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Snapchat Rolls Out Sponsored AI Lenses In UAE And KSA
The new ad format lets users transform themselves with creative, AI-powered effects that brands can seamlessly integrate into.
Snapchat has introduced Sponsored AI Lenses in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, offering brands a new way to engage with Snapchatters through immersive, AI-driven experiences. Powered by Snap’s proprietary Generative AI technology, the ad format allows users to creatively transform their appearances and surroundings, enhancing brand storytelling with visually striking, shareable effects.
The launch of Sponsored AI Lenses brings an exciting new layer of creativity to Snapchat’s Camera. The Lenses allow users to experiment with everything from nostalgic looks to futuristic styles, turning everyday moments into opportunities for self-expression. Brands can now integrate seamlessly into these experiences, capturing attention while offering Snapchatters a fun, personal, and interactive way to engage with their brand.
The possibilities for Sponsored AI Lenses are practically limitless: For instance, Coldplay, after their historic concert series in the UAE, used the new ad format to promote their “Moon Music” campaign. Fans were invited into a celestial experience through an AI-generated lens that not only captivated users but also encouraged widespread sharing, creating a closer connection with the band’s audience.
In the GCC region, where Snapchat users open the app a staggering 45 times a day, Sponsored AI Lenses offer brands a compelling opportunity to boost engagement. By tapping into this high-frequency interaction, brands can improve visibility and foster greater loyalty through dynamic, interactive content. In addition, Snap’s AI-powered technology reduces the complexity of ad creation, eliminating the need for intricate 3D models or VFX. The streamlined process allows for the creation of high-quality, AI-generated content in as little as three days.
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Accessible via the Lens Carousel, where over 300 million users engage with augmented reality (AR) daily, Sponsored AI Lenses help brands reach a broad audience with impressive scale. The format is designed to create an impact across the entire sales funnel — boosting brand awareness, increasing interaction, and encouraging shares — all from a single, seamless placement.
As Snapchat continues to experiment with Augmented Reality and AI, features like Sponsored AI Lenses give brands the opportunity to integrate more deeply into the creative, cultural moments that make Snapchat such a dynamic platform.
News
Abu Dhabi’s Robot Kitchen Is Serving Up Biryani, Not Burgers
Circus SE wants to put a tiny automated factory inside the buildings where Gulf residents live and work, bypassing part of last-mile delivery.
The most telling thing about a new autonomous kitchen now running in Abu Dhabi’s Marina Square is what it won’t cook:
“We don’t do fast food,” says Nikolas Bullwinkel, Founder and CEO of Circus SE. “We’ve actively decided not to build a machine that can only do burgers”.
Instead, the CA-1 system is built around pot-based cooking: curries, pastas, soups and rice dishes. After experimenting with highly personalized recipes, Circus deliberately leaned back toward recognizable food. “We’re going with a chicken biryani because you know it,” Bullwinkel says of the AED 40 dish.
The Germany-based robotics and food technology company operates across eight countries, and Abu Dhabi is its first deployment outside Europe. More locations are expected there and in Dubai.
In Germany, its units can be placed in supermarkets, gas stations, airports and hospitals. In the Gulf, Bullwinkel wants them inside residential and office buildings, replacing some of the complexity of last-mile delivery. “We’re basically bringing a very tiny factory a few square meters into your building,” he says. Catering company Royal Prestige supplies the ingredients and knowledge of local tastes.
The CA-1 manages up to 36 refrigerated ingredient silos alongside automated induction cooking, robotic plating and a self-cleaning dishwasher. Two robotic arms move ingredients through the system with minimal human intervention. It can produce up to 120 hot meals an hour, and a meal such as rice and curry can take around three to four minutes.
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Five cameras and multiple sensors monitor heat, temperature and consistency, an attempt to approximate what a chef perceives. “You can hear something gets burned, you can smell it, you can see it at some point,” Bullwinkel says. CircusOS, the company’s operating system, adjusts recipes in real time.
You might think of the platform as a threat to kitchen staff, but Bullwinkel frames Circus as a way for chefs to develop recipes and distribute them at scale. With that being said, rising labor costs and shortages are also part of his case for automation.
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