Why the Future of AI in the Arab World Must Begin with the Basics

Doha, Qatar, September 14, 2025 – Across Qatar and the Arab world, the race to harness artificial intelligence is heating up. Governments, universities, and startup incubators are aligning to transform the region into an AI hub. Yet amid this momentum, leading voices in science and technology are urging a return to fundamentals - especially as studies like MIT’s reveal that students who relied on ChatGPT showed the lowest brain engagement and consistently underperformed compared to peers using search engines or no tools at all.

This vision is embodied by Stars of Science, now in its seventeenth season. The edutainment show captures the innovation journey of young Arab innovators who transform their ideas into real-world solutions rooted in scientific principles. Far from treating AI as a buzzword, the program emphasizes the importance of grounding breakthroughs in tested, data-backed experimentation, already generating 14 AI-powered innovations.“AI is applied science at its core,” said Prof. Fouad Mrad, one of the show’s longest-serving jurors and its science advisor. “What you learned two years ago might already be outdated. But the basics? Those stay with you.”

This belief is tightly woven into Qatar’s broader agenda to build a diversified, knowledge-based economy. Under the Qatar National Vision 2030, the country continues to invest in scientific research and science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) education across all levels. Hamad Bin Khalifa University's launch of 'Fanar'Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s launch of 'Fanar', an Arabic-language generative AI platform, empowers Arabic-speaking innovators to apply AI in ways grounded in science and context.

Even on the global stage, this view is taking hold. Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind and a 2024 Nobel laureate in Chemistry, recently emphasized that success in AI still depends on mastering fundamental disciplines like mathematics, physics, and biology. His reasoning is simple: AI is a powerful amplifier of knowledge, not a replacement for it.

This approach is already shaping the work of Stars of Science alumni who are showing that AI, when paired with scientific principles, can transform entire fields.

Dr. Ahmad Nabeel, the Kuwaiti finalist from Season 9, created 'Klens', a self-cleaning laparoscope'Klens', a self-cleaning laparoscope that addresses a long-standing challenge in minimally invasive surgery: lens obstruction. The device uses predictive AI, trained on surgical data, to detect when fog or fluids may impair vision and trigger a cleaning mechanism before the view is compromised.Rather than reinventing a solution, Nabeel’s innovation builds on proven medical practices enhanced through AI. Today, he leads Gulf Medical Technologies. In 2024, his company partnered with Mayo Clinic partnered with Mayo Clinic to further develop and commercialize 'Klens'. Through this work, Nabeel exemplifies how AI becomes most impactful when it strengthens, not shortcuts, the scientific process.

This alignment of education, innovation, and mentorship is also visible in Qatar Foundation’s wider ecosystem. Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), a global hub for deep tech with impact, and a member of Qatar Foundation, has continued to support Stars of Science and other startups, as part of its mission to create a future where technology and science positively impact humanity and the natural world. At Web Summit Qatar 2025, QSTP launched programs like the Shell.ai Futures Pitch to support AI-focused sustainability ventures, reinforcing the country’s commitment to science-backed innovation.

Looking ahead, Mrad believes that future success in AI across the Arab world will be defined by those who use scientific fundamentals as their springboard.

“The most impactful ideas we see are those that fuse AI with deep domain knowledge,” he said. “In the coming seasons, I expect even more projects that don’t just use AI but elevate it through science.”

By investing in education, building AI tools, and celebrating innovators who use AI responsibly, Qatar is not only keeping pace with global change - it is helping define it.

To follow the contestants’ journeys as they build impactful AI on Stars of Science, find the latest broadcast details on starsofscience.com.