QRDI Council Announces Call for Project Proposals Regarding Qatar-UK Collaboration on AI

The Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation (QRDI) Council announced a call for project proposals under the Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF) 2024-2025, scoping project on Qatar-UK Collaboration on Artificial Intelligence (AI), with call open for non-profit organizations, NGOs, and government entities globally that demonstrate technical competency in AI, particularly in relevant sub-domains. In a statement, QRDI Council said that proposals, due for submission on August 12, should aim to identify and scope practical and ambitious ways to enhance Qatar-UK cooperation and support both countries' respective AI and critical technologies strategies, especially considering that the focus is on building and scaling AI ecosystems, as well as enhancing bilateral relationships. The project aims to utilize local Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) talent in Qatar, by encouraging the awarded implementers to include Qatari graduates to support their professional development, analyze Qatar-UK collaboration opportunitie s to launch AI-enabled companies and integrate AI into existing enterprises, as well as promote safe and secure AI development through Qatar-UK diplomatic cooperation, along with enhancing AI utilization in diplomacy, supporting shared foreign policy challenges and recommending ways to integrate AI cooperation into existing Qatar-UK diplomatic structures. The project is set to run from September 2024 to March 2025, with funds ranging from GBP 50,000 to GBP 80,000, led by the British Embassy in Doha and co-designed with QRDI Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology's AI Committee. QRDI Council's Secretary General Eng. Omar Al Ansari said, "This initiative aims to advance bilateral cooperation in AI, leveraging both countries' combined expertise and initiatives like Qatar's Digital Vision 2030 and the UK's significant investments in AI research and development." Al Ansari added that working on this project will be beneficial for strengthening the bilateral relationship between RDI communities in Qatar and the UK and facilitate the exchange of experience and knowledge to achieve common goals. The Gulf Strategy Fund is a UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) fund within the FCDO's International Programme, which aligns with the UK Government's strategic priorities in its cooperation with Qatar, enhancing mutual prosperity by promoting inward investment as well as creating investment opportunities across various sectors. Source: Qatar News Agency