General AI research publications from MBZUAI, KAUST, TII, QCRI, and other GCC institutions, including conference papers, journal articles, and preprints.
This article surveys the landscape of Arabic Large Language Models (ALLMs), tracing their evolution from early text processing systems to sophisticated AI models. It highlights the unique challenges and opportunities in developing ALLMs for the 422 million Arabic speakers across 27 countries. The paper also examines the evaluation of ALLMs through benchmarks and public leaderboards. Why it matters: ALLMs can bridge technological gaps and empower Arabic-speaking communities by catering to their specific linguistic and cultural needs.
KAUST is spearheading geothermal energy research in Saudi Arabia to support the Kingdom's Vision 2030 goals. In early 2024, KAUST and TAQA Geothermal partnered to drill a 400-meter test well on the KAUST campus for subsurface data collection. KAUST aims to serve as a testbed for geothermal technology development and deployment across the country. Why it matters: Geothermal energy offers a consistent, weather-independent renewable energy source that could significantly reduce emissions and boost economic efficiency in Saudi Arabia.
This paper critically examines common assumptions about Arabic dialects used in NLP. The authors analyze a multi-label dataset where sentences in 11 country-level dialects were assessed by native speakers. The analysis reveals that widely held assumptions about dialect grouping and distinctions are oversimplified and not always accurate. Why it matters: The findings suggest that current approaches in Arabic NLP tasks like dialect identification may be limited by these inaccurate assumptions, hindering further progress in the field.
KAUST Professor Heribert Hirt has been elected to Academia Europaea for his research on plant-microbe relationships. His work focuses on identifying beneficial microbial genes and finding local microbes to enhance plant resilience, especially in desert environments. Hirt's research has demonstrated the importance of microbes for plant health and the detrimental effects of chemical-reliant agriculture. Why it matters: This recognition highlights KAUST's contributions to understanding plant resilience in extreme environments and the importance of microbiome research for sustainable agriculture in the region.
KAUST is supporting Saudi Arabia's healthcare modernization by translating laboratory research into smart, digital, and precise solutions. One example is the Social and Personal Adaptive Response Kit (SPARK), an AI-driven technology integrating behavioral analysis, wearable multi-sensor systems, and human body communication to support children with autism. KAUST researchers have also developed a fully printed wireless electrocardiogram system and a smart bandage for various applications. Why it matters: These innovations align with Saudi Vision 2030 and have the potential to improve healthcare outcomes in Saudi Arabia and globally through personalized, remote care.
KAUST researchers introduced MOLE, a framework leveraging LLMs for automated metadata extraction from scientific papers. The system processes documents in multiple formats and validates outputs, targeting datasets beyond Arabic. A new benchmark dataset has been released to evaluate progress in metadata extraction.
A research paper proposes a smart waste management system called TUHR for Makkah, Saudi Arabia, leveraging IoT and AI to handle waste accumulation during the annual pilgrimage. The system uses ultrasonic sensors to monitor waste levels and gas detectors to identify harmful substances, alerting authorities when containers are full or hazards are detected. The proposed system aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 by promoting sustainability and improving public health through optimized waste management.
The European Delegation to Saudi Arabia partnered with KAUST to host "Bridging Horizons," an event for over 200 students, researchers, and postdocs. The EU Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, H.E. Christophe Farnaud, gave a keynote on EU mobility and collaboration opportunities in health, climate, energy, and digital fields. KAUST leadership met with the Ambassador to discuss increasing academic partnerships and student exchanges between KAUST and European universities. Why it matters: This collaboration aims to strengthen research and innovation ties between the EU and Saudi Arabia, supporting Saudi Vision 2030 by fostering human capital development and knowledge exchange.
KAUST and Qassim University signed an MoU to strengthen scientific and research partnerships, focusing on developing the research environment, supporting innovation, and fostering the exchange of expertise. The agreement includes developing joint academic programs and leveraging advanced research resources. A research training program agreement was also signed, enabling Qassim University students to participate in KAUST research projects. Why it matters: This partnership aims to enhance Saudi Arabia's position as a global hub for scientific and technological excellence by integrating the research capabilities of two major academic institutions.
ZATCA and KAUST have signed a memorandum of cooperation to strengthen partnership in innovation, sustainability, and advanced technologies. The collaboration aims to support institutional performance and sustainable development goals through exchange of expertise and access to KAUST's resources. It includes developing innovative technological solutions and supporting environmental projects. Why it matters: This partnership between a government authority and a leading research university can drive applied research and technology adoption aligned with Saudi Vision 2030.
KAUST and Umm Al-Qura University (UQU) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate in education, training, scientific research, and professional development. The MoU includes developing joint training programs, updating curricula, providing consultancy, and organizing workshops. The partnership aims to support academic and technological advancement, enhance national talent, and align with Saudi Vision 2030. Why it matters: This collaboration strengthens Saudi Arabia's knowledge-based economy by integrating KAUST's research environment with another major university.
KAUST and the National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC) are expanding their partnership to address environmental challenges in Saudi Arabia. They plan to develop an advanced air quality forecasting system leveraging KAUST’s Shaheen III supercomputer. The collaboration also focuses on ensuring reliable communication systems for secure air quality data transfer across the national network. Why it matters: This partnership can enhance Saudi Arabia's environmental monitoring, strategic planning, and ability to respond to air quality emergencies, aligning with its sustainability goals.
KAUST researchers in collaboration with NASA discovered 26 new bacterial species thriving in NASA cleanrooms. These species possess genetic traits that suggest they can survive the harsh conditions of space travel. The study analyzed the genetic traits of extremophiles to understand the risk of their transfer in space missions. Why it matters: This research supports Saudi Arabia's space vision and KAUST's role in microbial and space biology, aiding NASA in anticipating microorganisms encountered in space missions.
This study reviews the use of large language models (LLMs) for Arabic language processing, focusing on pre-trained models and their applications. It highlights the challenges in Arabic NLP due to the language's complexity and the relative scarcity of resources. The review also discusses how techniques like fine-tuning and prompt engineering enhance model performance on Arabic benchmarks. Why it matters: This overview helps consolidate research directions and benchmarks in Arabic NLP, guiding future development of LLMs tailored for the Arabic language and its diverse dialects.
A KAUST-led study identified 15 large mammal species that inhabited the Arabian Peninsula in the last 10,000 years, tripling previous estimates. Researchers analyzed thousands of petroglyphs from scientific expeditions, publications, and social media. The study identified two species never known to live in the region before: the greater kudu and the Somali wild ass. Why it matters: The findings provide a benchmark for rewilding efforts and inform decisions on which mammals to reintroduce to the region.
KAUST is advancing environmental sustainability and industrial development through catalysis innovation, supporting Saudi Vision 2030's economic diversification and sustainability goals. Researchers are exploring ways to chemically recycle plastic waste and convert carbon dioxide into valuable products. KAUST is building platforms to accelerate the journey from laboratory to market with collaborators, focusing on hydrogen technology and CO2 utilization. Why it matters: This positions Saudi Arabia as a potential global hub for sustainable chemical innovation and clean energy export.
A new dataset for Arabic proper noun diacritization was introduced, addressing the ambiguity caused by undiacritized proper nouns in Arabic Wikipedia. The dataset includes manually diacritized Arabic proper nouns of various origins along with their English Wikipedia glosses. GPT-4o was benchmarked on the task of recovering full diacritization from undiacritized Arabic and English forms, achieving 73% accuracy. Why it matters: The release of this dataset should facilitate further research on Arabic Wikipedia proper noun diacritization, improving the accessibility and accuracy of Arabic NLP resources.
Three KAUST PhD students participated in OceanQuest's "Around Africa Expedition" aboard the RV OceanXplorer, focusing on deep-sea research and biodiversity assessments. The students gained hands-on training in marine equipment usage and sample collection across multiple seamounts in the Indian Ocean. One student collected volcanic rock samples to investigate the origins of seamount formations. Why it matters: This initiative strengthens KAUST’s engagement in marine science and aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 by developing next-generation talent in ocean research.
The paper introduces Sadeed, a fine-tuned decoder-only language model based on the Kuwain 1.5B Hennara model, for improved Arabic text diacritization. Sadeed is fine-tuned on high-quality diacritized datasets and achieves competitive results compared to larger proprietary models. The authors also introduce SadeedDiac-25, a new benchmark for fairer evaluation of Arabic diacritization across diverse text genres. Why it matters: This work advances Arabic NLP by providing both a competitive diacritization model and a more robust evaluation benchmark, facilitating further research and development in the field.
This paper introduces a Bayesian optimization method for estimating tire parameters and their uncertainty, addressing a gap in existing literature. The methodology uses Stochastic Variational Inference to estimate parameters and uncertainties, and it is validated against a Nelder-Mead algorithm. The approach is applied to real-world data from the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League, revealing uncertainties in identifying curvature and shape parameters due to insufficient excitation. Why it matters: The research provides a practical tool for assessing tire model parameters in real-world conditions, with implications for autonomous racing and vehicle dynamics modeling in the GCC region.
Researchers from the BME Formula Racing Team present the autonomous software stack of the FRED-003C, which enabled full-scale autonomous racing. The software stack was developed in the context of Formula Student Driverless competitions. The paper details the software pipeline, hardware-software architecture, and methods for perception, localization, mapping, planning, and control. Why it matters: The team's experience contributed to their participation in the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League, and sharing the system provides a valuable starting point for other students in the region.
This paper introduces a longitudinal control system for autonomous racing vehicles with combustion engines, translating trajectory-tracking commands into low-level vehicle controls like throttle, brake pressure, and gear selection. The modular design facilitates integration with various trajectory-tracking algorithms and vehicles. Experimental validation on the EAV24 racecar during the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League at Yas Marina Circuit demonstrated the system's effectiveness, achieving longitudinal accelerations up to 25 m/s². Why it matters: This research contributes to the advancement of autonomous racing technology in the region, showcasing practical applications in high-performance scenarios and fostering innovation in vehicle control systems.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman has been appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The appointment aims to advance KAUST’s role in Saudi Arabia’s research, development, and innovation agenda, particularly in energy and sustainability. KAUST's President, Sir Edward Byrne, stated that Prince Abdulaziz's vision will accelerate KAUST's impact and strengthen its role in linking research with economic development. Why it matters: The appointment signals Saudi Arabia's continued focus on leveraging KAUST for achieving Vision 2030 goals related to energy transition, sustainability, and technological advancement.
Tawuniya Insurance and KAUST have signed an MoU to collaborate on scientific research, technical consulting, training programs, internships, and employment support. Eng. Abdullah Al-Sharqi, CTDO of Tawuniya, and Professor Bernard Ghanem, Chair of the Center of Excellence for Generative AI at KAUST, represented their respective organizations at the signing. The partnership aims to enhance innovation capabilities, develop skills, and align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Why it matters: This agreement exemplifies the growing collaboration between academic institutions and private sector companies in Saudi Arabia to advance innovation and talent development in line with national goals.
KAUST held its Rising Stars in AI Symposium 2025, organized by the Center of Excellence for Generative AI, from April 7-10. The symposium hosted 25 emerging researchers to present their work in generative AI, machine learning, CV, and NLP. KAUST leadership emphasized the university's commitment to AI research and its role in fostering global collaboration and innovation in the field. Why it matters: The event highlights KAUST's ambition to become a central hub for AI research and talent development in Saudi Arabia, aligning with the Kingdom's broader AI strategy.
This paper explores the use of AI and social media analytics to detect sustainability trends in Saudi Arabia's evolving market, in line with Vision 2030. The study processes millions of social media posts, news articles, and blogs to understand sustainability trends across various sectors. The AI-driven methodology offers sector-specific and cross-sector insights, providing decision-makers with a snapshot of market shifts, and can be adapted to other regions.
Vodafone Oman and Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) have announced a partnership aimed at fostering AI-led innovation. This collaboration is expected to leverage Vodafone's technological infrastructure and SQU's academic and research capabilities. The initiative seeks to drive the development and application of artificial intelligence solutions within Oman. Why it matters: This partnership signifies a strategic effort to enhance local AI capabilities and accelerate technological advancement in Oman, potentially leading to new regional applications and talent development.
G42 has released an AI Talent Report based on a survey of AI professionals. The report identifies key factors that attract AI experts to employers, including opportunities for learning, development, and impactful projects. It also covers desired compensation, work-life balance expectations, and preferred company cultures. Why it matters: The report provides insights for organizations in the Middle East seeking to attract and retain top AI talent, which is crucial for advancing AI innovation in the region.
KAUST faculty received multiple gold and silver medals at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions 2025. Professor Dana Alsulaiman won the IFIA Best Invention Award for "Bio-MXenes," a portable biosensor for detecting microRNA cancer biomarkers from liquid biopsies. Other awarded projects included super-resolution imaging of ferromagnetic tubulars and rapid Zika virus detection. Why it matters: The awards highlight KAUST's role as a hub for groundbreaking research, especially in medical diagnostics and AI-enhanced imaging.
Researchers at KFUPM have developed a system for pothole detection and characterization using a YOLOv8-seg model and depth estimation. A new dataset of images and depth maps was collected from roads in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The system combines segmentation and depth data to provide a more comprehensive pothole characterization, enhancing autonomous vehicle navigation and road maintenance.
KAUST hosted Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, H.R.H. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, and U.S. counterpart Mr. Chris Wright to discuss bilateral cooperation. The delegation was briefed on KAUST’s research, development, and innovation efforts, and explored KAUST’s technologies in various fields. Prince Abdulaziz affirmed that KAUST reinforces Saudi Arabia’s leadership in scientific research and accelerating innovation in the energy and renewable energy sectors. Why it matters: The visit highlights the importance of KAUST as a hub for energy research and innovation in Saudi Arabia and its role in international scientific partnerships.
KAUST Professor Carlos Duarte reflects on his ten years in Saudi Arabia after receiving the Japan Prize for his work on blue carbon. Duarte's research focuses on the role of oceans in combating climate change, particularly through the conservation of coastal ecosystems. Since joining KAUST in 2015, he has advised the Saudi government on environmentally friendly development, advocating for blue carbon strategies. Why it matters: Duarte's work is helping to shift perspectives on the ocean economy in the region, encouraging investment in marine ecosystem conservation and sustainability.
KAUST and international collaborators discovered that the Rub’ Al-Khali desert was once a vast lake and river system that supported grasslands and savannahs. The "Green Arabia" period, marked by heavy rainfall, facilitated the growth of a lake covering 1,100 km² with a depth of 42 meters, which overflowed and carved a 150 km valley. The research, published in Communications Earth & Environment, highlights the impact of climate cycles on landscapes and human societies. Why it matters: Understanding the past climate transformations in the Arabian Peninsula is crucial for predicting the consequences of current climate change and its impact on regional habitability.
Researchers at MBZUAI have introduced QRAFT, an LLM-based framework designed to automate the generation of fact-checking articles. The system mimics the writing workflow of human fact-checkers, aiming to bridge the gap between automated fact-checking systems and public dissemination. While QRAFT outperforms existing text-generation methods, it still falls short of expert-written articles, highlighting areas for further research.
The KAUST Coral Restoration Initiative (KCRI) is planning for a transformative 2025, focusing on digital twins and land-based nurseries, according to KCRI chief scientist Professor David Suggett. The KCRI eCoral™ digital twin will use AI and machine learning for coral restoration, scenario modeling, and decision-making. KCRI's reef-based nurseries can produce up to 100,000 corals per year for transplantation. Why it matters: AI-powered coral reef restoration can help create more resilient ecosystems and inform environmental policymaking in the region.
KAUST recognized seven faculty members with RDIA Excellence Awards at LEAP 2025 and COP16 for contributions to Saudi Vision 2030. Awardees include Prof. Bernard Ghanem for AI, Prof. Carlos Duarte for marine science, and Prof. Mohamed Slim Alouini for communications. Their work advances AI, marine ecosystems, and digital inclusion within the Kingdom. Why it matters: The awards highlight KAUST's strategic role in driving research and innovation aligned with Saudi Arabia's national priorities in technology and sustainability.
The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) and KAUST have launched the SAUDINet initiative. The initiative aims to advance terrestrial ecology research in Saudi Arabia, focusing on restoring degraded lands, enhancing carbon sequestration and preserving biodiversity. NCVC’s workforce will receive specialized training in biodiversity monitoring and ecological sampling, with samples analyzed in KAUST’s labs. Why it matters: The partnership aims to establish Saudi Arabia as a global leader in the study of arid ecosystems and address the lack of data from hyper-arid lands in climate models.
The MenaML Winter School, an initiative focused on artificial intelligence, was recently held in Qatar, providing students with essential AI skills. The program aimed to equip participants with foundational knowledge and practical expertise in various AI disciplines. This educational event brought together students from across the MENA region to foster regional talent development in advanced technologies. Why it matters: Such regional educational programs are crucial for building a skilled AI workforce and promoting technological literacy, directly supporting the broader digital transformation goals of Middle Eastern nations.
HBKU’s Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) is set to host the MenaML Winter School in 2025. This annual event brings together machine learning researchers and practitioners from across the MENA region. The winter school typically features in-depth tutorials, workshops, and networking opportunities focusing on advanced topics in AI and machine learning. Why it matters: This initiative significantly contributes to fostering regional collaboration, knowledge exchange, and skill development in AI, thereby strengthening the MENA region's research and innovation ecosystem.
The Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) hosted the MenaML 2024 Winter School, focusing on machine learning. The school featured lectures, tutorials, and hands-on sessions covering various ML topics. Participants included students and researchers from the MENA region. Why it matters: This event fosters regional expertise and collaboration in AI and machine learning.
KAUST is highlighting women in STEM, including Professor Leena Ibrahim, Ph.D. student Amani Al-Amodi, and postdoc Dr. Wejdan Alghamdi. Leena Ibrahim's research focuses on understanding how sensory perception is established across development, studying the role of inhibitory neurons in the cortex. She aims to uncover how disruptions in sensory processing contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders like autism. Why it matters: Showcasing women's contributions can inspire future generations of female researchers in the Kingdom and beyond.
KAUST Professor Salim Al-Babili has received a Phase III grant from the Gates Foundation, bringing the Foundation's total investment in his research on the parasitic weed Striga to over $11 million in less than 10 years. The funding will support Al-Babili's efforts to develop sustainable and affordable solutions to combat Striga, a major threat to global food security that causes $7 billion in annual crop losses. Al-Babili's research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of Striga germination and developing innovative control strategies such as suicidal germination. Why it matters: This continued support from the Gates Foundation underscores the importance of addressing global food security challenges and contributing to sustainable agriculture in arid regions, including Saudi Arabia.
KAUST is advancing the circular economy through research and collaborations focused on resource efficiency, waste minimization, and sustainability. Researchers are exploring carbon capture, sustainable fuel development, and AI/ML to accelerate circular principles. The university is also working on optimized waste-to-energy conversion, biomass waste conversion, and CO2 conversion for sustainable fuels. Why it matters: This highlights KAUST's commitment to sustainable solutions, which could position Saudi Arabia as a leader in circular economy practices and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.
KAUST researchers Carlos Preckler and Diego Rivera participated in Saudi Arabia's first scientific mission to Antarctica from January 11 to February 27. They collected ocean samples to study how whale populations mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration. The team aims to quantify the impact of whales on carbon capture and correlate whale population dynamics with carbon sequestration over the past 400 years. Why it matters: This research provides valuable insights into the economic benefits of whale conservation and contributes to global efforts in understanding the role of marine ecosystems in climate change mitigation.
This paper explores how AI and social media analytics can identify and track trends in Saudi Arabia across sectors such as construction, food and beverage, tourism, technology, and entertainment. The study analyzed millions of social media posts each month, classifying discussions and calculating scores to track trends. The AI-driven methodology was able to predict the emergence and growth of trends by utilizing social media data.
TAQADAM, a KAUST-based accelerator program, awarded $1 million to 10 startups at its eighth annual showcase. To date, TAQADAM has supported 270 startups that have raised $297 million and created 3,569 jobs. The selected companies span climate monitoring, pharmaceutical supply chain, AI marketing, and healthcare. Why it matters: This funding and support highlights the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, fostered by KAUST and initiatives like TAQADAM, aimed at translating research into practical solutions and creating jobs.
A study investigated language shift from Tibetan to Arabic among Tibetan families who migrated to Saudi Arabia 70 years ago. Data from 96 participants across three age groups revealed significant intergenerational differences in language use. Younger members rarely used Tibetan, while older members used it slightly more, with a p-value of .001 indicating statistical significance.
KAUST has announced the 2025 cohort of Ibn Rushd Postdoctoral Fellows, a program designed to strengthen Saudi Arabia's research ecosystem. The fellows, including Abdullah Hassan Bukhamsin and Akram Alwithenani, will pursue postdoctoral work at institutions like Caltech and Harvard. Bukhamsin's research focuses on minimally invasive sensors for environmental and agricultural applications, while Alwithenani specializes in cancer gene and immunotherapy. Why it matters: This program is crucial for developing Saudi research talent and aligning with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 goals in science and technology.
KAUST's Urban Lab is developing the Saudi National Life Cycle Inventory, an environmental database providing quantitative data on the environmental impact of products and processes in Saudi Arabia. The database includes information on raw material use, energy consumption, water usage, waste generation, and air pollutants specific to the Kingdom. This project was highlighted at the 'Greening the Giga' workshop, where KAUST also released a report on building a national framework for Life Cycle Assessments. Why it matters: The database and framework can guide multiple sectors in adopting green technology and help Saudi Arabia achieve its net-zero carbon emissions goal by 2060.
KAUST and the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) have signed an agreement to collaborate on research in life sciences, AI, robotics, rehabilitation technologies, and nanotechnologies. The partnership will involve joint research projects, academic exchanges, and scientific events. KAUST aims to accelerate innovation and address global challenges by integrating advanced technology and scientific expertise with IIT. Why it matters: This collaboration strengthens KAUST's international research network and supports the development of advanced technologies with potential benefits for Saudi Arabia and the global community.