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Welcome to this weeks technology updates & insights. I share market insights, potential business opportunities & upcoming events.

Your 2-Minute Summary

📚 Market Insights & Resources

Global 50 Report: Forward-thinking report by Dubai Future Foundation exploring 50 opportunities across "MegaTrends" in health, sustainability, technology, and societal transformation. Combines aspirational ideas with actionable insights and promotes cross-disciplinary innovation to address global challenges.

💰 Tech Funding & Support Programs

Nawah Pre-Accelerator for Palestinian Startups: A four-month program by Flat6Labs and Google for Startups offering equity-free funding, workshops, and networking for early-stage Palestinian tech startups. Applications close March 31, 2025, with the program running April 20 to August 20, 2025.

📊 MENA Tech Updates

Dubai's AI Research Investment: Dubai Future Foundation is funding 24 innovative research projects from 13 universities through its Research, Development, and Innovation Grant Initiative. Projects focus on cognitive cities, health sciences, AI, and robotics, including AI-driven Alzheimer's detection and digital twin technology for manufacturing.

Google's MENA AI Initiatives: Google is promoting AI adoption in the region through a new Arabic-language AI curriculum, funding university research via Google.org's AI Research Fund, and supporting healthcare applications. Gemini AI assistant was launched in Arabic in 2023, with Google Cloud expanding its AI hub in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

🗓️ Upcoming Events

Dubai AI Festival 2025: Global event on April 23-24, 2025 at Madinat Jumeirah, bringing together AI leaders, innovators, and investors. Features include AI governance discussions, participation from 20+ global unicorns and venture capitalists, the FutureTech World Cup startup competition, and a product launch platform.

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📊 MENA Tech Updates

Dubai to invest in 24 AI research projects

The Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) is funding 24 innovative research projects from 13 universities through its Dubai Research, Development, and Innovation Grant Initiative (RDI), launched in September 2024. These projects focus on cognitive cities, health sciences, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics to position Dubai as a leader in technological advancements.

Notable funded projects:

• AI-driven early Alzheimer's detection (University of Dubai).

• AI and digital twin technology for manufacturing SMEs (Middlesex University Dubai).

• AI-powered transformation of electric vehicle ecosystems (University of Wollongong in Dubai).

My takeaway: Dubai, and the UAE in general, want to become a global leader in AI. They are investing in both startups & academic institutes to develop local products & capabilities in AI. It's an opportunity for researchers around the MENA region to contribute and leverage their expertise. DFF also announced its goal to invest in startups in UAE & around the world.

To read more: Link

Google’s effort to promote AI adoption in the MENA region

StartAD (a healthcare accelerator in Abu Dhabi) with Google published an article highlights Google's efforts to make AI technology more accessible and inclusive through education, research, products, and infrastructure.

Here are my key takeaways (more on the article):

• A new Arabic-language AI curriculum under the “Maharat min Google” program, in partnership with Coursera, will teach AI skills like prompt engineering.

• Google.org’s AI Research Fund will finance local university research on healthcare, climate change, education, etc.

• Google.org will offer a grant to startAD, to identify and develop AI-powered applications that help provide healthcare access for vulnerable populations in the UAE & the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

• AI Products and Infrastructure:

  • Gemini AI assistant was launched in Arabic in 2023, with features like career guidance, coding support, and image generation.

  • Partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to expand Google Cloud’s AI hub in Dammam, advancing research and creating jobs.

Source: Link

💶 Tech Funding & Support programs

Nawah Early Stage accelerator for Palestinian Startups

The Nawah Pre-Accelerator Program, powered by Flat6Labs and Google for Startups, is a four-month pre-accelerator designed for early-stage tech startups based in Palestine. It aims to support startups with innovative tech solutions to local challenges.

Benefits

Startup will receive equity-free funding powered by Google for Startups, along with business-focused workshops, one-on-one support, and exclusive networking opportunities.

Important Dates

• Application Deadline: 31 March 2025

• Program Start Date: 20 April 2025

• Program End Date: 20 August 2025

Source article: Flat6Labs - Nawah Pre-Accelerator Program

🗓️ Upcoming Events

Dubai AI Festival 2025

The Dubai AI Festival 2025 is a global event bringing together top leaders, innovators, and thinkers in artificial intelligence to showcase advancements and discuss the future of AI. The event is organized by Dubai AI campus, a campus specifically created last year to promote & incubate AI startups.

• Dates: 23 – 24 April 2025

• Location: Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE

• Target Audience: Industry experts, government agencies, investors, global enterprises, venture capitalists, and AI startups

What's Interesting About It:

• Features important themes such as global AI governance and FutureTech to discuss/unveil latest advancement & their real world applications.

• Hosts 20+ global unicorns and 20+ top venture capitalists, +500 investors

• The FutureTech World Cup for startups to pitch their ideas and connect with investors.

• FutureTech Launchpad: A platform to unveil cutting-edge AI solutions and products.

• Provides unparalleled networking opportunities with key decision-makers and industry leaders.

You can register and learn more here.

🤝 Resources & Market Insights

Global 50 report: shaping tomorrow's world with innovation and opportunity

A very forward-thinking report by the Dubai Future Foundation. It offers a perspective on future growth, prosperity, and well-being through 50 opportunities. The report covers a range of "MegaTrends," including advancements in health, sustainability, technology, and societal transformations.

For me, it's an impossible exercise in imagining a better far away future with technologies we didn't build yet. Some of it might be akin to science fiction. Then again, science fiction brought many ideas to life 20 years later.

My key takeaways:

• A mix between dream ideas & actionable insights: Some ideas presented are aspirational and futuristic to challenge conventional thinking and encourage innovation. Others are actionable today, providing a roadmap for short-term and long-term strategies.

• MegaTrends: Categories like "Materials Revolution," "Digital Realities," "Life with Robots," and "Advanced Health" explore how disruptive technologies can address challenges in sectors like health, energy, and environment.

• Cross-disciplinary Innovations: The report promotes collaborations across sectors to address global issues, such as using biomaterials for environmental health or leveraging genomics to combat diseases.

Download the report here: The Global 50 Report | Dubai Future Foundation

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