Saudi Arabia Launches Global AI Center for Arabic Language

“The Arabic Intelligence Center” is the first specialized artificial intelligence center for automated Arabic language processing (the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language)
“The Arabic Intelligence Center” is the first specialized artificial intelligence center for automated Arabic language processing (the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language)
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Saudi Arabia Launches Global AI Center for Arabic Language

“The Arabic Intelligence Center” is the first specialized artificial intelligence center for automated Arabic language processing (the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language)
“The Arabic Intelligence Center” is the first specialized artificial intelligence center for automated Arabic language processing (the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language)

Saudi Arabia has launched the world's first international center dedicated to enhancing the Arabic language using artificial intelligence (AI).

The center, known as the “Arabic Intelligence Center,” provides automated services and technical support for Arabic language processing.

It aims to strengthen Arabic in the digital realm, making it more competitive globally.

Operated by the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language from Riyadh, the center encourages research and innovation in language computing while offering specialized expertise and data infrastructure for AI-driven Arabic language applications.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Washmi, Secretary-General of the Academy, highlighted that the newly established center is the world’s first specialized hub for automated Arabic language processing.

It aims to enrich Arabic content using AI and support research, applications, and capabilities in AI and Arabic language fields.

The center also contributes to achieving the goals of Saudi Arabia’s national transformation plan, “Vision 2030,” aiming for global leadership in this area.

Its vision is to advance the Arabic language using AI, while its mission focuses on providing comprehensive services to empower users to enhance Arabic language leadership locally and globally.

Moreover, the center is made up of five main labs, each with its own role.

The center provides various services like technical and linguistic advice on AI-driven Arabic language processing. It also hosts meetings, courses, and offers licenses for researchers.

It supports studies aligned with its goals and aids in data tagging for joint research. The center aims to connect modern tech with Arabic, preserve the language, establish global linguistic standards, and enhance AI in Arabic language processing, both locally and globally.

The center aims to set and implement standards and rules for automating Arabic language processing.

It wants to foster impactful research and innovations in this field using AI and develop useful applications.

Also, it aims to train people to global standards and localize knowledge in Arabic language processing. By doing so, it hopes to compete with other languages.



Threatened by Israeli Airstrikes, Lebanon’s Cultural Sites Get Increased Protection from UN

Rubble lies at the site of the historic “Al-Manshiya” building damaged in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, near the Roman ruins of Baalbek, in the eastern city of Baalbek, Lebanon November 7, 2024. (Reuters)
Rubble lies at the site of the historic “Al-Manshiya” building damaged in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, near the Roman ruins of Baalbek, in the eastern city of Baalbek, Lebanon November 7, 2024. (Reuters)
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Threatened by Israeli Airstrikes, Lebanon’s Cultural Sites Get Increased Protection from UN

Rubble lies at the site of the historic “Al-Manshiya” building damaged in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, near the Roman ruins of Baalbek, in the eastern city of Baalbek, Lebanon November 7, 2024. (Reuters)
Rubble lies at the site of the historic “Al-Manshiya” building damaged in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, near the Roman ruins of Baalbek, in the eastern city of Baalbek, Lebanon November 7, 2024. (Reuters)

A specialized United Nations agency granted on Monday provisional enhanced protection to 34 cultural properties in Lebanon, including the World Heritage sites of Baalbek and Tyre, following recent Israeli strikes near them.

“Non-compliance with these clauses would constitute serious violations of the 1954 Hague Convention and would constitute potential grounds for prosecution,” the UN cultural and scientific agency UNESCO said in a statement. The decision also includes financial and technical assistance to safeguard Lebanon’s heritage.

The decision was made during an extraordinary session of the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property that was held in Paris on Monday, at the request of Lebanese authorities.

This move comes amid mounting threats to Lebanon’s cultural sites. On Nov. 7, an Israeli airstrike destroyed an Ottoman-era building near the UNESCO-listed Roman temples of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said: “UNESCO has a deep and long-standing cooperation with Lebanon. We will spare no effort to provide all the expertise and assistance needed to protect its exceptional heritage.”

In addition to legal protections, UNESCO said it has been implementing measures such as satellite monitoring, risk management training and emergency relocation of movable artifacts.