His Excellency the Prime Minister unveils Fanar, a breakthrough in Arabic AI
HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, unveiled Fanar, a pioneering Arabic AI model, positioning Qatar as a leader in digital innovation regionally and globally.
The announcement was made at the 2024 World Summit AI, held in Doha on 10–11 December under the patronage of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The summit serves as a premier international platform, bringing together experts and decision-makers from around the world to discuss the latest advancements and applications in AI.
Fanar is a landmark initiative which reflects Qatar’s commitment to preserving and promoting the Arabic language, as well as Arab and Islamic culture in the AI era. This achievement follows a partnership between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Hamad Bin Khalifa University, a member of Qatar Foundation.
HE Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, stated: “Fanar demonstrates Qatar’s dedication to advancing research-driven innovations and transforming them into impactful government strategies that enhance Qatar’s leadership in AI and advanced technologies.”
He continued: “Fanar is more than a digital initiative—it is a visionary project with global aspirations. It seeks to empower the Arab community with advanced tools that preserve our cultural identity and contribute to the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030.”
Supported by a vast database of over 300 billion words and more than one trillion Arabic syllables, Fanar excels in generating, summarising, rewriting and explaining texts with precision. Its advanced infrastructure, featuring seven billion parameters, ensures highly efficient and flexible data processing.
As a milestone in Arabic AI, Fanar was developed as part of a research initiative at Qatar Computing Research Institute, under Hamad Bin Khalifa University. It aligns with Qatar Foundation’s strategic focus on AI and is now supported by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
The project aims to empower Qatari and Arab communities with advanced AI tools tailored to their needs, in line with Qatar’s National AI Strategy and Digital Agenda 2030, which place digital innovation at the heart of building a thriving digital economy.
Five national contributors—the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Qatar National Library, Al Jazeera Media Network, the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, and Qatar University—play a vital role in continuously enriching Fanar’s database with new content.
Fanar is set to expand its partnerships across Arab and regional levels, bolstering the Arabic language’s presence in the global digital future. The initiative is also expected to inspire innovations in education, media, and technology.
