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  • The Middle East cyber front line aiming to beat back AI-powered threats

    IBM’s 2020 data showed that the average cost of a cyberattack on organizations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia was $6.53 million, about 69 percent higher than the global average.

  • Saudi Arabia and the UAE opt for Nvidia chips to power their AI ambitions

    At the helm of Saudi Arabia’s AI expedition is the project codenamed Shaheen III, a supercomputer project poised to reshape computational horizons, planned to be powered by 700 Nvidia Grace Hopper superconductor chips. Akin to its neighbor, the UAE is orchestrating a profound national revolution in AI through strategic developments. The UAE’s state-owned Technology Innovation Institute in Abu Dhabi has recently announced the creation of Falcon, an open-source large language model.

  • US Troop Buildup in the Gulf Reemphasizes Military Power

    The US military has recently significantly increased its presence in the Arabian Gulf, a show of force aimed primarily at deterring Iran from attacking or harassing commercial ships in the area. However, this beefed up military presence also has ancillary effects, namely to reassure Gulf Arab states of the United States’ commitment to their security, to signal to China and Russia that the Gulf remains in the US sphere of influence, to deter Israel from attacking Iran (which could lead to a destabilizing conflict in the region), and to strengthen the US bargaining position vis-à-vis Iran in case indirect talks over a so-called “mini-agreement” on its nuclear program are revived.

  • Saudi Arabia and UAE race to buy Nvidia chips to power AI ambitions

    According to multiple sources close to Nvidia and its manufacturer, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the chipmaker will ship about 550,000 of its latest H100 chips globally in 2023, primarily to US tech companies. Nvidia declined to comment. In Saudi Arabia, Kaust will receive 3000 of these specialist chips, worth about $US120 million in total, by the end of 2023, according to two people close to the university’s AI labs.

  • Saudi Arabia and UAE race to buy Nvidia chips to power AI ambitions

    According to people familiar with the moves, Saudi Arabia has bought at least 3000 of Nvidia’s H100 chips – a $US40,000 ($61,570) processor described by Nvidia chief Jensen Huang as “the world’s first computer [chip] designed for generative AI” – via the public research institution King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust). Meanwhile, the UAE has also secured access to thousands of Nvidia chips and has already developed its own open-source large language model, known as Falcon, at the state-owned Technology Innovation Institute in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.

  • Saudi Arabia and UAE race to buy Nvidia chips to power AI ambitions

    Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are buying up thousands of the high-performance Nvidia chips crucial for building artificial intelligence software, joining a global AI arms race that is squeezing the supply of Silicon Valley’s hottest commodity. The Gulf powerhouses have publicly stated their goal of becoming leaders in AI as they pursue ambitious plans to turbocharge their economies. But the push has also raised concerns about potential misuse of the technology by the oil-rich states’ autocratic leaders.

  • Saudi Arabia to power green hydrogen project with 2.2 GW of solar

    Sungrow has agreed to supply inverter technology for a 2.2 GW solar plant under development in Oxagon, Saudi Arabia. The PV installation, which will be the largest in the Middle East upon completion, will provide power for Neom Green Hydrogen Co.’s (NGHC) $8.7 billion green hydrogen project.

  • Sleysla — a commitment to Saudi heritage and women’s empowerment at its center

    Sleysla’s handmade products are made with eco-friendly and sustainable materials, reviving Saudi cultural heritage while making a fashion statement with bold colors and designs. More than just a brand for cultural goods, the Sleysla Center for Developing Saudi Heritage is one of the most prominent cultural initiatives, founded in 2008 under Saudi Arabia’s Al-Faisalya Women Welfare Society. The center’s chairman of the board and president is Princess Fahda bint Saud bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud.

  • Empowering the future: The rising women workforce in Saudi Arabia’s private sector

    Ahmad highlighted the transformative socio-economic changes underway in Saudi Arabia, driven by its Vision 2030 agenda, with a strong emphasis on women’s empowerment. Over the past five years, the labor force participation rate of Saudi women has risen by an impressive 67 percent, from 21 percent in 2017 to 35 percent in 2022, signaling a supportive shift in government policies.

  • U.S. Fellowship Program Empowers Thirty-Four Saudi Women Entrepreneurs to Achieve Greater Professional Heights

    The WIn Fellowship is a women’s entrepreneurship and empowerment partnership between U.S. Embassy Riyadh, the Atlantic Council, Georgetown University’s McDonough Business School, and PepsiCo. It delivers a year-long virtual program that includes mentoring and networking opportunities with leading U.S. and Middle East business executives, government officials, and policy professionals. At the end of the program, five WIn program participants will participate in a one-week exchange in the United States in Washington, DC.