Middle East joins AI race with Arabic-centric models

• UAE is openly staking its claim for AI leadership with Falcon while Saudi Arabia’s response is Humain and Egypt is raising the bar with Intella’s Ziila.
• The region’s future won’t be written by someone else’s algorithm. It’ll be coded—letter by letter, dialect by dialect, value by value—at home.

Artificial intelligence is shaking up the tech scene across the Arabic-speaking world, and there’s a distinct buzz in the air: who will lead the charge to build AI that truly understands and represents the diversity of Arabic language and culture?

Arabic is the linguistic glue that connects over 450 million people, making it the world’s fourth most spoken language. But teaching machines to understand Arabic isn’t like giving them a crash course in English or French.

There’s the infamous three-letter root system, a linguistic Rubik’s cube that throws off even seasoned algorithms. Add to that the dizzying patchwork of dialects—from the Maghreb’s North African twist to the melodic Levantine and the unique Gulf “Khaleejy”—and you’ve got a formidable AI challenge on your hands.

And let’s not forget “Arabizi”: the texting code-switch that blends Latin letters and numbers with Arabic, like when “habibi” (my dear) becomes “7abibi” in a WhatsApp message. This digital vernacular adds yet another layer for language models to decode.

Digital independence by design

Unlike the one-size-fits-all philosophy championed by Silicon Valley, or China’s turbo-charged, collectivist approach, the Arabic world’s AI ambitions are rooted in a desire for digital independence—and a flavour all its own.

The UAE is openly staking its claim for AI leadership with Falcon, a free, open-source language model tailored to Arabic speakers. With versions optimised for the region’s linguistic and energy realities, Falcon represents not just a technological leap but a statement:

“AI for our people, on our terms.” Its accessibility goes beyond borders, providing Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America with a vital alternative to the usual US-or-China AI monopoly.

Saudi Arabia’s response is Humain—a chatbot designed with Arabic-first protocols and a strong regulatory backbone, built to serve domestic needs in government, education, and business securely. No English-dominated solutions required.

Egypt, meanwhile, is raising the bar with Intella’s Ziila. Unlike stiff, textbook Arabic bots, Ziila “gets” everyday speech. Supermarkets, banks, and telecom companies are signing up, drawn to its knack for real-world dialects. Its $12.5 million in funding is a bet that understanding local nuance can unlock new frontiers in AI interaction.

Here’s what sets the Arabic AI race apart: the question isn’t just about dialect, but about aligning technology with religious values and cultural expectations. While some models chase dialect mastery or sector-specific prowess, others are tuned to respect Islamic legal traditions and social norms.

With Islam’s rich legal schools (Sunni, Shia, and their many branches), the region is ensuring AI does more than translate—it represents.

A diverse ecosystem

Despite regional breakthroughs—an open Falcon here, a regulated Humain there—the Arabic world hasn’t produced a Google-scale juggernaut in the AI field. But, perhaps that’s part of the point: rather than relying on one “super app,” the region’s approach is collaborative, possible for the many—not just the few.

As AI continues to evolve, we’ll see more models tailored to the rhythm of Arabic speech, the codes of its youth, and its deep cultural values. The only certainty? The region’s future won’t be written by someone else’s algorithm. It’ll be coded—letter by letter, dialect by dialect, value by value—at home.