DIGITIZATION-

Abu Dhabi-based AI outfit G42 has inked an MoU with Kenya’s EcoCloud to establish a 100 MW sustainable data center in Kenya, powered by geothermal energy, according to a Wednesday press release, which did not include an investment ticket or timeline for the project. The data center can later house up to 1 GW of capacity.

The details: The hub will be strategically located in Kenya’s geothermal-rich region, enabling it to be powered by geothermal energy, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and curbing carbon emissions. Aside from infrastructure investments, the partnership will also promote the development of cloud computing and AI services, in a bid to unlock growth and support the development of Kenya’s digital economy.

G42 is doubling down on data infrastructure investments in Africa: The company inked an agreement with Mauritania’s Digital Transformation, Innovation, and Modernization Ministry in mid-2023 to develop and improve the country’s national data center.

#2- Core42 is helping FAB move its data to Microsoft Azure: First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) has partnered with G42 company Core42 to expedite the bank’s data center migration to the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, Microsoft said in a statement last week. The partnership comes as the bank looks to improve retail, individual, institutional, and SME services. The partnership also focuses on AI innovation, aiming to enhance operational efficiency and customer service.

#3- Nesma Injazat and Presight are partnering up to advance technological innovation and digital transformation in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region, according to a companystatement(pdf). The partnership, which aims to encourage digital transformation in government and businesses across the region, will tap Nesma Injazat’s expertise in hybrid multi-cloud and digital services, as well as Presight’s GenAI-driven analytics. The two sides are looking to t offer transformative solutions, particularly focusing on Smart City development to enable data-driven decision-making, operational optimization, and improved service delivery.

SUSTAINABILITY-

Umm Al Qaiwain desal plant inaugurated: Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan inaugurated the Naqa’a seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant in Umm Al Qaiwain, Wam reports. With an annual capacity of 189 bn liters, it is among the largest seawater desalination projects using SWRO technology plants globally, meeting the needs of 2 mn residents of northern UAE, Wam cites Sheikh Mansour as saying.

Background: The initial phase of the plant came online in late 2021 with a trial production rate of 189 mn liters per day. By the end of 2022, the second phase was completed, allowing the station to achieve its full production capacity of 568 mn liters per day.

LOGISTICS-

AD Ports talks logistics + international transport with Iraq: International transport, logistics services, and regional economic cooperation projects were the main topics of discussion during a meeting between AD Ports representatives and an Iraqi delegation in Abu Dhabi last week, according to a press release. The two sides discussed initiatives like the Transports Internationaux Routiers International Road Transport System and Iraq’s Development Road Project, aiming to connect the GCC with Europe through Iraq.

AVIATION-

Etihad Airways plans to increase the number of its flights between Abu Dhabi and Rome to two flights per day, from 11 weekly flights, starting November, Wam reports. The move will result in a 22% y-o-y increase in seating capacity, amounting to 10k seats a week between the two cities.

SCIENCE-

Plant genetic resources center comes online: Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) Hamdan Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan inaugurated the Plant Genetic Resources Centre in Al Ain City, which will preserve seeds and tissues of wild plants and local agricultural species in the UAE, Wam reports. The center features advanced facilities including laboratories for seed processing, genetic sequencing, and preservation using cutting-edge technologies such as liquid nitrogen.

SPACE-

Abu Dhabi introduced an advanced quantum optical ground station, complete with a new telescope, to improve space communication, The National reports. The station — the largest of its kind in the Middle East — developed by the Technological Innovation Institute, features an 800mm tracking telescope and facilitates ultra-secure data transfer to satellites via light particles. Located at Al Sadeem Observatory, the Abu Dhabi Quantum Optical Ground Station is currently in the testing phase.

HEALTHCARE-

Some 100 medical and administrative staff in Dubai have been trained in disaster medicine as part of the Dubai Disaster Medicine Program, according to a Dubai Media Office statement. The initiative, which the Dubai Health Authority launched yesterday, aims to train 1k specialized medical and nursing professionals by the end of the year and over 10k hospital leaders and healthcare professionals within five years.