Latest news with #ArabicLanguage
Arab News
2 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Arabic Language Innovation Accelerator empowers startups and entrepreneurs
RIYADH: The Arabic Language Innovation Accelerator, organized by the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic, has helped to empower startups and entrepreneurs, the organizers said at the conclusion on Wednesday. The accelerator provided support for technical innovation and to help transform creative ideas into projects capable of growth and expansion, said Abdullah Al-Wushmi, secretary-general of the academy. 'The accelerator represents one of the distinguished initiatives of the academy that reflects its vision of building an integrated system of technological projects that support the Arabic language.' 'The academy has been keen on establishing collaborative partnerships with various entities that support innovation and technology, to enhance the effectiveness of the program and provide a comprehensive developmental environment,' he added. The accelerator project is an extension of the academy's initiatives in educational, and to expand digital Arabic content. Saad Al-Qahtani, director of the educational programs sector at the academy, said: 'Through this project, we have witnessed numerous pioneering initiatives that harness, adapt, and invest in technology to serve the Arabic language — its sciences, arts, and methods of teaching and learning.' Al-Qahtani stressed that the development of Arabic was critical for innovation. The closing ceremony included a detailed presentation of the participating projects, with several entrepreneurs honored in the presence of a number of investors and experts.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Sycamine Capital Management: Gulf Turns to AI Gold Rush
Gulf Nations Accelerate Infrastructure Expansion, Securing Strategic Partnerships, Driving Economic Diversification, and Advancing Computational Technologies and Arabic Language AI Models SINGAPORE, SG / ACCESS Newswire / July 31, 2025 / Gulf nations are intensifying investments in artificial intelligence, marking a significant strategic shift toward technological dominance and economic diversification, according to Sycamine Capital Management. Saudi Arabia alone has dedicated over $40 billion towards AI initiatives under its Vision 2030, positioning itself firmly as a global hub for AI innovation. Analysts widely interpret this development as a clear indication that 'compute is the new oil.' Gulf countries leverage sovereign wealth and advantageous geography to secure central roles in global AI markets. The UAE's ambitious 'Stargate' project, featuring vast data centres hosting international tech giants such as OpenAI, exemplifies this strategic approach. Throughout 2024, AI investments in the region have reached unprecedented levels. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund initiated a $100 billion AI initiative, while the UAE formed a groundbreaking $200 billion tech partnership with the United States. These substantial commitments attracted key global partnerships, including NVIDIA's agreement to supply advanced AI chips to Saudi Arabia's HUMAIN initiative over five years. Sycamine Capital Management highlights the shift of AI from emerging technology to mainstream commercial use across healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and software sectors. Early adopters integrating AI are expected to realise significant returns within the next decade due to improved operational efficiencies and reshaped competitive landscapes. National AI strategies reinforce the Gulf's technological ambitions. Saudi Arabia's National Strategy for Data and AI targets a 12% GDP contribution from AI by 2030. Simultaneously, the UAE aims to revolutionise government operations and boost lucrative sectors, illustrated by Abu Dhabi's $3.5 billion investment to establish the world's first entirely AI-driven government by 2027. Regional sovereign wealth funds actively support these AI advancements through equity investments, infrastructure projects, and international collaborations. Notable partnerships include Saudi Arabia's alliances with Google and Amazon Web Services for AI hubs and large-scale data centres, and Abu Dhabi's G42 collaborations with Microsoft and BlackRock. Furthermore, international technology corporations such as NVIDIA and AMD are deeply embedded in regional AI infrastructure, supplying high-performance hardware. Notably, Saudi Arabia's HUMAIN initiative includes substantial deployments of NVIDIA's GB300 Grace Blackwell AI supercomputers and AMD's $10.3 billion infrastructure project. These developments are complemented by robust Arabic language AI model initiatives, promoting digital sovereignty and addressing linguistic gaps in global AI research. Saudi Arabia's HUMAIN and UAE's Falcon Arabic exemplify such culturally relevant AI systems. Sycamine Capital Management asserts these strategic investments illustrate the Gulf's decisive pivot towards digitally driven economic leadership, significantly influencing global AI landscapes. About Sycamine Capital Management Established in 2008, Sycamine Capital Management Pte. Ltd. provides investors with forward-looking analysis in AI and ESG sectors, identifying opportunities ahead of market trends. For more information, visit Contact: Simon Lau (Media Relations) Email: Website: SOURCE: Sycamine Capital Management View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
Qatar Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Ministry of Endowments concludes teaching Arabic course in Tatarstan
QNA Doha The Sheikh Abdulla Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center (Bin Zaid), a Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs affiliate, concluded its Arabic Language teaching skills development course, which targeted 15 teachers from the Republic of Tatarstan's Islamic schools. Under the patronage of Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs HE Ghanem bin Shaheen Al Ghanim, a closing ceremony was held at Bin Zaid Center's headquarters on Sunday, which reflected the deep cultural and religious ties between Qatar and the Republic of Tatarstan. Part of the ministry's ongoing efforts to promote the Arabic language and strengthen Islamic culture globally, the course aimed to train teachers and enhance their linguistic and educational skills, along with their Islamic knowledge. It ran from July 6 to August 3. In a speech delivered on behalf of Bin Zaid Center Director Dr. Saleh Ali Al Marri, his assistant Sultan Saad Al Badr said that the course aligns with the State of Qatar's vision and the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs' mission to support the Arabic language and foster cultural connections with the Islamic world. He noted that this program is part of a series of Bin Zaid Center's international initiatives carried out in countries such as Russia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition to its academic component, the program featured cultural visits, scholarly gatherings, and field tours to Qatar's Islamic and heritage landmarks, deepening participants' understanding of Islamic culture. The closing ceremony included a video presentation about the course, as well as a speech delivered by one of the course's participants on behalf of himself and his colleagues, expressing their gratitude to Qatar's government and people, for the care and attention they received during the programme. At the end of the event, participants were honoured and presented certificates, in the presence of Assistant Undersecretary for Islamic Affairs at the Ministry Khalid Shaheen Al Ghanim, in addition to Bin Zaid Center Director Dr. Saleh Ali Al Marri.
Japan Times
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Israeli military intelligence goes back to basics with focus on spies, not tech
Humiliated by the Hamas attack that devastated Israel 22 months ago, the country's military intelligence agency is undergoing a reckoning. The service is making profound changes, including reviving an Arabic-language recruitment program for high school students and training all troops in Arabic and Islam. The plan is to rely less on technology and instead build a cadre of spies and analysts with a broad knowledge of dialects — Yemeni, Iraqi, Gazan — as well as a firm grasp of radical Islamic doctrines and discourse. Every part of Israel's security establishment has been engaged in a process of painful self-examination since Oct. 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas operatives entered Israel from Gaza, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250 others — and setting off a brutal war in which an estimated 60,000 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, with many more going hungry. Yet even as debate continues about who was at fault and how much Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knew in advance of the attacks, the intelligence branch has accepted the brunt of the blame. The agency had a "fundamental misunderstanding' of Hamas ideology and its concrete plans, said a military intelligence officer, laying out the changes and speaking under standard military anonymity. While the service was aware of Hamas' scheme to capture military bases and civilian communities near Gaza, even watching militants rehearse in plain sight, the assessment was that they were fantasizing. Analysts concluded that the Iran-backed Islamist group was content in its role as ruler, pacified by foreign donations and well-paid work for some Gazans in Israel. The failure to meet the enemy on its own terms is one that Israel's security apparatus is determined never to repeat. "If more Israelis could read Hamas newspapers and listen to their radio,' said Michael Milshtein, who heads Palestinian studies at Tel Aviv University's Dayan Center, "they'd understand Hamas was not deterred and was seeking jihad.' The renewed focus on language and religious training represents what the intelligence officer calls "a deep cultural shift' in an organization where even top officers rely on translations. The aim, the person said, is to create an internal culture "that lives and breathes how our enemy thinks.' Yet Milshtein and others say that for this to succeed, it will require significant, society-wide changes. Although Arabic is offered in public schools, most Israelis study English instead. Silicon Valley looms large for ambitious young people, who learn little about countries only a few hours away. The challenge lies in convincing Israelis to focus more on the region — its cultures, languages and threats — and less on global opportunities. Israel grew comfortable and rich seeing itself as part of the West, the thinking goes, when it needs to survive in the Middle East. That hasn't always been the case. In the first decades of its existence, Israel had a large population of Jews who'd emigrated from Arabic-speaking countries. The nation was poor and surrounded by hostile neighbors with sizable armies, so survival was on everyone's mind. Many of these emigres put their skills to use in the intelligence service, including Eli Cohen, who famously reached the highest echelons of the Syrian government before he was caught and executed in the 1960s. (He was recently played by Sacha Baron Cohen in the Netflix hit "The Spy.") Today, Egypt and Jordan have peace treaties with Israel, and Lebanon and Syria are weak states with little capacity to challenge Israeli might. The supply of native Arabic speakers has dwindled. Israelis whose grandparents came from Iraq, Syria and Yemen don't speak Arabic, and Israel's 2 million Arab citizens aren't required to serve in the military. Some Arabic-speaking Druze do go into intelligence, but they make up less than 2% of the population. As part of the intelligence changes, the service is reviving a program it shut down six years ago which encourages high school students to study Arabic, and plans to broaden its training in dialects. The officer mentioned that eavesdroppers were having trouble making out what Yemeni Houthis were saying because many were chewing khat, a narcotic shrub consumed in the afternoon. So older Yemeni Israelis are being recruited to help. It's also channeling resources into a once-sidelined unit whose function is to challenge mainstream intelligence conclusions by promoting unconventional thinking. The unit's work is colloquially known by an Aramaic phrase from the Talmud — ipcha mistabra — or "the reverse may be reasonable.' More broadly, the service is moving away from technology and toward a deeper reliance on human intelligence — such as planting undercover agents in the field and building up the interrogations unit. This breaks with a shift over the past decade toward working with data from satellite imagery and drones, and goes hand-in-hand with another change that was made after Oct. 7. While the country's borders used to be monitored by sensor-equipped fences and barriers, the military is now deploying more boots on the ground. These new approaches will not only require more people, said Ofer Guterman, a former officer in military intelligence currently at the Institute for the Research of the Methodology of Intelligence, but people who are "more alert to different arenas.' Prior to the Hamas attack, he said, "there was a national perception that the big threats were behind us, except an Iranian nuclear weapon.' Now that that has been proven false, he believes that Israel needs "to rebuild our intelligence culture.' To explain what this might look like, he distinguishes between uncovering a secret and solving a mystery. At exposing a secret — where is a certain leader hiding? — Israel has been excellent, as shown by its wiping out of the Hezbollah leadership in Lebanon last fall. At unraveling a mystery — what is that leader planning? — it has lost its way. Acquiring the kind of knowledge needed for this requires deep commitment to humanistic studies — literature, history and culture. And he worries that Israeli students have developed a contempt for the rich cultures of their neighbors. That too, he says, has to change. At the same time, not everyone is persuaded that the planned changes are the right ones. Dan Meridor, a former strategic affairs minister under Netanyahu who wrote a landmark study of Israel's security needs two decades ago, says the wrong conclusions are being drawn from the Hamas attack. "The failure of Oct. 7 wasn't a lack of knowledge of the verses in the Koran and Arabic dialect,' he says. Rather, he believes that Israel is viewing its neighbors only through the lens of hostility. "It's not more intelligence that we need,' he added, "it's more dialogue and negotiation.'
Arab News
01-08-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Wesal program looks to empower expats with work-based Arabic-language skills
RIYADH: The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language launched its Wesal program on Thursday. Wesal is an educational initiative intended to help non-native speakers working in Saudi Arabia's public and private sectors. The program aims to provide linguistic training opportunities within institutional training plans, as part of the academy's initiatives to 'empower the Arabic language in professional and organizational contexts,' according to a statement. The three-month program will be held at the academy's headquarters in Riyadh, with a flexible schedule tailored to accommodate participants' work hours and commitments. Abdullah Al-Washmi, secretary-general of the KSGAAL, told Arab News: 'The Wesal program represents a qualitative step in activating the Arabic language and strengthening its presence in professional and practical fields across the public and private sectors, reflecting the academy's role in developing multilingual work environments within the Kingdom. 'Through Wesal we seek to equip a wide segment of non-Arabic-speaking professionals with functional language communication tools, enhancing their performance and deepening their connection to the national culture and identity. This program underscores the academy's commitment to its educational and developmental responsibilities, as well as its role in supporting the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Human Capability Development Program,' he continued. The program covers aspects of the Arabic language focusing on key skills that support the functional use of Arabic in professional settings. It also includes content intended to enhance trainees' ability to perform their tasks efficiently within the context of Saudi culture, Al-Washmi explained. The new program is part of the academy's mission to consolidate the Arabic language and enhance its use across all fields of knowledge and communication, he added. Saad Al-Qahtani, head of the Educational Programs Sector at KSGAAL, told Arab News that the Wesal program offers communicative and functional content relevant to the real world of the workplace. It focuses on teaching Arabic in realistic administrative and professional contexts, away from traditional curricula of a general or academic nature, he said, and is based on a curriculum developed by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, but adapts activities and vocabulary to serve functional communication skills, such as writing official mail, handling administrative forms and participating in and managing meetings, while incorporating local administrative and cultural terminology. According to Al-Qahtani, the program adopts an initial language diagnostic mechanism to determine trainees' levels, in addition to gradually adapting the content to suit different levels. The design of language activities also takes into account the use of visual and contextual methods, employing intermediate language when necessary, and providing examples from diverse work environments to ensure greater inclusiveness and flexibility. Although the program has not yet received official accreditation from the relevant authorities in the Kingdom, its reliance on the CEFR framework aligns it with international best practices and paves the way for its future adoption as a recognized professional standard in the Saudi labor market, Al-Qahtani said. Bandar Al-Jasir, executive partner at public relations firm Syaq, told Arab News that he expects Arabic proficiency to become a seriously considered element in professional assessment, especially for positions that require deeper engagement with the local audience. Al-Jasir said that Saudi Arabia is leading efforts to build 'culturally aware artificial intelligence tools' and that the 'next challenge' is to ensure that these tools enhance the richness of the Arabic language, with human verification remaining a key element. The priority for business solutions, he believes, should be the Arabization of operating systems and user interfaces, the provision of effective language training programs, and the development of smart tools that handle Arabic with contextual awareness. Using Arabic internally naturally enhances corporate identity, according to Al-Jasir, who added that the 'real challenge' facing the Arabic language today is to preserve it in everyday conversation, particularly since English is becoming ever more widely used in 'informal business communication.'
