1. Saudi Arabia Ranks Third Globally for AI Talent Growth in Stanford Index
The Stanford HAI 2026 AI Index, released this week, placed Saudi Arabia third in the world for the percentage change in AI talent concentration and for the share of university students using generative AI in their studies. The Kingdom also ranked fourth globally for AI talent attraction. According to the report, Saudi AI talent share grew by more than 100 per cent between 2019 and 2025, and over 80 per cent of employees in the country now use AI tools regularly, compared with a global average of 58 per cent. SDAIA, the national data and AI authority, was credited with driving the ecosystem through initiatives including the One Million Saudis in AI programme.
Why it matters: The rankings land in a year Riyadh has officially designated as the Year of Artificial Intelligence, giving SDAIA a data point to justify further spending under Vision 2030. A 100 per cent talent-share increase in six years outpaces every other country tracked, which could influence where multinationals place their next regional AI research labs. Female AI researcher representation in the Kingdom reached 32.3 per cent, above the global norm, adding a workforce-diversity argument to Saudi Arabia's pitch to foreign investors.
Read more: Arab News
2. Morocco and EU Launch Digital Dialogue, Target "Third Voice" in Global AI
Morocco and the European Union launched a formal Digital Dialogue during GITEX Africa 2026 in Marrakech, signing a package of cooperation agreements covering artificial intelligence, digital start-up support and secure infrastructure. Under the framework, four European supercomputing centres will partner with Morocco's Mohammed VI University on joint AI research. The two sides also confirmed progress on the Medusa subsea fibre-optic cable, which will link Morocco, Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia with Cyprus, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain, promising faster connectivity for North African universities and small businesses.
Why it matters: The EU and Morocco are explicitly positioning their partnership as a "third voice" in AI governance, distinct from the US and Chinese models, built around European-style data protection and cloud sovereignty. For North African economies, the Medusa cable is a concrete infrastructure bet that could cut latency and cloud costs for local AI start-ups. The deal also signals Brussels is willing to invest political capital in near-neighbourhood AI alliances, with Morocco's $1.28 billion Nexus AI Factory agreement signed at the same conference adding private-sector momentum.
Read more: European Commission
3. Google Rolls Out Personal Intelligence AI Across the Arab World
Google has launched its Personal Intelligence platform for Arabic-speaking users across the Arab world, with all countries in the region except Syria gaining access. The service, available initially to Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra subscribers and set to reach free users in the coming weeks, connects a user's Gmail, Photos, YouTube and Search data to deliver personalised answers through text, photos and video. Najeeb Jarrar, Google's regional product and marketing director for the Middle East and Africa, said the tool will give Arabic-speaking users "a much more personalised and helpful experience".
Why it matters: Personal Intelligence is Gemini's largest upgrade since launch and its arrival in the Arab world follows Google Search's AI Mode rolling out in Arabic last year. The move covers roughly 450 million Arabic speakers and deepens Google's regional AI footprint at a time when it is also building a $1 billion AI hub with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. For consumers, the service pulls private data from multiple Google products, raising questions about data residency rules that Gulf regulators have only begun to draft.
Read more: The National