In partnership with
Dear Readers
Warm Welcome and Happy Friday
Thank you for joining this week’s edition of AI for GCC.
You will find practical AI tips you can use today and key updates shaping the future of technology across the Gulf.
This week you will read
- How to restore and upscale old photos using Nano Banana Pro.
- Saudi Arabia’s milestone of training one million citizens in AI.
- Dubai’s AI officers accelerating digital transformation.
- Abu Dhabi’s Machines Can Think 2026 and real world AI adoption.
- Mastercard’s new AI shopping pilot in Dubai.
Short, practical and relevant. Stay with us for tools and stories you can apply this week.
Learn to play the songs you love on piano - with 70% off
flowkey gives you everything you need to play the songs you love on piano – whatever your level.
Start learning from scratch with step-by-step courses, or dive right into the sheet music library and choose from thousands of pieces across all genres, including Classical, Film & TV, Pop, and Jazz. You can follow along with a professional pianist, practice each hand separately, and play sections on repeat until you’ve mastered them – flowkey listens to your playing and waits for you to find the right notes.
Wherever you’re starting from and whatever your learning style, you can make real progress on the piano – and you only need 10 minutes a day. Take advantage of their biggest sale yet and start learning today with 70% off.
Nano Banana Pro helps you restore old photos, upscale small images and create clean infographics. It works inside Gemini. Open Gemini, choose Image Generation, pick the Gemini 3 Pro model and upload your image. Then paste one of the prompts below.
How to create a UAE real estate infographic
Use simple icons, short titles and clear data points. Keep colors blue, gold and white for a professional Gulf style.
How to restore old photos
Turn old or damaged photos into clean digital portraits. Nano Banana Pro fixes color, reduces noise and keeps the original face and clothing.
How to upscale low resolution images
Improve tiny profile photos or pixelated images by turning them into sharp 4K visuals while keeping the original look.
Ever heard of Agentic Commerce?
Every Shopify store will face Agentic Commerce eventually. The question is: are you ready?
Zipchat.ai turns traffic into profit with instant answers, cart recovery, and 24/7 support automation. Add the AI Chat-Bubble to your store or deploy it on WhatsApp to win Q4.
Use code NEWSLETTER10 for 10% off forever.
Key Updates News regarding AI in the Gulf region
Short updates you can read quickly. News and sources below.
Saudi Arabia trains one million citizens in AI
Saudi Arabia has trained over one million people in AI through the SAMAI initiative. The program covers about nine percent of the working age population. It focuses on AI basics and practical skills for work and study. The effort supports Vision 2030 by building local talent for a knowledge based economy.
Dubai places AI officers in every government department
Dubai now assigns an AI officer to every government department to create ownership and speed up projects. Regular peer meetings keep teams aligned and allow fast knowledge transfer. AI is expected to contribute Dh100 billion to the D33 economic agenda. The city continues to invest in infrastructure and regulation for practical AI adoption.
Abu Dhabi to host Machines Can Think 2026
Machines Can Think 2026 will run on 26 and 27 January in Abu Dhabi. The summit brings researchers and leaders from global tech firms. Sessions and demos will focus on real world AI use and how it fits the UAE national AI strategy. The event highlights Abu Dhabi’s role as an emerging AI hub.
Mastercard launches AI shopping pilot in Dubai
Mastercard and Majid Al Futtaim launched Agent Pay in Dubai as a pilot. The AI agent helps shoppers find deals, compare options and complete purchases. Early examples include booking cinema tickets through the agent. The pilot aims to make shopping faster while keeping security and consent central.
Revolutionize Learning with AI-Powered Video Guides
Upgrade your organization training with engaging, interactive video content powered by Guidde.
Here’s what you’ll love about it:
1️⃣ Fast & Simple Creation: AI transforms text into video in moments.
2️⃣ Easily Editable: Update videos as fast as your processes evolve.
3️⃣ Language-Ready: Reach every learner with guides in their native tongue.
Bring your training materials to life.
The best part? The browser extension is 100% free.
Thank you for reading AI for GCC
Your support helps us grow a community that learns together and stays ahead of change. Share this newsletter with someone who wants to understand AI in simple, practical language.
Subscribe for FREE to Subscribe and receive insights, tools and new opportunities every week.
Team AI for GCC
