Teams from 17 Countries in Riyadh for Final Stage of ‘ALLaM Challenge’ to Support Arabic

The challenge will provide competitors with opportunities for training and workshops led by AI experts and specialists in Arabic language fields. SPA
The challenge will provide competitors with opportunities for training and workshops led by AI experts and specialists in Arabic language fields. SPA
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Teams from 17 Countries in Riyadh for Final Stage of ‘ALLaM Challenge’ to Support Arabic

The challenge will provide competitors with opportunities for training and workshops led by AI experts and specialists in Arabic language fields. SPA
The challenge will provide competitors with opportunities for training and workshops led by AI experts and specialists in Arabic language fields. SPA

Teams from 17 countries began arriving at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, preparing for the final stage of the "ALLaM Challenge."
The competition will take place from Thursday, November 7, to Saturday, November 9 at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh, with over 600 male and female competitors representing 200 teams. The event will also feature more than 50 guides and 40 judges, with total prizes valued at SAR 1 million.
The ALLaM Challenge -- organized by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) in collaboration with the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones -- is part of SDAIA’s efforts to support the Kingdom's initiatives to serve the Arabic language regionally and globally.
The challenge aims to enhance the language's status and raise global awareness of it, in alignment with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which emphasizes the importance of the Arabic language as a key element of Saudi national identity.
The ALLaM Challenge aims to develop AI models capable of writing and understanding Arabic poetry, accurately parsing sentences, and teaching children the Arabic language in an engaging way.
This initiative continues the Kingdom's efforts to serve the Arabic language, particularly in technical fields, by providing high-quality Arabic data and developing AI models that efficiently handle the language.
The international competition is held in partnership with IBM and the National Technology Development Program (NTDP).
Participants in the challenge aim to showcase their abilities and potential by developing and improving large language models (LLMs). The challenge will provide competitors with opportunities for training and workshops led by AI experts and specialists in Arabic language fields.
It will support the teams and evaluate their projects based on judging criteria that ensure the sustainability of the solutions and their transformation into real AI-driven projects that serve the Arabic language across various sectors and fields.



Arab Countries, UNESCO Director General Hail Saudi Arab Week at UNESCO Initiative

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA
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Arab Countries, UNESCO Director General Hail Saudi Arab Week at UNESCO Initiative

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA

The Arab Group at the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization has praised the success of the Saudi National Committee for Education, Culture, and Science in organizing the first Arab Week at UNESCO initiative, which the UNESCO Arab Group held in Paris on November 4-5.
In a closing statement of the Arab Week at UNESCO, the Arab Group expressed appreciation to Saudi Arabia for launching the initiative, commending the efforts led by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to advance efforts in education, culture, and science.
The group also thanked Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture and Chair of the Saudi National Committee for Education, Culture, and Science, for the committee’s unwavering support, funding, and effective implementation of the initiative, marking the first UNESCO Arab gathering under the leadership of Saudi Arabia, SPA reported.
The group also extended its appreciation to the participating Arab countries for their active contributions and high-level efforts to coordinate and ensure the success of the initiative. The event is expected to serve as an ideal gateway for long-term cultural prosperity between Arab countries and the world, fostering stronger cultural bridges.

For her part, Director General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay has praised Saudi Arabia's Arab Week at UNESCO initiative, emphasizing the significance of recognizing the historical depth and cultural diversity of the Arab world.
During her speech at the closing ceremony of the event, Azoulay noted that UNESCO highlights the significance of the Arabic language, which is the fifth most spoken language in the world.
She underscored the need to showcase the depth and diversity of Arab cultures, stressing the need to bridge the gap between perceptions of these cultures and their rich, complex realities, which are shaped by a long history and a vibrant tapestry of differences and creativity.
Azoulay said the Arab Week at UNESCO conveys a powerful message to the organization’s 172 member states, encouraging them to collectively celebrate their shared values.