The Gulf region is emerging as a global leader in the development and export of Arabic-focused artificial intelligence (AI). What began as a regional push to digitize economies has evolved into a competitive race to create and export AI systems tailored to the linguistic and cultural nuances of the Arab world. At the forefront of this transformation are startups like Arabic.AI, which showcased advanced large language models (LLMs) at GITEX Global 2025, MENA’s premier tech event. These models, capable of processing and responding in Arabic, mark a significant shift from mere adoption to the creation of region-specific AI technologies.