News

MENA’s Biggest Online Piracy Site Shahed4U Shuts Down

The platform had been operating since 2015, and notched up 155 million monthly visits and around 18,700 movie files.

Published

2 years ago

February 28, 2023

Nour Nasir

mena's biggest online piracy site shahed4u shuts down

Getty Images

Egyptian authorities have shut down one of the Middle East and North Africa’s largest online platforms for downloading pirated media, Shahed4U. The site’s servers were located in Alexandria and Cairo and offered access to 68,000 TV titles and 18,700 films.

shahed4u homepage

At its peak, the site’s traffic hit 155 million monthly visits across 118 domains and various copycat sites. Shahed4U had been distributing pirated content since 2015, and the closure follows those of Egybest and MyCima. Egyptian authorities were helped with the shutdown by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the world’s foremost anti-piracy coalition.

Also Read: Best Video Streaming Services In The Middle East

“This spate of unprecedented ACE actions in the MENA region underscores our ever-expanding global reach and our growing relationships with law enforcement and local industry around the world [and is] core to ACE’s global goal of eradicating the illegal distribution of content and protecting the legal marketplace for content creators,” says Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE.

News

“AI Seal” Certification Now Required For Dubai Gov Partnerships

The new mandatory certification is designed to build trust in AI companies and create a reliable network of providers for government and public collaboration.

Published

16 hours ago

January 21, 2025

Nour Nasir

ai seal certification now required for dubai gov partnerships

Dubai Media Office

Dubai has introduced the Dubai AI Seal, a certification designed to establish trust in artificial intelligence (AI) companies and solutions. This initiative, directed by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister, aims to create a reliable network of AI providers which government entities and businesses can collaborate confidently.

Companies must now obtain the AI Seal to qualify for UAE or Dubai government contracts. The Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DCAI), which developed the certification, sees it as a competitive edge for companies looking to participate in key national projects. Once certified, businesses will be permitted to showcase the seal across their websites and marketing materials, signaling their credibility and dependability.

The evaluation process will consider six main criteria: the company’s services and operations, the number of employees specializing in AI, ongoing and future projects, as well as existing partnerships with public and private sector entities.

dubai ai seal certification

Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, which oversees the DCAI, commented on the initiative’s potential: “This initiative will help create powerful partnerships between the public and private sectors, locally, regionally, and globally. It will help drive new economic opportunities by leveraging AI to serve better the economy, society, and the future we aspire to”.

Also Read: Top Free AI Chatbots Available In The Middle East

The Dubai AI Seal’s goals include providing a clear framework for verifying AI providers, fostering business opportunities for AI companies, and acknowledging the industry’s strategic importance to Dubai’s economy. The initiative emphasizes AI’s role in driving economic growth, creating jobs, and strengthening collaboration between government bodies and technology firms.

All technology companies operating in Dubai and offering AI-related services or products are eligible to apply for the certification at no cost through the official website.