Initiative to Boost AI Innovation in MENA Region through Startup Collaboration

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PC: Emeritus

Meta and the Dubai Future Foundation have announced the Llama Design Drive, an AI accelerator program powered by Startupbootcamp, that is open to corporates and startups in the Middle East and North Africa. The first cohort of the program will comprise 22 startups and eight professionals who are working toward the development of AI, keen on tackling industry-specific challenges in artificial intelligence.

It is the first-ever across the region, focused on the pursuit of innovation in AI via Meta’s open-source large language model Llama 3.1. As this program accelerates collaboration between startups and leading corporations, the strategic vision to become a global leader in AI technology for the UAE will progress with it.

Empowering Startups with Real-World Challenges

The Llama Design Drive covers a four-week AI design sprint, bringing the most innovative start-ups in AI together with business challenges from some of the leading companies in the UAE, including Emirates airline, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai Holding, and Chalhoub Group.

The participants will experience first-hand the real problems faced in these companies and will be able to derive ready AI solutions that make great commercial and social differences. All of these innovations are based on Meta’s open-source AI models. Such tools are given to start-ups by Meta to make groundbreaking solutions.

Strategic Collaborations for AI Advancement

Throughout the program, participating startups will be hosted at AREA 2071, Dubai Future Foundation’s world-class innovation hub. They will participate in workshops and sessions of mentorship to support them on their product development journey. This strategic partnership between DFF and Meta reflects the UAE’s intent on an ecological thriving AI ecosystem as part of its larger agenda on digital transformation.

It is structured enough that nurturing the emergent startups becomes of significant importance through providing those resources, industry expertise, and even forcing them to take on corporate challenges that push the envelope for AI innovation. It is a robust step toward making the UAE stand out as a leader in AI technology development.

Corporate Partners Drive Innovation

Corporate engagement in Llama Design Drive reflects the use of AI for innovation in strategic sectors in the UAE. Companies involved have accepted individual challenges the participants are supposed to come up with solutions to overcome:

  • Emirates seeks to enhance travel across the world for access-for-all passengers; information simplification for better accessibility and anxiety reduction while travelling are focused factors.
  • RTA seeks to enhance the public transportation system of Dubai integrating AI with mobility data to provide real-time travel alerts and improve efficiency in transport.
  • Dubai Holding is exploring AI-driven methodologies to increase the accuracy and reliability of greenhouse gas emissions reporting due to its commitment toward achieving Net Zero by 2050.
  • Chalhoub Group is incorporating AI in order to carry out a deeper sentiment analysis and predictive analytics for the improvement of customer satisfaction as well as stock management as part of its omnichannel retail experience.

Global Opportunities for Start-ups

The participating startups will work closely with Meta’s engineering teams. They will also be fast-tracked into a global programme sponsored by Meta, with the opportunity to raise up to $500,000 in funding in order to support further development of their AI product.

Being a platform for innovation, this initiative impacts society by making the progress of advancement of UAE’s AI capabilities visible. The program, therefore, aims to realise the nation’s vision of positioning the country as a future leader in AI-driven solutions.

Key Voices on Partnership

Abdulaziz Al Jaziri, Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer of the Dubai Future Foundation, revealed that he was delighted to be partnering with Meta in this initiative. He mentioned that this partnership reflects Dubai’s position as an emerging global hub for AI, but also a critical platform for partnerships. He further said that through their partnerships with world tech titans, they continue to create a nurturing, supportive environment for startups operating on the frontiers of technological advancement.

Joulan Abdul Khalek, Policy Programs Manager for Africa, Middle East and Turkey at Meta added that they’re working on this important initiative and expect to be in partnership with Dubai Future Foundation on this unique initiative. This is the extraordinary role open-source AI brings to bring together diverse stakeholders in order to solve some of the world’s most complex challenges. They look forward to developing meaningful AI use-cases that could unlock real impact in the UAE and beyond.