US' Snap Inc to launch first Mena AR academy in Qatar
Qatar - The partnership with GCO for the first AR academy will unlock new opportunities and empower the next generation of AR creators and developers.
Snap Inc, an American technology company, will launch in Qatar its first augmented reality (AR) academy in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.
In this regard, Snap Inc signed a landmark memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Government Communications Office (GCO) at the Web Summit 2025.
The partnership with GCO for the first AR academy will unlock new opportunities and empower the next generation of AR creators and developers.
This move also underscores Snap's long-term commitment to investing in Mena's digital ecosystem, by building AR capabilities for partners both old and new, which is critical to digital transformation agendas.
"This initiative aligns with Qatar's National Vision 2030 in building a knowledge-based economy and nurturing the next generation of creators by equipping them with the essential tools and skills to navigate global digital transformations. Through our investment in such pioneering programmes, we continue to strengthen Qatar's position as a regional centre for digital excellence and technological innovation," said Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor al-Thani, director of the GCO and chairman of the Permanent Web Summit Organising Committee.
Hussein Freijeh, General Manager of Snap Inc in the Middle East said the long-term success of the technology requires a vibrant developer and creator ecosystem, which is critical to the digital transformation taking place in the region.
"Once again we are honoured to work hand in hand with GCO to drive the growth and digital upskilling of the thriving talent pool and we cannot wait to see the groundbreaking work they produce," he added.
AR has played a pivotal role in visual communication for more than a decade, pioneered by Snapchat and widely loved by online communities and brands all over the world for its ability to elevate creativity, connection and self-expression. From retail try-ons, and now Gen AI, Snapchat has evolved AR into a tool for human connection and spatial computing. Today, more than 300mn people use AR on Snapchat and more than 85% of Mena daily users interact with Lenses every day.
In the fourth quarter of 2024 alone, more than 400mn Snapchatters engaged with Gen AI-powered Lenses over 4bn times.
At present, more than 375,000 AR creators, developers, and teams from nearly every country in the world have built over 4mn Lenses.
Many of these are created using fifth generation Snap Spectacles, which have capabilities to better build and experiment with AR, allowing users to interact with the world and each other in entirely new ways.
© Gulf Times Newspaper 2022 Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
8 hours ago
- Gulf Today
The rate is in a safe neutral position
The European Central Bank has reduced the interest rate to 2 per cent from 2.25 per cent, and it seems to have completed the cycle of reduction of rates from 4.25 per cent in June 2024. Markets are betting that the central bank would not reduce any further when it meets in July. The rate is now in a neutral position, where it can neither stimulate growth nor serve as a restraint. Bank president Christine Lagarde said at a press conference, 'At the current level we believe we are in a good position to navigate the uncertain circumstances that will be coming up.' She also said that the bank does not have any pre-determined position on the rate path, and it will take things as they turn out. The two major challenges that the European Union (EU) faces is the slow growth in the economy on the continent, and the tariffs that US President Donald Trump had announced on European imports as he did on imports from all American trade partners. European leaders are looking to negotiations but they have taken a firm position that they will not capitulate to the tariff threats of Washington. Because of lower economic growth, inflation is also aligned to the interest rate. There is however no clear monetary strategy to handle the present state of the European economy. The obvious way forward is to lower interest still further – and there is room for that between the existing 2 per cent and zero interest rate – to revive domestic investment demand. The problem that the European economy is facing is the pressure on its exports, which is a major anchor for European economic growth. In the May World Economic Outlook (WEO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that the euro area will grow by 0.8 per cent in 2025 and by 1.2 per cent in 2026. There is 0.2 per cent reduction in the growth projection for the two years since the January 2025 WEO. Though the Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe (CESEE) seems to be doing slightly better than the advanced European economies, the projected figures show a slowing down of growth. For CESEE, it shows a growth of 2.4 per cent for 2025, a reduction by 0.6 per cent, and 2.7 per cent in 2026, a reduction by 0.4 per cent from the January projections. Europe's economic woes precede Trump's tariff onslaught. And the reasons are many. One of the major issues is the demography. The ageing population impacts the workforce, and the governments are burdened with social security commitments. It is surprising that the anti-immigrant right-wing parties have been making political headway in the elections across the continent. What Europe needs is an immigration policy to reinforce its workforce, and the skilling of the immigrants to take their place in the factories. But the governments do not have a policy of integrating the immigrants into the workforce. The second major issue is the burden of climate change and the energy transition that many of the EU members are committed to make. The plain fact is that Europe cannot hope to continue with the old fossil fuel-based production processes. The climate change processes involve financial commitments and the results will be slow in showing in terms of cleaning up the air, the rivers, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. And more importantly, the global markets are changing, and the slowdown of exports will affect the European economy more than ever. The challenges that Europe faces are formidable. And the political responses have been quite erratic. The rise of right-wing political parties with their outdated notions that there is no climate change and that immigrants pose a problem to the prosperity of Europe is not really helpful.
Arabian Post
12 hours ago
- Arabian Post
Trade Envoys from US and China to Convene in London Amid Renewed Optimism
Top trade officials from the United States and China are set to meet in London on Monday, 9 June, in a bid to ease escalating tensions over tariffs, technology transfers, and critical mineral exports. The announcement follows a 90-minute phone call between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping, during which both leaders agreed to resume dialogue and expressed cautious optimism about resolving key disputes. Leading the US delegation will be Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The Chinese side has not officially confirmed its delegation, but past rounds have included Vice Premier He Lifeng, Vice Commerce Minister Li Chenggang, and Vice Finance Minister Liao Min. Li, who was appointed as China's International Trade Negotiator in April, has been instrumental in shaping Beijing's response to the ongoing trade conflict. The upcoming talks follow a temporary truce brokered in Geneva on 12 May, where both nations agreed to reduce retaliatory tariffs—previously as high as 145%—to more manageable levels. However, the ceasefire is set to expire on 12 August, adding urgency to the London negotiations. ADVERTISEMENT A central issue on the agenda is the flow of rare earth minerals, which are essential for advanced manufacturing and defence technologies. China's earlier suspension of some rare earth exports to the US had heightened concerns about supply chain vulnerabilities. During their phone call, President Trump stated that President Xi agreed to resume these exports, a move that could alleviate pressure on US manufacturers. However, Beijing has yet to publicly confirm this commitment. The trade dispute has had significant economic repercussions. American businesses have faced increased costs due to tariffs, and a pending lawsuit challenges the legality of these tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The outcome of both the negotiations and the legal case could significantly influence future US trade policy and economic relations with China. President Trump has expressed optimism about the upcoming talks, stating, 'The meeting should go very well.' However, the complexity of the issues at hand suggests that reaching a comprehensive agreement may require sustained effort and compromise from both sides.
Gulf Today
21 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Outrage over Trump's electric vehicle policies is misplaced
Ashley Nunes, Tribune News Service Electric car subsidies are heading for the chopping block. A tax bill recently passed by House Republicans is set to stop billions in taxpayer cash from being spent on electric vehicle purchases. If embraced by the Senate and signed into law by President Donald Trump, the bill would gut long-standing government handouts for going electric. The move comes on the heels of another climate policy embraced by Republicans. Earlier this year, Trump announced plans to roll back burdensome rules that effectively force American consumers to buy electric, rather than gas-fueled, cars. The Environmental Protection Agency has called that move the 'biggest deregulatory action in US history.' Not everyone sees it that way. Jason Rylander, legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity's Climate Law Institute, assailed Trump's efforts, noting that his 'administration's ignorance is trumped only by its malice toward the planet.' Other similarly aligned groups have voiced similar sentiments arguing that ending these rules would 'cost consumers more, because clean energy and cleaner cars are cheaper than sticking with the fossil fuels status quo.' Backtracking on EV purchasing mandates seems to have hit Trump haters particularly hard. That mandate — established by President Joe Biden — would have pushed US automakers to sell more EVs. Millions more. Electric cars currently account for 8% of new auto sales. Biden ordered— by presidential fiat — that figure to climb to 35% by 2032. If you believe the hype, the result would be an electric nirvana, one defined by cleaner air and rampant job creation. I'm not convinced. For one thing, cleaner air courtesy of electrification requires that EVs replace gas-powered autos. They're not. In fact, study after study suggests that the purchase of EVs adds to the number of cars in a household. And two-thirds of households with an EV have another non-EV that is driven more — hardly a recipe for climate success given that EVs must be driven (a lot) to deliver climate benefits. Fewer miles driven in an EV also challenges the economic efficiency of the billions Washington spends annually to subsidise their purchase. Claims of job creation thanks to EVs are even more questionable. These claims are predicated around notions of aggressive consumer demand that drives increased EV manufacturing. This in turn creates jobs. A recent Princeton University study noted, 'Announced manufacturing capacity additions and expansions would nearly double US capacity to produce electric vehicles by 2030 and are well sized to meet expected demand for made-in-USA vehicles.' Jobs would be created if there were demand for EVs. Except that's not what's happening. Rather, consumer interest in EVs has effectively cratered. In 2024, 1.3 million EVs were sold in the United States, up from 1.2 million in 2023. This paltry increase is even more worrying given drastic price cuts seen in the EV market in 2024. Tesla knocked thousands of dollars off its best-selling Model 3 and Model Y. Ford followed suit by cutting prices on its Mach-e. So did Volkswagen and Hyundai. Despite deep discounts, consumer interest in electrification remains — to put it mildly — tepid at best. So, when people equate electrification with robust job creation, I'm left wondering what they are going on about. Even if jobs were created, EV advocates are coy about how many of those jobs would benefit existing autoworkers. Would all these workers — currently spread across large swaths of the Midwest — be guaranteed jobs on an EV assembly line? If not, how many workers should expect to receive pink slips? For those who do, will they be able to find new jobs that pay as much as their old ones? Touting job creation for political expediency is one thing. Fully recognising its impact on hardworking American families today, another. Some Americans may decry Trump's actions on climate, but they have only themselves to blame. Many of the pro-climate policies enacted, particularly during the Biden era, deliver little in the way of climate benefits (or any benefit for that matter) while making a mockery of the real economic concerns businesses and consumers have about climate action. No more. In justifying climate rollbacks, the president says many of his predecessor's policies have hurt rather than helped the American people. He's right and should be commended for doing something about it.
