The rise of rival Arabic chatbots 🤖

Choosing between chatbots could soon get more complicated in the Middle East, where Gulf states are competing to offer their own Arabic-language artificial intelligence tools — including a new Saudi state-backed AI chatbot launched this week.

Samuel Wendel
Samuel Wendel
Aug 26, 2025
Employees work in the control room for traffic and crowd management for pilgrims at the General Transport Center at the Royal Commission for Mecca and Holy Sites in Mecca on June 3, 2025.

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Choosing between chatbots could soon get more complicated in the Middle East, where Gulf states are competing to offer their own Arabic-language artificial intelligence tools — including a new Saudi state-backed AI chatbot launched this week. 

Also in this edition: A $20 million prize on offer for hackers, China’s growing tech footprint, Roblox bans, Turkey’s largest ever fintech investment and more. 

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