Middle East

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Key Facts

Key PlayersG42 (UAE), HUMAIN (Saudi), TII

Top InstitutionsMBZUAI, KAUST

AI Policy StanceStrategic investment, economic diversification

Notable LegislationUAE AI Charter, Saudi AI Framework

Top News

Sundar Pichai faces Stanford protest and walkout over Google's $1.2 billion Israel contract

Around 200 Stanford students walked out of their graduation ceremony as Google CEO Sundar Pichai delivered his commencement speech, protesting the company's controversial $1.2 billion Project Nimbus contract with Israel. The demonstration, organized by Students for Justice in Palestine and No Tech for Apartheid, targeted Google's Israel ties and ICE relationships rather than AI concerns that have disrupted other tech leader speeches this year.

Entertainment5 sources

Sundar Pichai faces Stanford protest and walkout over Google's $1.2 billion Israel contract

Entertainment5 sources

UAE billionaire Hussain Sajwani bets $66 billion on data centers to ride the AI boom

Real estate magnate Hussain Sajwani is pivoting from property to data infrastructure with a massive $66 billion investment across 13 countries. Known as 'The Donald of Dubai,' the DAMAC Properties chairman aims to surpass Equinix as the world's largest data center provider, banking on surging demand for computing power driven by AI.

Business2 sources

UAE billionaire Hussain Sajwani bets $66 billion on data centers to ride the AI boom

Business2 sources

US Navy's drone boat completes first-ever rescue at sea, saving Apache helicopter crew

In a historic first, a US Navy Corsair drone boat rescued two Apache helicopter crew members from waters near Oman within two hours. The 24-foot autonomous surface vessel, operated by Task Force 59, located the aviators and transported them to safety after their AH-64 Apache went down near the Strait of Hormuz. The operation signals a major shift in military recovery missions and disaster relief capabilities.

Technology5 sources

US Navy's drone boat completes first-ever rescue at sea, saving Apache helicopter crew

Technology5 sources

World Cup 2026 deploys robot dogs, AI cameras, and hunter drones for unprecedented security

The 2026 World Cup across 16 cities in North America becomes the most technologically surveilled sporting event in history. FEMA distributed $875 million for security measures including Boston Dynamics robot dogs, net-shooting hunter drones, and thousands of AI-powered cameras. Officials describe it as "78 Super Bowls over 39 days" amid concerns about drone threats and AI-fueled disruptions.

Technology4 sources

World Cup 2026 deploys robot dogs, AI cameras, and hunter drones for unprecedented security

Technology4 sources

Drone strikes on data centers force Big Tech to pause Middle East AI infrastructure projects

A major data center developer has halted all Middle East investments after Iranian drone and missile strikes damaged facilities across the Gulf region. Pure Data Centre Group paused projects following shrapnel damage to its Abu Dhabi campus, while Amazon Web Services lost an estimated $150 million after waiving customer charges for an entire month. The attacks are forcing tech companies to rethink trillion-dollar plans for AI and cloud infrastructure in the region.

Business2 sources

Drone strikes on data centers force Big Tech to pause Middle East AI infrastructure projects

Business2 sources

OpenAI appoints Airbnb executive Emmanuel Marill as first EMEA managing director

OpenAI has hired Emmanuel Marill from Airbnb as its first managing director for Europe, Middle East, and Africa. The appointment signals OpenAI's commitment to expanding its global footprint despite facing regulatory challenges and digital sovereignty concerns across the region. Marill will oversee operations from Paris as the company reports a sevenfold increase in business subscriptions.

Business2 sources

OpenAI appoints Airbnb executive Emmanuel Marill as first EMEA managing director

Business2 sources

Pro-Iran group Explosive Media trolls Trump with AI Lego videos that rack up millions of views

A pro-Iran content creation team called Explosive Media is using AI-generated Lego cartoons to shape narratives around the US-Iran conflict, with videos trolling Donald Trump gaining millions of views across TikTok, X, and Instagram. The sophisticated animated videos demonstrate deep knowledge of American culture and have proven more effective at reaching US audiences than traditional propaganda methods.

Entertainment8 sources

Pro-Iran group Explosive Media trolls Trump with AI Lego videos that rack up millions of views

Entertainment8 sources

Taiwan Semiconductor's Energy Crisis Could Disrupt Global AI Supply Chain

TSMC controls over 90% of advanced semiconductor manufacturing, but Taiwan's reliance on liquefied natural gas imports through the Strait of Hormuz creates a critical vulnerability. With LNG stockpiles lasting only days, the Middle East crisis threatens to halt chip production that powers Nvidia, AMD, and the entire AI industry.

Business2 sources

Taiwan Semiconductor's Energy Crisis Could Disrupt Global AI Supply Chain

Business2 sources

TSMC revenue growth beats estimates as AI demand survives Middle East war disruption

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported a 35% quarterly revenue increase to $35.6 billion, signaling that global AI chip demand remained robust during the first weeks of Middle East conflict. The chipmaker for Nvidia and Apple is expected to post its fourth straight quarter of record profit with a 50% surge in net income, driven by insatiable demand for 3-nanometre technology and advanced packaging.

Business9 sources

TSMC revenue growth beats estimates as AI demand survives Middle East war disruption

Business9 sources

Iran threatens US tech companies as AI data centers become targets in escalating conflict

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has issued direct threats against major US tech companies operating in the Middle East, warning of imminent attacks on AI data centers including the $30 billion Stargate facility in Abu Dhabi. The escalation follows earlier strikes on Amazon Web Services infrastructure and marks a dangerous shift toward targeting billions in commercial tech assets.

Technology12 sources

Iran threatens US tech companies as AI data centers become targets in escalating conflict

Technology12 sources

Iran War Threatens AI Industry as Energy Prices Surge and Supply Chains Face Critical Disruption

The Iran war is reshaping the AI industry through soaring energy costs and supply chain disruptions. Oil prices jumped 40% while helium prices doubled, threatening chip manufacturing and data center operations. Companies are delaying AI investments amid geopolitical uncertainty, potentially fragmenting the global AI landscape into regions that can sustain large-scale computing and those that cannot.

Business3 sources

Iran War Threatens AI Industry as Energy Prices Surge and Supply Chains Face Critical Disruption

Business3 sources

Iran's surveillance network became Israel's weapon: AI turns cameras into targeting tools

Israel used Iran's own street cameras to track down Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, demonstrating how surveillance systems built to control dissent can be weaponized by adversaries. With nearly three million unprotected cameras worldwide and AI enabling real-time analysis, cybersecurity experts warn that the infrastructure authoritarian states build to maintain control may expose their leaders to the greatest risk.

Technology2 sources

Iran's surveillance network became Israel's weapon: AI turns cameras into targeting tools

Technology2 sources

Qatar's Helium Crisis Threatens Chip Supply Chains as Iran Strikes Cut Off Third of Global Supply

Iranian drone strikes on Qatar's Ras Laffan facility have halted production at the world's largest helium source, cutting off 30% of global supply. The semiconductor industry faces a critical shortage in weeks, threatening AI chip production as South Korea's SK Hynix and Samsung hold only two to three months of inventory.

Business3 sources

Qatar's Helium Crisis Threatens Chip Supply Chains as Iran Strikes Cut Off Third of Global Supply

Business3 sources

Traders Turn to Artificial Intelligence to Navigate War in Iran and Surging Energy Markets

As the war in Iran disrupts global energy supplies and sends oil prices soaring past $119 a barrel, traders are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence to make sense of unprecedented market volatility. Investment professionals report AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT are cutting research time by up to 80%, enabling rapid stress-testing of scenarios and historical analysis that would previously take days.

Business2 sources

Traders Turn to Artificial Intelligence to Navigate War in Iran and Surging Energy Markets

Business2 sources

Palantir CEO says AI gives U.S. critical edge in modern warfare as Middle East conflict escalates

Palantir CEO Alex Karp told CNBC that artificial intelligence is reshaping modern warfare, giving the U.S. and its allies a strategic advantage in the escalating conflicts in the Middle East. The defense contractor's Project Maven platform coordinates combat data across allied nations, while the company's commercial revenue surged 137% to $507 million in Q4.

Technology3 sources

Palantir CEO says AI gives U.S. critical edge in modern warfare as Middle East conflict escalates

Technology3 sources

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