How an AI-driven platform is bridging linguistic and cultural gaps in content creation

Special How an AI-driven platform is bridging linguistic and cultural gaps in content creation
STUCK? founder and CEO Asmaa Naga envisions her creation to be "the go-to solution for all companies interested in expanding to or operating in the Middle East.” (Supplied)
Short Url
Updated 06 November 2024
Follow

How an AI-driven platform is bridging linguistic and cultural gaps in content creation

How an AI-driven platform is bridging linguistic and cultural gaps in content creation
  • New platform combines the power of AI and human expertise to offer accurate, culturally nuanced content in different dialects
  • With the growth of AI models specializing in language, STUCK? meets the growing demand for region and industry-specific content

JEDDAH: In the fast-paced world of content creation, artificial intelligence is reshaping industries and how we communicate.

Yet while AI excels in speed and scale, human insight is still critical for capturing cultural context and linguistic nuance — especially in regions like the Middle East, where dialects and cultural subtleties matter.

This is where STUCK?, a groundbreaking platform created by Asmaa Naga, comes into play, combining the raw power of AI-driven large language models with the nuanced understanding of human experts to create accurate, high-quality content in English and Arabic.

“During COVID, I began to see how my experience in language and my awareness of corporate linguistic needs could help me create a solution to bridge a gap,” Naga, who taught at the British Council in Jeddah for 11 years prior to launching the platform, told Arab News.

Established in 2022, STUCK? employs a group of language models, each specializing in different aspects of language processing.

“One model is designed to handle large contexts, another excels in translation, while another has exceptional proficiency in understanding Arabic,” said Naga.

AI’s ability to quickly analyze massive datasets and generate content has already revolutionized whole sectors. However, there is still a catch. While AI is excellent at processing language, it often lacks the emotional intelligence and cultural depth only humans can provide.

DID YOUKNOW?

Content creation is evolving, with AI enhancing speed while human oversight ensures relevance and contextual accuracy in specialized sectors.

AI-driven content creation offers scalability and efficiency but still requires human expertise for cultural sensitivity and nuanced language.

Arabic language models require specialized development to handle dialects, cultural contexts and industry-specific terminology.

This is especially crucial in regions where subtle differences in dialect, phrasing or cultural references can dramatically change the meaning or tone of a message.

STUCK? was designed with these challenges in mind. The platform combines multiple AI models, each specialized in different areas such as translation or contextual understanding, to offer a comprehensive solution for creating and localizing content.




Stuck? founder and CEO Asmaa Naga (right) and fellow founder. (Supplied)

But what truly sets STUCK? apart is its ability to handle not just Modern Standard Arabic but also regional dialects, including Levantine, Egyptian and those spoken within Saudi Arabia such as Najdi and Hijazi.

AI-generated content in English or any other widely spoken language has become more advanced over the years, but Arabic — especially its regional dialects — presents unique challenges. It has numerous dialects that vary not only by country but even within regions of a single nation.

For instance, the Arabic spoken in Riyadh differs from that spoken in Jeddah, and that is just within Saudi Arabia. This complexity makes it difficult for standard language models to capture differences accurately.

For industries operating in the Middle East, from healthcare and cultural heritage to oil and gas, accurate communication in the correct dialect can be the difference between success and failure.

But despite the technology’s sophistication, the team behind STUCK? recognize that AI alone cannot fully meet the demands of complex content creation. This is why the platform offers three service tiers — fully human, fully AI, and a blended approach that combines the two.

For routine tasks, AI or the blended model offers quick and efficient solutions. But for high-stakes projects that require a more refined touch — such as marketing campaigns or culturally sensitive communications — the human approach ensures the content resonates with the target audience.

“Users generally do not need guidance to make this choice,” said Naga. “They usually know the importance of the content they want to create or translate and the level of customization needed.”

This flexibility makes STUCK? a highly adaptable tool. In the oil and gas sector, for example, where terminology is highly specialized, the platform’s ability to onboard industry-specific language experts ensures accuracy.

Indeed, it is not just about translating words — it is about making sure the content speaks the industry’s language in both the literal and figurative sense.

AI models are continuously trained and fine-tuned to generate content that responds appropriately to user prompts. But the process does not end with AI generation — human editors review the AI-produced content to ensure it aligns with cultural and linguistic standards. 

“We constantly train and fine-tune our AI models to ensure they generate content that is highly responsive to the prompts used,” said Naga.

Opinion

This section contains relevant reference points, placed in (Opinion field)

With clients like the Riyadh-based consultancy &bouqu, STUCK? has already established itself as a critical tool for businesses looking to scale operations in the Middle East.

By offering a blend of AI speed and human creativity, the platform is poised to become an indispensable asset for companies that need to communicate effectively across the region’s diverse linguistic landscape.

Looking forward, Naga envisions STUCK? becoming “the go-to solution for all companies interested in expanding to or operating in the Middle East.”

In a world where content is king, STUCK? is not just filling a gap — it is arguably redefining how companies create, translate, and localize content in one of the world’s most linguistically and culturally diverse regions.

By merging the precision of AI with the insight of human experts, STUCK? could offer a way forward for industries that are often literally stuck when it comes to communication.
 

 


Saudi Arabia puts AI at the core of its digital transformation: deputy minister

Saudi Arabia puts AI at the core of its digital transformation: deputy minister
Updated 11 February 2025
Follow

Saudi Arabia puts AI at the core of its digital transformation: deputy minister

Saudi Arabia puts AI at the core of its digital transformation: deputy minister

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia continues to prioritize artificial intelligence as a cornerstone of its digital transformation, a top official said.

In an interview with Arab News during the third edition of LEAP 2025, Mohammed Robayan, deputy minister for technology at the Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, stated that the Kingdom is dedicated to ensuring robust computing infrastructure to fuel AI-driven innovation and economic diversification.

He underscored that AI is at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation strategy, with unwavering support from the nation’s leadership, government agencies, and the private sector.

“It’s all about AI. It’s top of mind of our leadership. It’s top of mind of our ministry, of the different government entities that we collaborate with to achieve this agenda,” Robayan said.

He continued: “It’s also top of mind of the private sector, which is extremely important, so AI is really important. We have to make sure that this computing power is available to our ecosystem here in Saudi Arabia. I would say this is the No.1 agenda item that we’re tackling.”

Robayan also emphasized that a flourishing startup ecosystem is a vital element of the nation’s long-term digital strategy. He highlighted that supporting startups is key to cultivating a pipeline of companies with the potential to become unicorns—startups valued at over $1 billion.

“But another important part is the startup ecosystem here in Saudi Arabia. This is extremely important. This feeds into the pipeline of companies that eventually graduate to become unicorns,” Robayan said.

He added: “We have seven unicorns already in the market, and you need to build the pipeline… We have multiple initiatives that we are working on.

Robayan went on to say: “We have the National Technology Development Program. We have the Garage. They have been extremely helpful. They’re pumping a lot of money into this tech sector here in Saudi, and this has resulted in jobs, which is a big priority for us.”

The Kingdom is also experiencing substantial private sector investments in AI and technology, which are crucial for bolstering computational capacity and supporting economic diversification under Vision 2030. According to Robayan, these investments will play a pivotal role in reshaping Saudi Arabia's technology landscape.

“These will enable us to, first of all, have different computer power that is necessary for the Kingdom to advance in its agenda. This is one of the highest priorities, technology and the adoption of technology,” he said.

He said the these initiatives will have a profound impact on the Kingdom and its efforts to diversify away from oil.

Additionally, ensuring a balanced regulatory framework is a key focus for the Ministry, as it strives to foster investment while protecting innovation.

“With regulation, you don’t want to overdo it—just enough to avoid stifling innovation. Protecting investments and ensuring the democratization of AI and compute power is critical,” Robayan said.

Cybersecurity is another top priority, with Saudi Arabia positioning itself as a global leader in cyber defense. Robayan stressed that collaboration with the National Cyber Security Agency plays a critical role in ensuring regulatory requirements are met early, offering clear guidelines for investors.

“Cybersecurity is extremely important, and you can imagine why and Saudi Arabia is one of the top-ranking countries in cybersecurity. This is also part of the education of the investors throughout the journey prior to announcing different investments. We don’t want any surprises to happen for them or for the market,” he said.

The Kingdom has already secured nearly $15 billion in tech investments announced at LEAP 2025, with more to come. Robayan hinted at upcoming initiatives to further accelerate the Kingdom’s digital transformation.

 


Saudi Arabia to host historic first Olympic Esports Games in 2027

Saudi Arabia to host historic first Olympic Esports Games in 2027
Updated 11 February 2025
Follow

Saudi Arabia to host historic first Olympic Esports Games in 2027

Saudi Arabia to host historic first Olympic Esports Games in 2027
  • Kingdom aims to become global gaming hub, says Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is set to make history by hosting the first-ever Olympic Esports Games in 2027, a landmark achievement in the country’s ambitious quest to become a global leader in gaming and esports.

This announcement, made by the International Olympic Committee, coincided with the ongoing LEAP 2025 Tech Conference in Riyadh.

It follows a 12-year agreement with Saudi Arabia aimed at engaging younger audiences, with a six-member committee tasked with selecting the games to be featured as part of the effort to integrate esports into the Olympic framework.

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, shared his thoughts during a panel discussion titled “Gaming Beyond Entertainment: Reimagining Society and Shaping the Future of Saudi Arabia.” He stated: “We anticipate hosting multiple editions in the future.”

Driven by the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 initiative, which focuses on economic and technological transformation, gaming and esports have become vital sectors.

Prince Faisal reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to becoming a global gaming hub by the end of the decade. “We will become a global hub for gaming and esports by 2030,” he declared.

Highlighting the Kingdom’s increasing influence in the industry, Prince Faisal emphasized Saudi Arabia’s ambition to lead in gaming career opportunities.

“We want Saudi to be a natural part of that conversation. When someone thinks about a career in gaming and esports, we want them to consider Saudi Arabia just as quickly as any other major gaming hub,” he said.

Prince Faisal also emphasized the immersive nature of gaming, noting that it is the only medium where individuals actively engage with content rather than merely consuming it. “Gaming allows people to experience a day in someone else’s life, to walk a mile in their shoes in a way never before possible,” he noted.

Saudi Arabia’s thriving gaming culture reinforces its aspirations. “Our last study, conducted a few years ago, revealed that 67 percent of our population considers themselves gamers,” Prince Faisal shared. He also highlighted the inclusivity of the gaming community, with 48 percent of Saudi gamers being women and 52 percent men.

Encouraging young talent to pursue opportunities in the gaming industry, Prince Faisal stressed the sector’s vast career potential. “Whatever it is that you do, there is a career path for you within this industry, and it’s available now—not just in the future,” he asserted.

The panel discussion also featured insights from industry leaders, including Danny Tang, co-founder and CEO of Hero Esports, who stressed the intrinsic link between gaming and esports. “A well-developed esports ecosystem extends the life cycle of a game, ensuring sustained engagement and innovation,” Tang said.

Khizer Khaderi, founding director of the Stanford Human Perception Lab and faculty member at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI, highlighted gaming’s transformative role in human-technology interaction. 

“Over the last 40 years, we’ve made it easier for humans to connect with technology. Gaming is now the perfect platform for machines to connect back with humans,” he said. Khaderi also emphasized the sector’s vast potential for innovation. “The ability to innovate is here, and it’s happening through gaming.”

Looking ahead, Prince Faisal called on industry professionals and aspiring gamers to seize the moment. 

The tools and opportunities are available now, he said. “You are the most important part of what we do—so just do something.”


Orange Business to offer subscription-based Smart City services in Saudi Arabia

Orange Business to offer subscription-based Smart City services in Saudi Arabia
Updated 11 February 2025
Follow

Orange Business to offer subscription-based Smart City services in Saudi Arabia

Orange Business to offer subscription-based Smart City services in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: Digital system integrator Orange Business is set to roll out “Smart City-as-a-Service” in Saudi Arabia, aiming to drive significant financial and time savings, a senior company official said.

Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of LEAP 2025 in Riyadh, Mohammed Al-Jeraisy, managing director for Saudi Arabia and Africa, said the service will develop Smart City applications for cloud deployment, capitalizing on the sector’s rapid growth.

The Saudi Smart Cities market is projected to expand considerably, with revenue expected to hit $560 million by 2025, according to data firm Statista. Globally, the US is forecasted to generate the highest revenue in the segment at $27.06 billion in the same year.

“This is something that is known — it’s a challenge. When you implement a Smart City solution, deployment is costly and time-consuming. These projects typically take years to develop and build. What a Smart City-as-a-Service solution does today is help customers adopt the solution quickly, saving both time and costs,” Al-Jeraisy said.

He added that the new model could cut costs by 40 to 60 percent and reduce adoption time by up to 80 percent.

Al-Jeraisy also highlighted the flexibility of the subscription-based model, which allows customers to choose specific Smart City services as needed.

“When it comes to Smart City services, there are many — plenty of them. You can think of major services like a city’s command and control center, which is essential. You also need solutions for the environment and applications for traffic management. Today, you can start using these services immediately and access them through the platform,” Al-Jeraisy said. 

The model enables customers to opt in and out of services as required. “You can subscribe to the service today, use it for as long as you need, and stop whenever you decide. You can then go for another service. I think that’s one of the key benefits we offer to customers,” he added.

Despite the name, Smart City-as-a-Service is not limited to cities, Al-Jeraisy said. “It can be used for campuses, stadiums, events, and even universities because what truly matters are the applications and use cases we build on the platform,” Al-Jeraisy said, noting that both small and large cities, as well as airports and schools, can benefit from these services.

Saudi Arabia is emerging as a leader in Smart City and AI adoption, he noted, adding that the global adoption rate for Smart City-as-a-Service currently stands at 33 percent and is expected to rise as more customers recognize its benefits.

Orange Business has been involved in large-scale Smart City projects in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East for more than a decade. It is engaged in major regional developments, including projects in Egypt and the Arabian Gulf states, and contributes to the SMART Africa initiative to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development across the continent.

The company signed a deal in September 2023 with the King Abdullah Financial District Development & Management Company to design, build, and operate a Smart City platform integrating existing digital technologies at Saudi Arabia’s prime business district, KAFD. 

The platform leverages AI and data analytics while providing Digital Master Systems Integration services. Orange Business is also orchestrating a partner ecosystem to drive new use cases and seamless integration.


Saudi crowdfunding funding hits $800m a year: top official 

Saudi crowdfunding funding hits $800m a year: top official 
Updated 11 February 2025
Follow

Saudi crowdfunding funding hits $800m a year: top official 

Saudi crowdfunding funding hits $800m a year: top official 

RIYADH: Crowdfunding has emerged as one of the fastest-growing financial channels in Saudi Arabia, with platforms doubling in size annually and surpassing SR3 billion ($800 million) in capital last year, according to a top official. 

During a panel discussion at the Kingdom’s premier tech conference, LEAP 2025, Mohammed El-Kuwaiz, chairman of the Capital Market Authority, stated the financing landscape has also expanded significantly, moving beyond traditional bank loans and initial public offerings. 

“Whether we look at debt crowdfunding or equity crowdfunding, these platforms have actually been doubling in size every year for the past three years,” he said, highlighting their growing role in the country’s evolving financial ecosystem. 

Alongside crowdfunding, Saudi Arabia has introduced a range of new financing options to support businesses at different stages of growth. 

“We used to think of financing as one of two routes, either bank financing or IPOs. Today, that menu includes a plethora of investment and financing options,” El-Kuwaiz said. He highlighted that the country now has eight distinct investment and financing stages, with half of these introduced in recent years. 

The rapid rise of crowdfunding is part of a broader transformation in the Kingdom’s capital markets, which have expanded significantly since the Vision 2030 economic diversification plan was unveiled in 2016.

“The story of capital markets and how they serve entrepreneurs is very much running in parallel with the growth that we’ve been seeing in LEAP. We have moved from being the 25th or 26th largest market in the world to now being one of the top 10 largest markets in the world,” he said. 

The regulatory environment has also evolved to support business formation, with changes to the country’s corporations law allowing for multiple classes of shares and various investor rights. 

“Most startups and most founders require a degree of flexibility that our former corporations’ law did not allow them to serve,” El-Kuwaiz said, citing features such as drag-along and tag-along rights that were previously unavailable. 

Exit strategies for startups have expanded as well, with IPO activity accelerating and mergers and acquisition regulations being streamlined. 

“We moved from doing something like 10 listings a year to, in the last couple of years, doing in excess of 40 IPOs a year, and more than 50 percent of these listings are actually small and medium businesses. Many of them are actually venture-backed,” El-Kuwaiz said. 

However, mergers and acquisitions remain the most common exit strategy, with regulatory updates in 2017 and 2018 fueling a surge in M&A transactions. 

“As a result of that first rewrite, we have actually seen in the last five or six years more M&A activity than since we established the CMA 15 years ago,” he added. 

Saudi Arabia’s capital market transformation has also made it an increasingly attractive destination for international entrepreneurs. 

“We have seen more and more from outside of the region seriously considering relocating to Saudi Arabia because of the market, because of these regulatory developments, and this potential to exit,” the CMA said.

Debt markets have also played a crucial role in financing businesses, surpassing equity markets in capital raised since 2021. 

El-Kuwaiz added that since then, “our debt capital market has been raising more capital for businesses and governments than the equity capital market, both in primary and secondary.” 

He also underlined that Saudi Arabia is developing its private credit sector alongside its debt market, with expectations that the latter will grow faster in the near term due to its liquidity and traceability advantages. 

El-Kuwaiz emphasized that the Kingdom’s efforts to enhance business formation, financing, and exit opportunities are creating a model that extends beyond national borders. 

“When we first started, we thought that solving the entrepreneurial problem was a Saudi-specific problem,” he said, adding: “But as we have evolved, we recognize that if we solve this problem, we can actually solve this problem for all entrepreneurs — whether in Saudi, the Gulf region, or the broader Middle East.”


Pakistan says IMF ‘on board’ over $7 billion bailout targets

Pakistan says IMF ‘on board’ over $7 billion bailout targets
Updated 11 February 2025
Follow

Pakistan says IMF ‘on board’ over $7 billion bailout targets

Pakistan says IMF ‘on board’ over $7 billion bailout targets
  • The statement comes days before the arrival of an IMF team for the first review of the facility
  • IMF bailouts are critical for Pakistan which narrowly avoided a sovereign default in June 2023

KARACHI: Pakistan has taken the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on board over its targets under a $7 billion loan program it secured in September, a finance ministry official said on Tuesday, days before the arrival of an IMF mission in the South Asian nation for the program’s first review.
A successful review, expected later this month or in early March, would see the Washington-based lender release around $1 billion tranche to cash-strapped Pakistan, which seeks to boost its foreign exchange reserves to achieve the IMF’s threshold of three months import cover.
IMF bailouts are critical for Pakistan which narrowly avoided a sovereign default in June 2023 by clinching a last-gasp, $3 billion IMF loan and is currently navigating a tricky path to economic recovery.
“We are on track,” Khurram Schehzad, an adviser at the Pakistani finance ministry, told Arab News. “The IMF is on board on the targets and benchmarks that we have achieved as well as only a few we are chasing. We are fully prepared to go into the review process.”
The statement is expected to allay investor concerns about Pakistan meeting the IMF’s conditions to reform its economy by cutting on energy subsidies, broadening the tax net to agriculture, real estate and retail sectors, and privatizing loss-making, state-owned enterprises like the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
“We are working on the taxation side by bringing in the under-taxed and non-taxed sectors into the net by broadening, deepening and widening it,” Schehzad said.
Provincial governments in Pakistan’s Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces have recently enacted laws to impose taxes on farm incomes, fulfilling one of the IMF’s requirements.
Since averting an imminent default on its external debt in 2023, Pakistan is now keeping its current account in check primarily through containing imports. The country’s exports rose 10% to $19.6 billion in the last seven months till January, while it is keeping tabs on imports that increased by 7% to $33 billion, according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
“Our balance of payment position is going to be manageable this year,” said Schehzad, who believes population growth and climate change are the two biggest challenges facing Pakistan’s economy.
The country achieved a current account surplus of $1.2 billion from July 2024 till December 2024 and is expecting to receive a record $35 billion worker remittances by June 2025. It expects IT exports to increase to $4 billion this year.
As jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party carries out countrywide protests to demand the return of its “stolen” mandate in the last general election, PM Shehbaz Sharif’s government is trying to shore up the fragile economy, which Schehzad said is expected to expand in the range of 3% to 3.5% this financial year ending in June.
Pakistan’s central bank has slashed the interest rate by a cumulative 1,000 basis points to 12% since June to spur economic growth, thanks to the easing inflation that rose 2.41% last month, the lowest in more than nine years.
“We are keeping an eye on the prices of all essential items that should be reflective of the prevailing inflation numbers, so to close the gap between numbers and on-ground prices,” the finance adviser said.
The pace of price hike is expected to ease further in the months ahead, which will create more room for the central bank to decrease the rate of bank borrowing.
“We are giving priority to long-term sustainability of the economy over short term reliefs,” Schehzad said.
The Pakistani government is striving to turn the hard-earned economic stability with fiscal and external consolidation into a growth that is export-led and driven by productive and efficient investments primarily by the private sector, according to the finance adviser.
The government is working to break the so-called boom-and-bust cycle Pakistan’s economy has been “suffering from in the past many years now” and targets 6% growth and beyond by 2029, he added.