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A delegation from Qatar Chamber participated in the First Arab Forum on Artificial Intelligence, held in New Alamein City in Egypt, headed by its Chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani.In his speech at the forum’s second panel discussion, entitled "The Role of the Arab Private Sector and Arab Businessmen in Activating and Implementing the Arab Artificial Intelligence Initiative,” Sheikh Khalifa emphasised that the Arab AI Initiative, endorsed at the Arab Development Summit in Baghdad in May 2025, represents a cornerstone for unifying Arab efforts to ensure the optimal utilisation of modern technologies in serving Arab societies, supporting their economies, and enhancing their global competitiveness.He also noted that Arab countries have made significant strides in the AI sector, underscoring the need for active participation from the Arab private sector in implementing this ambitious initiative.He emphasised that Arab businessmen play a pivotal role in the initiative’s success by supporting innovative startups and strengthening partnerships with academic institutions and research centres.He underlined that the private sector plays a key role in accelerating digital transformation and creating a business environment capable of embracing these technologies.Sheikh Khalifa also highlighted Qatar’s strong commitment to innovation and technology through the launch of multiple strategies and initiatives that support digital transformation, develop technological infrastructure, and build qualified human capacities.He stressed the importance of enacting flexible legislation and providing investment incentives to boost the flow of joint Arab investment in technology and AI. He affirmed the readiness of Qatar Chamber and the Qatari private sector to actively contribute to supporting and implementing the Arab AI Initiative in a way that achieves sustainable development for Arab nations and enhances their presence in the global knowledge and innovation-based economy.The forum, organised by the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport in co-operation with the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, served as a leading Arab platform for exchanging experiences and formulating future visions to support cybersecurity, the digital economy, and technological innovation, thereby strengthening the Arab region’s position on the global AI map.The forum featured eight panel sessions addressing several themes, including: the role of Arab organisations and institutions, the role of the private sector and Arab businessmen, the role of Arab financial institutions, AI governance, ethical frameworks and international co-operation, cybersecurity infrastructure and digital sovereignty, economic development, and innovation, as well as human capacity building and preserving cultural identity.

Microsoft announced the launch of its first internally developed artificial intelligence models. The first model is named MAI-Voice-1, dedicated to generating natural voices, while the second model, MAI-1-preview, is classified as a foundational text model that was fully developed and trained within the company.According to the company's statement, the MAI-Voice-1 model is distinguished by its ability to generate a full minute of audio in less than one second using only a single graphics processing unit (GPU).The model is already being used in some Copilot services, such as Copilot Daily, which provides a daily audio summary of news, in addition to producing podcast-like discussions to explain topics.Users can also try it via the Copilot Labs platform, with the ability to adjust the tone and delivery style. As for the text model MAI-1-preview, it was trained using approximately 15,000 Nvidia H100 chips and is designed to handle textual instructions and provide useful responses to daily inquiries.Microsoft confirmed that this model offers a glimpse of what it will present in the future within the Copilot ecosystem. The company has already begun testing it through the LMArena platform, which measures the performance of AI models, and it will be gradually integrated into some Copilot services over the coming weeks.This step comes at a time when Copilot services still rely primarily on Open AI technologies. Microsoft believes that combining a set of specialized models that serve diverse needs and uses will provide tremendous value to users and pave the way for a new phase of competition in the global AI race.

Doha will host the fifth Unesco conference on higher education in Arab states from Monday, bringing together leading experts and policymakers to examine how artificial intelligence and digital technologies are reshaping universities across the region.  Held under the patronage of Her Excellency Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohammed AlKhater, Minister of Education and Higher Education, the two-day event at Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl Island, is themed “The New Learning Landscape in Higher Education in the Arab Region”. It is being organised by the ministry in collaboration with Unesco and the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.  Speaking to Gulf Times, Farida Aboudan, Chief of Education at the Unesco Regional Office for the Gulf States and Yemen, said the conference would focus on developments in the higher education sector and explore opportunities for collaboration across different fields of education.  “Higher education in the Arab region is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by rapid advances in artificial intelligence, digital technologies and scientific research. This conference provides an important platform to explore how these developments are reshaping teaching, learning and the future of work, while strengthening regional co-operation and ensuring that higher education systems remain inclusive, innovative and responsive to emerging challenges,” she said.  Aboudan added that the conference aims to strengthen the role of scientific research, innovation and digital transformation in building more sustainable education systems that respond to future demands and the needs of the learning community.  Speakers at the opening ceremony will include the minister; His Excellency Dr Nasser bin Hamad al-Hinzab, Chairperson of the Unesco Executive Board and Qatar’s Permanent Representative to Unesco; and Salah Khaled, Director of the Unesco regional office.  After the opening session, breakout sessions across both days will address major themes and emerging trends in higher education. These include the recognition of academic qualifications across Arab states, digital transformation, the responsible and ethical use of AI, and strengthening academic competencies and supportive working environments for faculty members. Discussions will also turn to the future of higher education and the post-2030 development agenda.  On the opening day, a session titled “Shaping the Future of Higher Education in the Arab Region: From Recognition to Transformation” will see the launch of the Arabic version of UNESCO’s roadmap “Beyond Limits: New Ways to Reinvent Higher Education”.  A university exhibition on the sidelines will allow participating institutions to showcase their academic programmes and their research and innovation initiatives. The conference will close on Tuesday with a set of final recommendations.