-driven road safety solutions. 
New entrants Framziz Technologies and Neurazon Tech joined in5’s growing startup network. 
Over 1,000 startups have been nurtured since 2013, raising AED 7,8 billion in funding. 
Dubai strengthens its status as a global hub for tech-driven entrepreneurship.

$100M fund launched to back AI-first startups globally. 
Founded by the Gadit brothers, who sold Cloudways for $350M in 2022. 
Unlike traditional VCs, Disrupt com takes a hands-on approach, building startups from the ground up. 
Focus areas include AI, cybersecurity, Web3,0, automotive tech, and retail innovation. 
Comes amid a 29% decline in MENA’s VC funding, making capital harder to access.

$4 million raised in a funding round led by Silicon Badia. 
AI-powered platform designed to enhance audience targeting and optimize ad spend ROI. 
Solutions aim to tackle fragmented integrations, low match rates, and compliance challenges. 
The platform enables real-time data updates and delivers up to five times better targeting accuracy. 
Founded in 2023, Journify is headquartered in the US and UAE, with tech hubs in Morocco and Jordan.

2PointZero acquires Egypt’s Masira Holding to enhance financial inclusion. 
A new entity, “Masira Holding,” will be established in Abu Dhabi. 
Masira focuses on AI-powered financial services for low- and middle-income individuals and SMEs. 
The company aims to create a cross-continental financial platform, targeting Asia and Africa. 
2PointZero commits a $1 billion investment into Masira over the coming years.

The agreement was signed during the LEAP 2025 tech event in Riyadh. 
The partnership focuses on developing energy-efficient, AI-ready data centers. 
Saudi Arabia’s growing digital infrastructure aligns with Vision 2030 goals. 
Amanah brings expertise in construction, while MIS specializes in IT solutions. 
The collaboration aims to support businesses and government entities with scalable digital solutions.

Founded in July 2024 by Abdullah Bukhari, Mohammed Al-Harbi, and Sannan bin Taher.
Specializes in AI-powered legal services, including contract automation, legal analysis, and AI-driven case insights.
A graduate of MVP Lab, an initiative under the National Technology Development Program (NTDP).
Aims to enhance efficiency and accessibility in legal services through automation and AI-driven solutions.

LEAP 2025 attracted over 200,000 visitors and 1,800 companies.
The event saw investments exceeding $14,9 billion in AI and digital infrastructure.
A $1,5 billion AI-cloud computing partnership was announced between Groq and Aramco Digital.
Saudi Arabia strengthens its position as a global tech and innovation hub.
Next year&#8217;s LEAP will expand internationally with editions in Riyadh and Hong Kong.

The funding round was led by Prosus Ventures, with enthusiastic participation from Wamda Capital, 10x Founders, and Dara Holdings.
 qeen ai develops autonomous AI agents that streamline content creation, marketing, and conversational sales for online businesses, enhancing efficiency and growth.
 Since its launch earlier this year, the company&#8217;s Dynamic Content agent has generated over 1 million product descriptions, reaching more than 15 million users and boosting merchant sales by an impressive 30%.
 The fresh capital will be used to expand the platform&#8217;s capabilities, hire top talent, and broaden its customer base both regionally and internationally.
 Founded in 2023 by former Google and DeepMind colleagues, qeen ai aims to become the leading AI technology partner for e-commerce businesses seeking to innovate and thrive in a competitive market.

Unified AI Platform: vminds ai brings together over 150 AI tools into one intuitive platform. 
 Future Plans: An enterprise version is set to launch in the third quarter of 2025. 
 Innovative Leadership: Founded by seasoned expert Ahmed Al-Mashhadi of VEEM Solutions. 
 User-Centric Approach: Aims to simplify AI, making it as user-friendly as possible. 
 Ambitious Growth: Targets reaching one million users within the next two years.

SDAIA&#8217;s Innovative Leap: Launches an accreditation to uplift AI application maturity and bolster public confidence. 
 Aligning with Vision 2030: This move echoes Saudi Arabia&#8217;s ambitious goal to lead in advanced technologies. 
 Ethical AI in Focus: Accreditation levels from &#8216;conscious&#8217; to &#8216;pioneer&#8217; spotlight commitment to ethical AI practices. 
 Easy Participation: Entities are encouraged to join the movement via the National Data Governance platform. 
 Annual Milestones: Certificates last for a year, pushing for continual growth and innovation in AI services.

Marsad&#8217;s innovative platform blends digital savvy with traditional marketing wisdom. 
 Currently active in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S., Marsad is eyeing further expansion in the MENA region. 
 Features like payroll coverage solutions and AI-driven customer outreach are game-changers for startups. 
 The &#8220;Start Up Sync&#8221; app connects companies with new customers by showcasing them alongside other ventures in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

TeamSec, a fintech company focusing on AI-powered securitization, has received $7,6 million in new funding. 
 The investment comes from Rasmal Ventures (Qatar) and Deniz Ventures, the venture arm of Emirates NBD Group&#8217;s DenizBank. 
 Funds will support TeamSec&#8217;s expansion in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. 
 The partnership highlights a commitment to digital transformation within the financial sector. 
 TeamSec aims to enhance the financial ecosystem&#8217;s efficiency and transparency with its innovative platform.

AVP led the Series A round, joined by Glasswing Ventures, Deloitte Ventures, and others. 
Basetwo’s Physics AI platform blends engineering principles with AI for process optimization. 
Plans to expand into the United States, Japan, Europe, and the Middle East. 
Funding supports the advancement of real-time, autonomous production control. 
Company envisions reducing manufacturing costs and accelerating product launches.

Chatberry, launched in 2024 by the innovative entrepreneur Ali Karout, is on a quest to redefine WhatsApp marketing and automation with its AI-powered, compliance-first platform.
 The platform doesn&#8217;t just automate campaigns; it breathes life into customer interactions by managing queries and delving deep into engagement analytics, all while playing by the WhatsApp Business API rulebook.
 Iwan Ventures, the forward-thinking venture builder from Riyadh, known for their knack in fintech, AI, SaaS, and e-commerce, has thrown their weight behind Chatberry with a SAR 1 million pre-seed investment.
 This partnership isn&#8217;t just about money; it&#8217;s a shared vision that echoes Saudi Arabia&#8217;s Vision 2030, pushing boundaries in innovation and paving the way for economic diversification.