Category: Tech

The United Arab Emirates has emerged as the world leader in telecommunications infrastructure, according to the second edition of the “State of Digital Transformation Report.”

The report, published by the UAE’s Higher Committee for Government Digital Transformation at the Digital Readiness Retreat, showcases the country’s significant digital achievements in 12 critical areas. These sectors are the economy, finance, human resources, health, education, community development, culture, security, immigration, justice, infrastructure, energy, logistics, and environmental management.

Minister Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi emphasised that digital readiness and transformation are key to the UAE’s strategy for improved governance and quality of life. She lauded the UAE’s high ranks in global competitiveness indexes for digital governance and emphasised the necessity of maintaining momentum towards national digital goals.

The research exposes the UAE’s first-place global ranking in UN telecommunications infrastructure rankings, as well as its leadership in digital government frameworks, content, and knowledge. The country also topped Oxford Insights’ “Government AI Readiness Index 2024,” finished third in government service delivery, and was fourth in the World Bank’s GovTech Maturity Index.

Digital transformation has resulted in significant efficiency improvements, with users saving AED368 billion and the government saving AED20 billion.

South Africa and the UAE have announced a significant collaboration in satellite development, marking a new chapter of bilateral cooperation. The deal was revealed at the 2025 SAMENA Leaders’ Summit in Dubai. Mondli Gungubele, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation, confirmed the partnership and shared details about the MoU already signed between the two nations.

The collaborative program aims to enhance South Africa’s space technology capabilities through technical and institutional collaboration. The project enjoys robust political backing, underscored by the presence of South Africa’s Vice President at the summit. This collaboration is consistent with both countries’ ambitions to lead in global innovation.

The UAE, known for its rapid technical advancements, hosted the summit with the support of its Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority. Gungubele highlighted the UAE as an example of excellence and expressed tremendous confidence in the collaboration.

South Africa is already active in the space arena, having launched 12 satellites and with more in development. The new National Communication Satellite Strategy contributes to this momentum. Companies like AAC Space Africa and Dragonfly Aerospace are earning international recognition. AAC Space Africa recently received a satellite-building contract worth more than $213,000, indicating increased economic possibilities.

In April 2025, Singapore’s industrial production increased by a solid 5.9% year-on-year, with significant growth in several key clusters, most notably transport and electronics. This upturn demonstrates the sector’s resiliency, with aerospace activity playing a significant role.

The transport engineering cluster experienced an impressive gain of 22.9% in April. Aerospace output increased by 39.5%, driven by increased maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) activities by commercial airlines. Land transport output increased by 4.7%, but marine and offshore engineering increased by only 0.6%, aided by increasing shipyard activity. During the first four months, the transport cluster expanded by 16.1%.

Electronics output increased by 15.2% in April. The infocomms and consumer electronics segment grew by 67.8%. Semiconductors grew 11.7%, while computer peripherals and data storage increased 11.3%. However, the output of other electrical components fell 10.2%. Between January and April, the sector rose by 10.5% year-on-year.

Precision engineering increased by 1.6%, with precision modules up 11.7%. Biomedical output declined 1.1% due to a drop in pharmaceuticals. The chemicals cluster declined by 3.2%, while general manufacturing contracted by 15.2%, driven down by reductions in food, printing, and other items.

Scientists at CERN have developed a unique container capable of transporting antimatter outside of the laboratory setting. This is the first time antimatter has been transported by road, which might significantly accelerate research into one of the universe’s most mysterious substances.

The feat was documented in a Nature article titled Proton transfer from CERN’s antimatter factory. A two-meter-long containment unit was manufactured and transported by vehicle across a four-kilometre path at CERN’s Meyrin site before being returned to its original location.

Antimatter cannot come into contact with conventional matter, including the smallest dust particles, because it annihilates them quickly. To overcome this, researchers used strong magnetic traps and kept the device running with superconducting magnets powered by batteries and cooled with liquid helium.

The demonstration proves that antimatter may be safely transported by vehicle to remote laboratories. The Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, Germany, which is 800 kilometres away, is likely to be among the first to receive antimatter from CERN.

Antimatter is the mirror image of ordinary matter, containing opposing electric charges. In 1999, NASA scientists predicted that it would cost $62.5 trillion to produce.

The United Arab Emirates has made a significant step in the regional artificial intelligence field by launching Falcon Arabic, an advanced Arabic-language AI model announced at the 2024 “Make it in the Emirates” forum. His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai’s announcement demonstrates the UAE’s ambition to lead the Gulf’s rapidly expanding AI environment. Falcon Arabic, developed by the Technology Innovation Institute, seeks to provide millions of Arabic speakers with cutting-edge generative AI capabilities.

This innovative approach not only solves Arabic’s long-standing under-representation in global AI platforms, but also improves the language’s visibility in digital areas such as government services, education, media, and commercial communication. With over 400 million Arabic speakers globally, this launch emphasises the need of language inclusion in technological growth.

The UAE’s plan comes at a time when Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are making significant investments in AI infrastructure and innovation. Falcon Arabic stands apart by providing strong cultural and linguistic congruence, encouraging authenticity in AI outputs, and reinforcing regional identity.

Beyond technology, this launch exemplifies the UAE’s strategic use of AI as a soft power tool for increasing diplomatic reach, attracting global talent, and setting ethical norms in the evolving AI ecosystem.

The United Arab Emirates has announced the introduction of Falcon Arabic, a new Arabic-language artificial intelligence model, as part of its ambitious push to lead global AI innovations. The model, created by Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), is intended to properly reflect the richness and complexity of the Arabic language by employing a wholly local, non-translated dataset.

This strategic move comes as the Gulf region steps up efforts to establish itself as a prominent participant in the AI field. The UAE, a major oil exporter, is investing billions of dollars to improve its technological edge, taking advantage of strong diplomatic and business connections with the United States to gain access to cutting-edge technologies. During a recent visit, US President Donald Trump emphasised an AI agreement that might allow the UAE to purchase advanced AI semiconductors from American companies, a significant step forward.

Falcon Arabic is believed to perform similarly to AI models up to ten times larger in size. ATRC also presented Falcon H1, an innovation that is said to outperform products from Meta and Alibaba by reducing both computing load and the skill required to operate such systems.

Beyond Imagination, Ray Kurzweil’s humanoid robots firm, is reportedly in advanced talks to raise $100 million in Series B funding, with Gauntlet Ventures as the sole investor. According to a statement made on Tuesday, the company’s latest investment round is expected to be worth $500 million. The company, co-founded by AI futurist Kurzweil and scientist-entrepreneur Harry Kloor, seeks to reinvent manufacturing through humanoid robotics and AI integration.

Kurzweil, well known for his prediction of “the singularity” — a future point when artificial intelligence outperforms human intelligence — is witnessing his once-theoretical vision becoming more realistic. His company’s flagship creation, the Beyond Bot, is intended for use in complicated industrial contexts such as chip manufacturing facilities, pharmaceutical plants, and other factory settings.

According to Oliver Carmack, co-founder of Gauntlet Ventures, the business supported Beyond Imagination because of its ability to address the rising worldwide scarcity of trained labour while modernising US industry. While prominent companies such as Nvidia, Meta, and Tesla are developing humanoid robots, practical applications have encountered challenges due to AI’s existing limits in interpreting the physical world.

Beyond Imagination also develops Aura, an AI-powered universal operating system designed to enable seamless communication among robots, people, and legacy systems in manufacturing ecosystems.

Vast, a US-based space habitation corporation, has expressed interest in collaborating with the ISRO on the ambitious Bharat Antariksh Station, which is expected to be finished by 2035. Max Haot, the company’s CEO, recently met with ISRO officials to discuss potential partnerships in space technology. Haot invited to welcome Indian scientists and engineers aboard Vast’s planned space station, which is set to launch next year.

Vast’s Haven-1, a single-module station, is set to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in May 2026. With a three-year estimated operational life, it is a stepping stone to the company’s larger Haven-2 platform. Vast intends for Haven-2 to eventually succeed the International Space Station (ISS), which is set to retire in 2031.

Haot emphasised the possibility of sharing the usage of both space stations. He emphasised the strong diplomatic connections between India and the United States as a motivator for cooperation. He described India as a “natural partner” in space exploration, noting that limited worldwide alliances exist due to geopolitical factors.

NASA and Vast inked a five-year Space Act Agreement in 2023 to assist the station’s development. Haot also showed an interest in future collaborations with India’s Gaganyaan crewed mission program, indicating additional cooperation.

India plans to improve its satellite-based surveillance capabilities by launching a new radar satellite on Sunday morning. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch the EOS-9 satellite from Sriharikota’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 5:59 a.m. using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). This flight represents ISRO’s 101st major rocket launch.

The EOS-9, weighing 1,696 kilogrammes, will be launched into orbit over 500 kilometres above Earth. The satellite, developed at ISRO’s UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru, is equipped with a synthetic aperture radar in the C band. This allows it to capture detailed images in all weather and lighting settings, including at night and through dense cloud cover.

This advanced “spy” satellite complements India’s current network of over 57 operating satellites. Its capabilities outperform those of Cartosat-3, which are limited in low light. EOS-9 provides excellent nighttime imaging, critical for border monitoring, particularly amidst persistent regional tensions.

ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan stated that ten satellites continuously monitor India’s borders and extensive coastlines. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh lauded the expedition, citing ISRO’s engineering prowess.

Members of Parliament and the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology will attend the launch, demonstrating national support for India’s increasing space capabilities.

GISEC Global 2025, hosted at the Dubai World Trade Centre, saw India and the UAE strengthen their bilateral cybersecurity engagement. The Data Security Council of India (DSCI), in collaboration with CIO Klub, held the second edition of the Indo-UAE Cybersecurity Exchange, which aimed to encourage strategic engagement between the two countries in the digital domain. Participants included top-tier cybersecurity professionals, legislators, and technology executives from India and the UAE.

DSCI brought up a dedicated India Pavilion, which showcased over 15 Indian cybersecurity startups. These firms showcased cutting-edge breakthroughs in areas like threat intelligence, data privacy, application security, Security Operations Centres (SOCs), and new quantum technologies. The pavilion aims to promote collaboration between Indian solution providers and their UAE counterparts, hence improving cross-border cooperation in digital defence.

B.G. Krishnan, Consul at the Consulate General of India in Dubai, emphasised the importance of cybersecurity in today’s global environment. He discussed the effects of emerging threats, rapid digitalisation, and geopolitical upheavals on businesses and key infrastructure.

DSCI Director Atul Kumar emphasised the reciprocal benefits of increased cyber collaboration. He emphasised that as both countries’ digital adoption accelerates, there is an increasing need to collaborate on the development of resilient and secure infrastructures. The three-day GISEC 2025 event ends on May 8.