Happy Saturday everyone!

HUMAIN launched its Horizon Pro AI laptop at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit, signaling a new era of intelligent personal computing. Microsoft restricted some of its cloud and AI services to Israel’s Ministry of Defense after reports of their use in mass surveillance of Palestinians. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi’s MGX emerged as a key player in a $14 billion consortium with Oracle and Silver Lake to secure TikTok’s US operations, highlighting shifting alliances in technology investment.

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Humain Unveils Horizon Pro AI-Powered Laptop At Snapdragon Summit

🔹 What Is It About

HUMAIN, a PIF-backed company, has launched the Horizon Pro PC at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit. The device runs on Snapdragon X Elite, supports the upcoming HUMAIN ONE OS, and features zero-latency wake time, 18+ hours of battery life, and hybrid AI powered by ALLAM, the Arabic-first Saudi LLM.

🔹 Why It Matters

The launch underscores HUMAIN’s ambition to redefine personal computing by embedding enterprise-grade AI into consumer devices. Its integration of localized and cloud AI highlights a push toward privacy, flexibility, and advanced AI workflows.

🔹 What’s Next

Looking ahead, HUMAIN will distribute 500 Horizon PCs to students, expand enterprise deployment via subscriptions, and deepen its partnership with Qualcomm—signaling a major move to position itself as a leader in global AI-driven computing.

Microsoft Restricts Some Services To Israeli Army After Surveillance Allegations

🔹 What Is It About

Microsoft has cut off specific AI and cloud services to Israel’s Ministry of Defense after reports revealed the Israeli army was using its Azure platform for mass surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The move follows a joint investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call, which detailed the army’s use of Microsoft technology to store and analyze millions of phone calls and texts.

🔹 Why It Matters

The decision marks a significant policy shift for Microsoft, which had previously denied any misuse of its platforms. External reviews confirmed that elements of the reporting were accurate, raising concerns that Microsoft’s services were being used in ways that violated its ban on mass civilian surveillance. The move comes amid growing employee dissent and public pressure on tech companies over their role in conflicts.

🔹 What’s Next

What comes next remains unclear, as Microsoft has not detailed which specific services were cut. Analysts suggest the restrictions may affect only part of the Israeli military’s surveillance operations, with broader contracts still in place. The company has pledged to continue reviewing its ties with Israel while maintaining services needed for cybersecurity, leaving questions over how much its decision will actually limit surveillance capabilities.

Abu Dhabi’s MGX Joins Consortium To Secure TikTok’s Future In US

🔹 What Is It About

Abu Dhabi’s tech investment fund MGX has joined Oracle and Silver Lake in a $14 billion deal to carve out TikTok’s US operations from Chinese parent ByteDance. President Donald Trump approved the plan, which gives the consortium a 45% stake, while setting a four-month deadline to finalize the split.

🔹 Why It Matters

The move underscores Washington’s efforts to limit Chinese control of sensitive apps amid escalating US-China tensions. Abu Dhabi’s role highlights its growing influence in US tech and its ability to navigate political fault lines.

🔹 What’s Next

Next, officials must iron out terms before the deadline, though the deal faces hurdles from geopolitical pushback and regulatory scrutiny. China’s silence adds uncertainty, while MGX deepens its US ties through parallel deals, including chipmaker Altera and a major AI campus with Oracle and OpenAI.

👨‍💻From Smashi Business’ Desk

• Dreamers: Shakour Abu Ghazalah, once left with nothing after a bank collapse, turned resilience into Albaik—the Middle East’s fast-food giant.

• UAE warns against using AI to create deepfakes of public figures or national symbols.

• Global heavyweights are heading to Riyadh for FII9 (Oct 27–30), where 600+ speakers — including leaders from BlackRock, Aramco, PIF, JPMorgan, Citi, Alphabet & more.

• Saudi stocks just had their biggest surge since 2020 — adding $124B in value — after reports the Kingdom may ease foreign ownership limits.

• Dubai Entrepreneur Saif Kidwai: “Avoiding Tough Calls Is Killing Middle East Company Culture”.

• UAE internet slowing down? Your home Wi-Fi may be the culprit.

🔍In other news…

• Qatar and Saudi Arabia commit $89m to support Syria

• Dubai rises in global financial centre index, ranking fourth for FinTech

• PIF-backed Newcastle United in talks to fund new stadium

• QIA teams up with Blue Owl for data centre push

• Jordan attracted JD57 million ($80 million) in new industrial investments in the first half of 2025, with 66 companies committing to create 2,000 jobs.

🏦 Crypto Corner

• Crypto data reveals UAE has mined bitcoins worth $700m

• Michael Saylor — Executive Chairman of MicroStrategy and one of Bitcoin’s most vocal corporate advocates — will make his first-ever appearance in the UAE at Bitcoin MENA in Abu Dhabi.

• Hut 8, part of a American BTC which is partially owned by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, Gets Approval to Operate in Dubai Financial Hub.

• Abu Dhabi Judicial Department now accept AE Coin.

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