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.



Dubai Public Library Honored with ‘Naseej Academy Library and Information Pioneers Award’

The award was presented during Dubai Culture’s participation in the 35th Arab Federation for Libraries and Information Conference held in Muscat. WAM
The award was presented during Dubai Culture’s participation in the 35th Arab Federation for Libraries and Information Conference held in Muscat. WAM
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Dubai Public Library Honored with ‘Naseej Academy Library and Information Pioneers Award’

The award was presented during Dubai Culture’s participation in the 35th Arab Federation for Libraries and Information Conference held in Muscat. WAM
The award was presented during Dubai Culture’s participation in the 35th Arab Federation for Libraries and Information Conference held in Muscat. WAM

Dubai Public Library, managed by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), has been honored with the ‘Naseej Academy Library and Information Pioneers Award’ in the Arab world under the category of Professional Excellence, Emirates News Agency reported.

This recognition reflects its efforts and contributions to developing the Arab library sector, its continuous progress, and its literary initiatives that enrich the local cultural scene, WAM said. These efforts align with Dubai Culture’s efforts to cement Dubai’s position as a global center for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent, it added.

The award was presented during the Authority’s participation in the 35th Arab Federation for Libraries and Information Conference held in Muscat, Oman, under the slogan ‘Arab Libraries and Archives Institutions and Their Role in Promoting Digital Identity and Citizenship.’

The conference, organized by Oman’s Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth in collaboration with Sultan Qaboos University and the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information (AFLI), witnessed extensive participation from academics and library professionals region-wide.

During the conference, Dubai Culture highlighted a range of its projects and programs aimed at strengthening the cultural and creative industries and activating libraries as interactive hubs that empower community members.