Brief

Abu Dhabi’s TII launches Emirati‑focused AI models for language, speech and OCR

TII introduced three AI models that handle Emirati Arabic, multilingual speech transcription and Arabic text extraction, aiming to boost local AI capabilities.

By Felo News Desk · Published Wed, 07 Oct 2026 18:32:06 GMT

Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research arm of the Advanced Technology Research Council, announced on 7 October 2026 the launch of three new artificial‑intelligence models designed to support Emirati Arabic and multilingual content.

What happened

TII released Falcon‑Emirati, a 7‑billion‑parameter language model trained specifically on the Emirati dialect, and Falcon‑ASR, a 1.6‑billion‑parameter automatic‑speech‑recognition model that can transcribe Standard Arabic, Emirati Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. The third model, Falcon‑OCR‑Arabic, is a lightweight optical‑character‑recognition system built to extract Arabic text from images and documents.

What the reports add

According to Gulf News, the three models are intended to give developers, researchers and everyday users a more natural interface for text, speech and visual content, strengthening Arabic’s role in AI. Potential applications cited include multilingual customer‑service bots, meeting transcription, subtitling, accessibility tools and voice‑enabled digital services.

What was said

Faisal Al Bannai, Advisor to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs and Secretary‑General of ATRC, told Gulf News, “Our language belongs in the future we are building… there is real pride in building technology that understands our people.” Dr Najwa Aaraj, CEO of TII, added, “Sovereign AI capability must reflect the language used in daily life. Emirati Arabic carries distinctive expressions, cultural references and ways of communicating.”

How it came about

The launch follows TII’s broader push to develop sovereign AI tools that align with UAE cultural and linguistic priorities, a theme echoed in recent Felo coverage of the nation’s AI strategy and related smart‑transport contracts.

Key facts

• TII launched three AI models: Falcon‑Emirati (7 billion parameters), Falcon‑ASR (1.6 billion parameters) and Falcon‑OCR‑Arabic. (gulfnews.com)
• Falcon‑ASR can transcribe Standard Arabic, Emirati Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. (gulfnews.com)
• Faisal Al Bannai said the models reflect pride in Emirati language and give the UAE freedom to set AI priorities. (gulfnews.com)

Sources

• [1] gulfnews.com — originally reported as “TII Unveils Falcon-Emirati and Advanced Arabic AI Models to Revolutionize Language and Speech Recognition”