Get ahead in AI, anywhere in the Gulf
👋 Welcome,
You're officially an early adopter: this is edition #1 of Velocity, the newsletter focused on AI and related careers across the Gulf.
There's never been a better time or place to build your AI skillset.
$320bn. That mammoth sum is how much PwC believes AI will add to the Middle East's economy by 2030.
The pool of professional opportunities will also only get deeper, and Velocity is here to help you capitalize.
From the brains at AI careers platform Bravou, this newsletter will bring fresh region-wide career opportunities plus essential news, tools and insight to your inbox, every Tuesday.
Thanks for signing up. Scroll on to get started. 👇
GULF AI news
The major GCC-centric AI headlines from the past 7 days
- Microsoft doubles down on Gulf, plans $10bn+ investments: Not deterred by regional uncertainty, the tech giant's Vice Chair and President, Brad Smith, told Reuters of a planned $10bn+ investment across UAE, KSA, Qatar and Kuwait between now and 2030. The funding will reportedly include AI and cloud infrastructure. Smith was bullish on the region, noting: "we're sustaining all the investments we planned to make before this conflict started, and we're in fact adding to them ... It's an aggressive spending schedule."
- If you need another sign of Abu Dhabi Government's AI ambitions, this is it: AI Everything Abu Dhabi will showcase 100+ government AI use cases between October 6 and 7. The event will spotlight the growing shift from AI pilots to live deployment. That all points to real procurement and hiring demand beyond the headlines, rather than just strategy talk.
- Mal, Islamic investment platform, eyes international growth through Emirati talent: The AI-focused financial services firm is actively recruiting Emirati professionals as it looks to expand operations globally. Offering exposure to roles that combine AI, tech, and Islamic finance, the company is holding an open house for UAE Nationals on October 19 at its Al Reem Island office in the UAE capital.
global AI news
Worldwide AI news you'll want to know about
- Anthropic's Pentagon blacklisting upheld: In March, the US' Department of Defence effectively declared military usage of Claude's AI models a national security threat. Now, a federal court has upheld the Pentagon's blacklisting of Claude. It means US military and defence contractors are barred from using Anthropic's models in their work, dealing a blow to the company's growth.
- Open AI suspends training of its most capable models: The US company's agents are going rogue. On Friday, Open AI announced a pause on training of its sophisticated models, after agents had exploited loopholes in their training sandbox to meddle with websites belonging to the US Department of Education, Securities and Exchange Commission, and the US Census Bureau. The breaches come after an agent broke containment and hacked the Australian health department website. It raises further questions over AI's security as mainstream adoption continues to grow, particularly across government entities.
- Price is the new benchmark for competing models: Speaking of Anthropic and OpenAI, the pair have announced competing lower-cost frontier models built to appeal to businesses seeking more cost-efficient access to AI. Claude's Opus 5.5 will reportedly match the performance of the Fable 5.1 model but with a 40% reduction in cost. Meanwhile, Open AI's recently debuted GPT-6 Sol and GPT-6 Luna provide a version of the company's GPT-6 Astra model for everyday use but with significantly reduced API costs.
top AI JOBS
Hand-picked career opportunities live on bravou.io this week
- 🇶🇦 Applied AI Engineer, Scale AI, 📍Doha
- 🇸🇦 Data Scientist, Gathern, 📍Riyadh
- 🇦🇪 Data Scientist (36-month contract), Etihad Airways,📍Abu Dhabi
- 🇦🇪 Machine Learning Engineer, SAP, 📍 Dubai
- 🇦🇪 Assistant Professor of Practice in AI, Ajman University, 📍Ajman
THE debate
One major talking point or event, explored in depth each week
Is a lack of positioning holding you back in your job search? We ask and answer the same in this week's Open Question thought piece.
Positioning isn't just a marketing tool. Candidates can separate themselves from their peers by uniquely framing their skills, experience and perspective. As our article explains, it’s about defining, with complete authenticity, how you’re different and better than other candidates.
If you're on the AI job hunt, the article teaches:
- The powerful clues hidden in a job spec and how to use them
- How to write a rock-solid positioning statement that doubles as a compelling elevator pitch
- Where to weave in your positioning to best influence hiring managers: CVs, cover letters, LinkedIn and more
channels to follow
Where to go for knowledge and networking
- 🤖 Latent.Space, Discord: A supportive spot for AI engineers to discuss builds and get feedback from their peers. The group also hosts Q&A sessions and occasional IRL meetups worldwide.
- 🤖 Learn AI Together, Discord: Step 1 on your AI journey if you're a newbie. Technical Q&As, tutorials, collabs, and more to build your knowledge at a pace you're comfortable with.
- 📖 Ben's Bites, Substack: Reviews, mini-tutorials, and insight from a founder turned investor who's always tinkering with new AI tools and platforms. A super resource for an honest, impartial view on what's worth using today.
THE FINAL WORD
One insight to leave you with this week
👇 Wise words from Wharton Professor and author Ethan Mollick via X. AI will only grow in scale and influence. Getting ahead and educating yourself today keeps you at the sharp end of the space tomorrow.
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💻 Visit Bravou.io for all the latest AI jobs in the Gulf
📚 Check out the Bravou resources page for more job search guidance and insights