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UAE Residents Embrace AI Assistants for Education, Smart Homes, and Task Management: Yango Survey

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The majority of UAE residents view smart assistants primarily as learning aids, with 72% of respondents indicating that AI assistants should take part in children’s education. This data was gathered through a survey conducted by Researchscape International and commissioned by the global tech company Yango*.

According to the same survey, 54% of respondents believe that AI assistants should serve as useful learning companions, especially for acquiring new languages. Additionally, 54% indicate that AI assistants should help organise their day. Another significant area where smart assistants can be useful is smart home management. 57% of respondents expect them to manage smart home devices, while 41% anticipate using the assistants as entertainment sources, playing music based on mood.

“Research shows that users expect smart assistants to possess a variety of skills to assist them in different areas of life. To meet these modern user demands, we have developed our bilingual, human-like AI assistant Yasmina. Yasmina’s features currently include entertainment, daily task management, explaining complex topics, and providing educational support. All you need is to activate the AI assistant with your voice,” comments Rami Abu Arja, Senior Innovation Marketing Manager at Yasmina, Yango Middle East.
Yasmina is integrated into the recently introduced smart speakers, Yasmina Mini and Yasmina Midi, as well as the Yango Play app.

Learning companion
Yasmina provides children and adults with easy access to a wealth of information. Just ask, “Yasmina, what are the benefits of date fruits?” Moreover, as a bilingual AI assistant, it can help users practice both English or Khaleeji Arabic through friendly, human-like conversations. Yasmina is child-friendly — it recognises children’s voices and provides age-appropriate content when interacting with them.

Daily planner
Yasmina can set reminders and notifications to track all personal and work-related tasks. For this, just say “Yasmina, remind me at 2 P.M. tomorrow to…”.

Guide to Arab culture
As an AI assistant that fulfills the expectations of local users, Yasmina can play surahs from the Holy Quran by Al Sheikh Maher Bin Hamad Al Muaiqly, which is free for all users, and tell you the date according to the Hijri calendar. You can say, “Yasmina, play the Adhan for all prayers every day,” and the assistant will automatically play the Adhan for your current location. Yasmina also knows the prayer times for any city in the world.
Smart home manager
Yasmina can dim the lights, set a comfortable temperature in the room, and put on a specially curated meditation playlist. Simply say, “Yasmina, dim the lights,” “Yasmina, play the sound of the ocean,” and “Yasmina, set the temperature to 23 degrees,” to set the mood for meditation.

Fitness buddy
Yasmina makes workouts more fun with curated sports playlists. Say, “Yasmina, play music for sports”. To access the entire music library, including playlists for different moods and activities, users need an active Yango Play subscription.
In the future, 42% of respondents hope that AI assistants will act as personal trainers to motivate them to exercise, while 33% expect them to provide calorie counts for meals.
Yango’s first smart speakers, Yasmina Mini and Yasmina Midi enhanced by Yasmina, a bilingual, human-like AI assistant tailored specifically to the Middle East, are now available through various retail and online outlets across the UAE.

Announcements

Dubai Ride 2024 registration now open

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Get the bike out of the garage, dig out your cycling kit and get ready to cycle through Dubai’s most stunning vistas; registrations are now open for the iconic Dubai Ride, presented by DP World – an unforgettable adventure past the city’s most iconic landmarks.

Taking place on Sunday 10 November 2024, the region’s largest community cycling event returns for its fifth edition, offering everyone – no matter your age or cycling ability – the chance to experience Dubai like never before. Much more than just a cycling event, Dubai Ride is a celebration of community, fitness, and the vibrant energy that makes Dubai one of the world’s best cities to visit, live and work in.


One of the most popular events on the Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) calendar, Dubai Ride offers you an epic way to smash your 30×30 goals, after a remarkable 35,000 cyclists cycled a collective 546,000 kms during last year’s edition.


This year’s event features routes for all, whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or just starting out. Choose the scenic 12km ride along Sheikh Zayed Road or opt for the family-friendly 4km through Downtown Dubai. Each path offers a unique perspective of the city’s architectural marvels, from the soaring Burj Khalifa to the striking Museum of the Future and iconic Dubai Opera.


Seeking a thrill? Try the brand-new Dubai Ride Speed Laps, designed to deliver an unparalleled cycle for experienced riders over 21 years old. Taking place from 5:00 AM to 6:00 AM on the 12km route, the speed laps will offer a unique chance to experience the excitement of high-speed cycling on Sheikh Zayed Road.

To join, you’ll need to maintain a minimum speed of 30km/h, ride a bike capable of sustaining this pace and follow the instructions of the Dubai Ride Marshals. Once complete, you can join family and friends for the main event. Registration for both Dubai Ride and Dubai Speed Laps is separate. You can sign up now for Dubai Ride, while registration for Dubai Speed Laps will begin on Monday 14 October, so mark your diaries to ensure you don’t miss this opportunity to push your limits and speed around the iconic Sheikh Zayed Road route.

As a participant, you’ll receive individual bibs for both Dubai Ride and Dubai Speed Laps. You can pick these up at the Dubai Municipality Zabeel Park 30 x 30 Fitness Village, your hub for all things running and cycling. More information on collection dates and timings will be announced soon.

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Middle East

Vriitya Arvind’s Unbeaten 77 Leads Gulf Giants to 56-Run Win at ILT20 Development 2024

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The DP World ILT20 Development Tournament 2024 commenced on Sunday (6 October) at the ICC Academy Oval 1, Dubai. The second edition of the development tournament provides the UAE players an opportunity of sealing one of the 12 remaining berths in the six DP World ILT20 Season 3 squads (two squad spots up for grabs in each team).  

On Monday evening, Vriitya Arvind led Gulf Giants Development to a mammoth 56-run victory over the ILT20 Marvels. Arvind’s unbeaten knock of 77 runs in 64 balls placed the Giants at 165/4 in 20 overs. Aryan Lakra was also in fine form, striking three fours and three sixes to score 37 runs in only 18 balls. 

The Marvels’ run chase struggled due to the loss of early wickets and the lack of partnerships. Madhav Manoj Nair top scored for the Marvels with a cautious 27-run innings, but the Giants shone with the ball as well, as Zeeshan Naseer picked up three wickets while Muhammad Saghit Khan and Muhammad Zuhaib scalped two wickets each. The Marvels finished at 109/10 in 17.4 overs. 

Earlier in the day, ILT20 Pearls put on 160/6 in 20 overs to outshine ILT20 Thunderbolts by 16 runs. The Pearls batted first and rode on the back of Asif Khan’s 41 and small but significant contributions from Rohan Mustafa, Yasir Kaleem and Shahrukh Ahmed. Meanwhile Abdul Ghaffar scalped three wickets for the Thunderbolts. 

Abdul Ghaffar also made an impact with the bat putting on a late innings show of 23 runs in 12 balls, before he would become Muhammad Shahid Bhutta’s third victim of the night.  Uzair Khan also picked up three wickets while Matiullah Khan bagged two wickets to limit the Thunderbolts response to 144/10. 

On Sunday, the season opener of the DP World ILT20 Development Tournament 2024 saw ILT20 Marvels defeat Desert Vipers Development by 17 runs. Batting first, Vishnu Sukumaran and Ahmed Tariq put on an early stand of 36 runs, after the loss of both openers. Sharp bowling from the Vipers buoyed by strong spells from Khuzaima Tanveer and Basil Hameed who picked up three and two wickets respectively, kept the Marvels in check. It was Sanchit Sharma’s quickfire knock of 48 runs that came in as little as 22 balls to catapult the Marvels to a competitive 138/10 in 20 overs. 

In response, the Vipers’ top order was severely dented by spells from Muhammad Rohid Khan and Zahoor Khan. Tanish Suri put on a fighting 42 in 39 balls, along with contributions from Danny Pawson, who scored 23 runs and Junaid Shamsu’s unbeaten 25. However, the Vipers finished short at 121/8 in 20 overs. 

In Sunday’s second fixture, Dubai Capitals Development kicked off their campaign with a 15-run victory over Gulf Giants Development. Put in first, Capitals’ openers, Mayank and Khalid Shah put on 44 runs in the first five overs. Coming in at number four, Junaid Khan hoisted four maximums in his 48-run endeavour as he set the platform for Hafiz Almas Ayub and Muhammad Farooq Momand. The pair provided the final flourish with 24 runs in only eight balls. 

The Giants’ run chase struggled to find momentum as they lost wickets at regular intervals and stumbled to 61/5 in 10.1 overs. Muhammad Saghit Khan fought back with a 19-ball stint of 41 runs and put on 65 runs with Aayan Afzal Khan but the Giants were bowled out for 143 runs. 

Brief Scores  

Gulf Giants Development defeat ILT20 Marvels by 56 runs 

Gulf Giants Development 165/4 in 20 overs (Vriitya Arvind 77*, Aryan Lakra 37, Uzair Haider Mann 19, Nilansh Keswani 2 for 27, Sanchit Sharma 2 for 35) ILT20 Marvels 109/10 in 17.4 overs (Madhav Manoj Nair 27, Aryan Saxena 15, Zawar Farid 14, Zeeshan Naseer 3 for 9, Muhammad Saghit Khan 2 for 29, Muhammad Zuhaib 2 for 1) 

ILT20 Pearls defeat ILT20 Thunderbolts by 16 runs 

ILT20 Pearls 160/6 in 20 overs (Asif Khan 41, Yassir Kaleem 29, Shahrukh Ahmed 27*, Abdul Ghaffar 3 for 54) ILT20 Thunderbolts 144/10 in 18.2 overs (Raees Ahmed 25, Rahul Chopra 25, Abdul Ghaffar 23, Uzair Khan 3 for 23, Muhammad Shahid Bhutta 3 for 38, Matiullah Khan 2 for 15)  

ILT20 Marvels defeat Desert Vipers Development by 17 runs 

ILT20 Marvels 138/10 in 20 overs (Sanchit Sharma 48, Vishnu Sukumaran 29, Ahmed Tariq 22, Basil Hameed 3 for 36, Khuzaima Tanveer 2 for 24) Desert Vipers Development 121/8 in 20 overs (Tanish Suri 42, Junaid Shamsu 25*, Danny Pawson 23 runs, Muhammad Rohid Khan 3 for 25, Zahoor Khan 2 for 23) 

Dubai Capitals Development defeat Gulf Giants Development by 15 runs 

Dubai Capitals Development 158/6 in 20 overs (Junaid Khan Afridi 48, Mayank 24, Safeer Tariq 17, Muhammad Irfan 2 for 27) Gulf Giants Development 143/10 in 18.3 overs (Muhammad Saghit Khan 41, Aayan Afzal Khan 28, Uzair Haider Maan 16, Haider Ali 2/19, Farhan Khan 2/20, Ibrar Khan 2/35)  

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Announcements

UAE visa amnesty officially concludes on October 31

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The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship has declared on Monday (October 7) that the UAE visa amnesty program will officially conclude on October 31 with no possibility for extension. According to the ICP, deportations are planned, and stricter measures will include placing violators on the no-entry list.

With three weeks to go before the amnesty program ends on November 1, thorough inspection campaigns will be held in areas and companies where violators are found. These campaigns will persist in apprehending violators and enforcing penalties, including fines or deportation, while adding them to the list of individuals barred from future entry into the country.

Authorities are tracking the locations of violators and will impose fines and deport them, barring future entry into the UAE until fines are paid. They advised anyone with exit permits to leave prior to the deadline, as there are still some who have not left. In September, Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs reported that it regularised the status of nearly 20,000 individuals, issuing 7,401 exit permits to violators seeking to return to their home countries during the amnesty program.

The final tally of individuals who have adjusted their status during the amnesty program will be revealed upon its completion. Airlines have assisted many with special circumstances, offering ticket discounts or even complimentary tickets.

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