UAE’s AI office and Google launch quarterly AI Majlis

The UAE’s Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications office has partnered with Google to host AI Majlis. (Supplied)
The UAE’s Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications office has partnered with Google to host AI Majlis. (Supplied)
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Updated 09 June 2023
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UAE’s AI office and Google launch quarterly AI Majlis

UAE’s AI office and Google launch quarterly AI Majlis
  • Event will bring together experts from government, academia, public and private sectors to discuss public policy on AI

DUBAI: The UAE’s Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications office has partnered with Google to host AI Majlis.

Held every quarter, AI Majlis will gather officials from the government, academia, and the public and private sectors to discuss AI-related public policy.

The first AI Majlis session, which focused on responsible innovation, featured a panel discussion between Omar Sultan Al-Olama, minister of state for artificial intelligence, digital economy and remote work applications, and Karan Bhatia, global head of public policy and government relations at Google. It was moderated by Becky Anderson, anchor and managing editor of CNN Abu Dhabi.

Al-Olama asserted the UAE’s emergence as a success story in the field of digital transformation.




Karan Bhatia, Global VP of Public Policy and Government Relations at Google. (Supplied)

The UAE has created a model of excellence and competitiveness across various fields, reflecting its proactive approach in embracing a comprehensive vision for the promising sector of digital transformation, he said.

Commenting on the launch of AI Majlis, he said: “These gatherings facilitate the sharing of challenges and opportunities, enabling stronger partnerships in the development of ideas for advancing promising sectors such as AI, digital economy, and future technologies.”

Bhatia said: “We have an opportunity to make AI more helpful for people, for businesses, for communities, for everyone.

“Building this transformational technology responsibly must be a collective effort that involves researchers, social scientists, industry experts, governments, and people. There is so much we can accomplish and so much we must get right — together.”

Future AI Majlis sessions will include topics such as the future of work, sustainability and education. The next session will take place in November 2023.


Arab Cinema Week returns for second year

Arab Cinema Week returns for second year
Updated 2 min 15 sec ago
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Arab Cinema Week returns for second year

Arab Cinema Week returns for second year
  • Held under the theme ‘Human Bonds,’ the festival will feature films reflecting key events that have affected the Arab world

DUBAI: The second Arab Cinema Week is returning this month to Dubai, UAE.

The inaugural event last year screened nine feature films and six short films — with 11 Arab countries and nine female directors represented.

This year the festival is being held under the theme ‘Human Bonds’ and aims to explore an individual’s connection to a particular society and the effect customs and traditions have on a person’s upbringing, identity and relationships.

The featured films reflect key events that have affected the Arab world — such as the unrest in Lebanon, the earthquake in Morocco and the upheaval in Sudan.

For example, the documentary “Heroic Bodies” explores the position women hold in Sudanese society, and in “My Lost Country,” filmmaker Ishtar Yasin Gutierrez retraces her father’s roots in Iraq, 20 years after the invasion of the country.

Beirut holds a special place in the selection, said Rabih El-Khoury, curator of this year’s festival.

The lineup includes three Beirut-based films: Wissam Charaf’s “Dirty, Difficult, Dangerous,” which tells the story of a Syrian refugee and an Ethiopian domestic worker falling in love in Beirut; Mohamed Soueid’s documentary “The Insomnia of a Serial Dreamer” and Borhane Alaouie’s celebrated feature “Beirut the Encounter,” which was shot during the Lebanese civil war.

Other films this year include “Under the Fig Trees,” “Life Suits Me Well” and “Alam.”

El-Khoury said: “Arab Cinema Week is both an exploration and a celebration of Arab cinema. In a program that invites the spectators to investigate human bonds, Cinema Akil is also fortifying its ties with its tremendous audience and filmgoers, a human bond that remains invaluable.”

The 10-day event will be held at Cinema Akil in collaboration with the UK’s Safar Film Festival from Oct. 6 to Oct. 15.


India police search journalists’ homes and offices in the country’s latest raids on media

India police search journalists’ homes and offices in the country’s latest raids on media
Updated 03 October 2023
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India police search journalists’ homes and offices in the country’s latest raids on media

India police search journalists’ homes and offices in the country’s latest raids on media
  • Indian authorities raid NewsClick over allegations of illicit funding
  • India’s crackdown on journalists and media outlets has raised international concerns

NEW DELHI: Indian police raided the offices of a news website that’s under investigation for allegedly receiving funds from China, as well as the homes of several of its journalists, in what critics described as an attack on one of India’s few remaining independent news outlets.
The raids came months after Indian authorities searched the BBC’s New Delhi and Mumbai offices over accusations of tax evasion in February.
NewsClick, founded in 2009, is known as a rare Indian news outlets that is willing to criticize Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A number of other news organizations have been investigated for financial impropriety under Modi’s Hindu nationalist government, as international monitors warn that press freedom is eroding in India.
Indian authorities registered a case against the site and its journalists on Aug. 17, weeks after a New York Times report alleged that the website had received funds from an American millionaire who, the Times wrote, has funded the spread of “Chinese propaganda.” NewsClick has denied the charges.
The case was filed under a wide-ranging anti-terrorism law that allows charges for “anti-national activities” and has been used against activists, journalists and critics of Modi, some of whom have spent years in jail before going to trial. No one has been arrested in connection with NewsClick so far.
The Press Trust of India news agency cited unidentified officials as saying that investigators took data from the laptops and mobile phones of journalists, and that two journalists were detained.
At least two journalists whose houses were raided by Delhi police confirmed their devices were seized.
“Delhi police landed at my home. Taking away my laptop and phone,” journalist Abhisar Sharma wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Delhi police did not immediately respond for a comment, but India’s junior minister for information and broadcasting, Anurag Thakur, told reporters that “if anyone has committed anything wrong, search agencies are free to carry out investigations against them.”
In August, Thakur accused NewsClick of spreading an “anti-India agenda,” citing the New York Times, and of working with the opposition Indian National Congress party. Both NewsClick and the Congress party denied the accusations.
Reporters Without Borders, an advocacy group for journalists, ranked the country 161st in its press freedom rankings this year, writing that the situation in the country has deteriorated from “problematic” to “very bad.”
The Press Club of India said it was “deeply concerned about the multiple raids conducted on the houses of journalists and writers associated with NewsClick.”
“The PCI stand in solidarity with the journalists and demands the government to come out with details,” it wrote in a statement on X.
Ties between India and China have been strained since 2020, when clashes between the two militaries in a disputed border area killed at least 20 Indian troops and four Chinese soldiers. Since then, New Delhi has banned many Chinese-owned apps, including TikTok, and launched tax probes into some Chinese mobile phone companies.
The Modi administration has also introduced rules that require government approval for investments by companies from China and other countries that neighbor India.


Saudi’s Alamiya to acquire Lyra Pictures in cinema industry push

Saudi’s Alamiya to acquire Lyra Pictures in cinema industry push
Updated 02 October 2023
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Saudi’s Alamiya to acquire Lyra Pictures in cinema industry push

Saudi’s Alamiya to acquire Lyra Pictures in cinema industry push
  • ‘Transformative’ deal goes beyond business, Alamiya CEO says
  • Acquisition represents a return to the film industry for Alamiya after 40 years

LONDON: Alamiya has announced the acquisition of Lyra Pictures in the latest expansion into the cinema and media industry by the Saudi entertainment company.

The newly formed partnership, which has been labeled as “transformative,” marks a significant step toward the development of film production in the region.

Sultan Al-Muheisen, chairman and CEO of Alamiya, said that the acquisition was more than just a business deal as it allowed Alamiya to combine its resources and long-standing expertise with Lyra Pictures’ innovative film development strategies.

“It is about setting a precedent in the regional and local film industry,” Al-Muheisen said.

“With Lyra Pictures under our wing, we combine traditional and modern film approaches to create something new and different.”

As part of the deal, Alamiya will seek to implement Lyra Pictures’s expertise in storytelling and data-driven insights “to deliver unprecedented cinematic experiences to audiences.”

Founded in the 1970’s, Alamiya was the first cinema and television studio to be established in the Kingdom to meet the needs of the growing population and economy.

Following a change of business direction due to the ban on cinema, the acquisition of Lyra Pictures by the iconic entertainment giant reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing entertainment industry.

The strategic acquisition indicates a desire by Alamiya to reestablish itself in the film industry and signifies not only a merger of businesses, but also a combination of expertise and vision.

The move is set to give rise to a film studio located in the heart of the Kingdom, supporting the attraction of local talent and IP, while also facilitating opportunities for international films to be produced in Saudi Arabia.

“Alamiya’s scale and reach, paired with our story-first approach, will create a synergy that promises to introduce innovative strategies to storytelling in the Middle East,” Wesam Kattan, co-founder of Lyra Pictures said.

“We’re excited about what the future holds.”


Arabsat launches new platform for global content delivery

Arabsat launches new platform for global content delivery
Updated 02 October 2023
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Arabsat launches new platform for global content delivery

Arabsat launches new platform for global content delivery
  • ‘Contribution Platform’ will make it easier for TV channels to share content globally
  • Arabsat also partnered with TVU Networks and Zixi to improve content distribution

LONDON: Arab Satellite Communications Organization, or Arabsat, has launched a new platform to make it easier for TV channels to share their content with people all over the world.

The platform, called the Contribution Platform, is compatible with all video formats and networks, meaning that TV channels and groups of channels can use it to broadcast from their studios to anywhere in the world.

In a statement, the Riyadh-based satellite services provider said the newly launched platform is poised to “revolutionize the broadcasting landscape” thanks to its greater compatibility, which enables “stakeholders to overcome traditional barriers and bring their content to global audiences seamlessly.”

Al-Hamedi Al-Anezi, CEO of Arabsat, said: “The launch of the new service is in line with our steadfast commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology to our customers.”

Arabsat also announced two new partnerships with American cloud-based workflow solutions provider TVU Networks, and Zixi, a company that focuses on live broadcast-quality video delivery over IP networks.

These partnerships will help Arabsat to provide its customers with a “seamless and high-quality content distribution experience.”

Al-Anezi added: “Our partnerships with TVU Networks and Zixi will enable us to utilize their cutting-edge solutions to improve the features of our platform.”


Netflix set to release new collection of Saudi short films

Netflix set to release new collection of Saudi short films
Updated 02 October 2023
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Netflix set to release new collection of Saudi short films

Netflix set to release new collection of Saudi short films
  • Offering includes productions shown at Red Sea International Film Festival

RIYADH: Netflix’s second volume of its “New Saudi Voices” film collection will be released on Friday.

The collection comprises 14 short films that featured at the Red Sea International Film Festival, including the winners of the 48-hour Filmmaking Challenge.

These include the dramas “Old Phone Number” by Ali Saeed and “Zabarjad” by Hussain Almutliq, which explore the themes of character growth while clinging to one’s past.

“Last Chance to Fall in Love” by award-winning writer Faisal Buhaishi follows the story of an old man reuniting with his first love after 50 years.

Movies from the fantasy genre include “A Swing” by Raneem and Dana Almohandes, which follows a 10-year-old girl’s journey through the woods to find a magical swing her father used to tell her about.

“Lucky You’re Mine” by Nora Abu Shusha reveals the unspoken challenges of married life, while “Tea Leaf” by Mohammed Baqer looks at the pain and regret that come with failed relationships.

Other films in the collection include “Requiem for Silence” by Majed Z. Samman, “Forward” by Fahad Alotaibi and “Othman” by Khaled Zeidan.

“The second volume is not just a collection of short films, it is a celebration of untold stories and a testament to the creative prowess of the emerging filmmakers,” said Nuha El-Tayeb, Netflix’s content director for Turkey, the Middle East and Africa.

The films “transcend borders and allow viewers to experience the beauty and dynamism of Saudi culture. We believe great stories can come from anywhere and be loved by anyone,” she said.