Latest news with #Allam
Arab News
5 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Tech company Humain to launch Allam, first Saudi-developed Arabic AI model
LONDON: A new Arabic-language artificial intelligence model called Allam, created and trained in Saudi Arabia, is set for launch this month, according to Tareq Amin, the CEO of the developer, tech company Humain. He said it was built by a team of 40 Ph.D.-level researchers in the Kingdom, and described it as the best Arabic-language model yet developed for the 350 million people worldwide who speak the language, the majority of whom live in Arab countries. 'This is not just another large language model, it's proof that the Arab world can innovate, train and deploy AI at a world-class level, according to our own standards,' Amin told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. Allam was designed to understand classical forms of Arabic and regional dialects, he added. It can converse in the Saudi, Egyptian, Jordanian and Lebanese dialects, and understands cultural and political nuances. The AI model will initially be available through Humain Chat, a free Arabic-language app similar to ChatGPT. Humain, which is part of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, said it has been tested for use in sensitive applications. 'ChatGPT will never have the datasets we do (to develop an Arabic AI),' Amin said. 'I want the Arab world to start asking: Why don't we build a coalition to create AI models that reflect our culture and values?' The PIF established Humain to lead the Kingdom's AI strategy, harnessing expertise from Aramco Digital and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority's National Center for AI. Amin said he views the launch of Allam as a starting point for ongoing improvement, fueled by user feedback from the Arab world. The company plans to create a marketplace through which developers and businesses can access the AI linguistic model, with a particular focus on government bodies and private-sector organizations in industries such as tourism and healthcare that rely heavily on Arabic for the provision of services. '(Allam) is the spark that can shift the Middle East's position in the global digital economy from consumer to creator of original platforms and products,' Amin said. 'We don't yet have a complete AI ecosystem of developers and companies. We need to believe in our abilities, and the time is now.' Amin considers AI as 'the foundation upon which the entire' Saudi Vision 2023 plan for national development and diversification is being built across various sectors including tourism, healthcare and industry. He praised Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's approach to AI as 'both visionary and pragmatic,' treating the technology 'not as an optional tool but as a necessity for economic growth, citizen empowerment and sector-wide adoption.' Amin added that Allam is Humain's flagship model and ultimately the success of the tech company will primarily stem from the people who are part of it, in particular the rich pool of Saudi AI talent. 'Some doubted whether we had the capabilities,' he said. 'I told them: come and see for yourself.'
Vancouver Sun
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Vancouver mayor's former chief of staff starts new political party
Kareem Allam, a longtime political strategist who helped propel ABC Vancouver to power, is launching the city's newest political party with a goal of unseating Ken Sim, the mayor he once served as chief of staff. Allam — ABC's former campaign manager and more recently, its most outspoken critic — has publicly mused in recent weeks of running for office and had set up committees made up of mostly former B.C. Liberals to gauge the level of support he'd have in a run. On Thursday, the Vancouver Liberals was officially registered with Elections B.C. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. It's a party Allam hopes would attract 'pragmatists' and people across the political spectrum unhappy with the direction the city is headed under ABC. 'I anticipate there would be pure centre, pure left and even centre right,' he said. 'I'm just looking for the best and brightest in the city regardless of their political affiliation.' The party also released its logo: A stylized V and L with the V made up by an image of Anna's hummingbird, the city's official bird. 'We thought it was reflective of the city,' with the bird's red, blue, and green colours representing the political spectrum, Allam said. 'We want to bring in the Greens, New Democrats and Conservatives,' he said. 'We want all aspects to feel welcome.' In addition to running for mayor, Allam said his party will run a full slate of council, park board, and school board candidates in the October 2026 municipal election. He's also open to ex-ABC elected officials joining. The party is going to have one overarching goal, he said: To create a fiscal and social platform that attracts young people back to the city. 'We need young people to invest in the city and lay down roots. Right now they're leaving Vancouver by droves,' he said, noting that while Surrey's school district is enrolling about 85,000 kids in K-12, Vancouver has less than 50,000 kids and is shrinking. 'We believe it's a challenge, but we believe it's doable.' He vowed to work to reverse that trend, including by cutting red tape and removing 'layers of policies' that make home building in Vancouver more expensive and time-consuming than other municipalities. He also said he'd put taxpayer dollars towards improving parks and playgrounds and expanding community centre and library hours. Allam was largely credited with masterminding ABC's sweeping victory in 2022, when the upstart party won majorities in council, park board, and school board. He served as Sim's chief of staff for 89 days until he was removed from the position in February 2023. Since then, Allam has been outspoken in his criticism of some ABC policies, including Sim's move to abolish the park board, the party's efforts to suspend the work of the integrity commissioner, the Hastings Street decampment and Vancouver police's Project Barrage. In May, Allam and businessman Alex G. Tsakumis were sued by Sim in B.C. Supreme Court for alleged defamatory comments about an alleged impaired driving incident. This week, Allam filed a response to the lawsuit, denying his comments were defamatory and said the lawsuit should be dropped. Allam said his new party and political ambitions have nothing to do with the lawsuit or his contentious relationship with Sim. 'I'm not running for any other reason than I think I can do a better job,' he said. 'I love this city and I don't like the direction it's headed in.' chchan@
Al-Ahram Weekly
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Lawyers protest against judicial fees hike Thursday - Courts & Law
Egyptian Lawyers staged protests coordinated by regional bar associations Thursday, in front of all primary courts nationwide, in a continued to oppose recent increases in judicial fees, according to a Lawyers Syndicate's statement. Local branches of the Bar Association organized the protests in response to recent decisions by the Council of Appeal Court heads to impose new fees on digitization services, a measure lawyers described as violating the constitution and the law. The protests came in execution of the resolutions passed during a joint meeting between the General Syndicate Council and heads of regional bar branches, led by the head of the Lawyers Syndicate in Cairo, Abdel-Halim Allam. The gathering aimed to form a united front to challenge the new fee structure imposed by judicial authorities. Allam also chaired an operations room to monitor the nationwide implementation of the protest decisions. He emphasized the importance of unity and commitment during this critical phase, stating that 'the current stage demands cohesion and dedication to serve the nation, protect the dignity of the legal profession, and uphold the Bar's stature.' The lawyers' syndicate has vowed to continue escalating measures against what it deems illegal service fees introduced under the pretext of digital modernisation. The syndicate shared images of protests across multiple governorates on its official Facebook page, including Ismailia, Suez, Mahalla, Port Said, Beni Suef, Fayoum, Dakahliya, Gharbia, Sohag, and Helwan. Additional protests were organized outside courts in Sohag, Giza, Fayoum, Kafr El-Sheikh, North Sinai, Alexandria, Qalyoubiya, and New Cairo. This strike is the third of its kind to protest against the increase in judicial fees. On 14 April, Egyptian lawyers launched the first stage of their escalation campaign against the decision, holding a 30-minute protest outside courthouses nationwide. On 18 May, lawyers organized another two-day nationwide general strike, boycotting hearings in all criminal courts nationwide. In March, the Council of Appeal Court raised judicial fees on digitization services, sparking widespread anger from the legal community. In response, the Lawyers Syndicate called on its members across all governorates to participate in protests as an initial step in a broader plan to oppose the new charges. The protests highlight the legal community's growing concerns over what they view as unjustified financial burdens on litigants and a potential barrier to accessing justice. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim sues former chief of staff for defamation
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has filed a lawsuit against two people, including his former chief of staff, over alleged defamatory comments that claimed he had been pulled over by police for driving under the influence and used his position to cover it up. According to a notice of civil claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court Friday, political strategist Kareem Allam, who had worked as Sim's campaign manager and chief of staff, told Alexander Tsakumis, a local businessman who is active on social media, that the mayor was pulled over by Vancouver police after driving while intoxicated, and officers let him go without being booked or cited for his actions. The claim says Allam told the story to Tsakumis in November 2023, less than a year after Allam was terminated as Sim's chief of staff, "with the intent that Mr. Tsakumis could publish the statements to others, including on the internet." It alleges Allam told a member of Sim's ABC Vancouver party that someone in the mayor's office told him that Sim had been pulled over by police for driving under the influence, and the mayor's office staffer and a VPD officer had "taken care of it." The suit claims Tsakumis posted a message on X on Nov. 23, 2023, accusing the mayor of driving drunk and using his influence to avoid consequences. It alleges Allam and Tsakumis made the comments "with malice, knowing them to be false, or in reckless disregard to the truth of the statements," and they "intended and expected" that others would republish the defamatory language. The suit says the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) investigated following Tsakumis's social media post, and the VPD's chief constable issued a report that concluded the OPCC investigation found "no objective evidence of an interaction between members of the VPD and [Sim]" as described in the post. It said the chief constable "further concluded the matter to be baseless and that Mr. Tsakumis irresponsibly used the platform to spread a rumour communicated to him by Mr. Allam." Speaking to CBC News Friday, Allam said he plans to "vigorously defend" himself. "It is a matter of public record that I was not the source of these rumours," Allam said. A spokesperson for Sim says the mayor will not comment on the lawsuit but confirmed its existence.
Global News
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim files defamation lawsuit against 2 men
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has filed a lawsuit in civil court against two men for defamation. The suit names Kareem Allam, political strategist, former campaign manager and chief of staff following Sim's election and Alexander George Tsakumis, businessman and real estate developer. On or about Feb. 6, 2023, Allam's employment with Sim's team was terminated. The suit states that sometime around November 2023, Allam told Tsakumis that Sim had driven his car while intoxicated and had been stopped by Vancouver police officers. Allam also told Tsakumis that Vancouver police let Sim go without booking him or citing him for any offence, according to documents. 'Allam made the statements to Mr. Tsakumas, with the intent that Mr. Tsakumas would publish the statements to others, including on the internet which publication did occur on the suit states. Story continues below advertisement Then, in or about June 2024, Allam told Annie Fournier, a member of the political party, A Better City, that Allam had received a telephone call from a person in the Vancouver mayor's office stating that Sim had been pulled over by the police for driving under the influence and that the individual in the mayor's office and a VPD officer had 'taken care of it.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The suit states that Allam said that the 'DUI was not the problem. It was the cover-up that was the problem.' 4:40 Ken Sim drunk driving allegations 'unfounded,' investigation finds In late 2023, Vancouver police notified the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner, which ordered an external probe into the matter. The RCMP led the investigation and the findings were reviewed by Abbotsford police. Two Mounties interviewed VPD officers, scanned police databases and listened to radio recordings. They also interviewed Tsakumis and Allam. Story continues below advertisement After nine months of investigating the DUI and VPD cover-up rumour, the Mounties concluded their probe last October. Abbotsford police Chief Colin Watson reviewed their findings and wrote, 'I consider this matter to be baseless. Mr. Tsakumis irresponsibly used 'X' to spread a rumour communicated to him by Mr. Allam.' The suit states that Allam and Tsakumis made defamatory comments about Sim 'with malice knowing them to be false, or in reckless disregard to the truth of the statements.' Sim is seeking general, aggravated and punitive damages, along with a permanent injunction restraining, enjoining and prohibiting the defendants, and each of them, from directly or indirectly making, publishing, disseminating or broadcasting the defamatory words, or words of like or similar effect.
