Lebanon-Israel tensions enter a “new era” after Tuesday’s deadly Hezbollah pager explosions killed 9 and injured thousands
Technology
AI
UAE residents seek education, entertainment and home support from AI assistants; Yango Yasmina offers Arabic language service
UAE residents turn to Yango’s Yasmina to access Arabic education and music
Amazon
Amazon announces return to full-time office work by 2025
In an internal memo to employees, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy outlined plans to reduce management layers and return to full-time office work
Cryptocurrency
Trump rolls out his new cryptocurrency business, a day after alleged assassination attempt
The business venture launch raised many eyebrows in political and business circles, as it’s unusual for a presidential candidate to embark on a new business just weeks before election day
Blockchain
Gaming industry poised for big churn with new breed of developers shifting to ‘play-generate value-earn’ model to boost user engagement
The new set of game developers is using Blockchain as a tool to enhance the gaming experience for users, rather than deploying the technology to add more complexity to games
Artificial intelligence
Microsoft announces share buyback plan of up to $60 billion
Under pressure from investors to show results of its huge investments into AI, it also increases the quarterly dividend by 10 percent
AI
UAE, Saudi corporates leverage AI-based HR tech for international expansion
In the GCC – mainly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia – 6 out of 10 CHROs plan to invest significantly in HR tech in 2024, with 37% focusing on AI technologies to address talent shortages and skill development
One Million Saudi in AI
Saudi Arabia launches massive AI training initiative
The programme, described as the largest of its kind in Saudi Arabia, seeks to prepare citizens for an AI-driven future
accounting software
Tally Solutions launches TallyPrime 5.0 to enable multilingual operations, including Arabic
The new product will be officially launched through a series of roadshows starting in Dubai, followed by other GCC cities like Jeddah, Riyadh, Muscat, Damman, Manama, and Doha
Falcon 9
SpaceX delivers first-ever private spacewalk for tech billionaire
Jared Isaacman, tethered to the spacecraft, spent nearly 15 minutes outside as he tested SpaceX’s new spacesuit
AI
AI to add $100bn to UAE GDP by 2030
Astra Tech founder Abdallah Abu Al Sheikh says AI will have a major impact on the UAE economy and make up 14 per cent of GDP by 2030
Artificial intelligence
UAE’s G42 to launch a cutting-edge Hindi Large Language Model soon
NANDA is a 13-billion parameter model trained on approximately 2.13 trillion tokens of language datasets, including Hindi
Aviation
Leading SaaS provider IBS Software partners with Stripe to boost payment options for aviation and travel clients
The India-based SaaS company currently works or previously worked with leading airlines such as Emirates and Etihad, besides a number of companies in the travel and hospitality sectors in the UAE and the region
Abu Dhabi
Gosu Academy announces UAE expansion to boost nation’s esports growth
Established by seasoned professionals, Gosu Academy started its journey in the US and Europe before expanding to Asia
digital anonymity
Are you ever really anonymous online?
Your digital footprints may be leaving tracks, even when you think you’re invisible online, UAE cybersecurity experts told Arabian Business
Blockchain
Blockchain Sports Ecosystem, Saudi Alpha Jossor Investments ink pact to set up $3.3bn innovative sports complex
Top football stars Kevin Kuranyi, Jay-Jay Okocha, Mikael Silvestre, and Jens Lehmann were present at the signing ceremony in Riyadh to endorse the strategic partnership
digital economy
Games of the Future 2025: Event to tip global gaming hubs status in UAE’s favour from Korea, Los Angeles, say industry leaders
The Games of the Future 2025 will align seamlessly with the UAE’s broader goals of becoming a leader in the global digital economy