1. Bilal Abu-Ghazaleh, a former Scale AI employee, has launched a new startup called 1001 AI in October 2025. The company aims to create an AI infrastructure for critical industries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), focusing on sectors like aviation, logistics, and oil and gas.

2. 1001 AI recently raised a $9 million seed round led by CIV, General Catalyst, and Lux Capital. The startup plans to sell its decision-making AI to new projects after launching its first product by the end of the year, with discussions ongoing with some of the Gulf’s largest construction firms and airports.

3. 1001 AI's system is designed to optimize physical operations, using real-time data from a client's existing software to issue directives for improved efficiency. The company aims to become the Gulf's go-to orchestration layer for these industries over the next five years before expanding globally.