Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), has reached an agreement with Qatar-based deep technology innovator, ADGS Computer Systems, to act as sole distributor of SAQR – an artificial intelligence (AI)-based social media analytics platform developed by QCRI.
Under the agreement, ADGS will acquire, retain, and serve customers for SAQR, both locally and internationally. This will accelerate the commercial availability of SAQR’s powerful tools and capabilities in new global markets.
Developed by a team of researchers and software engineers, SAQR is a platform that supports businesses, government entities, researchers, and non-profit organisations in collecting, analysing, and monitoring social media activity on a large scale. It can not only display high-level statistics about topics of interest, but also uses advanced AI to help users discover trends and understand the demographic breakdown of relevant messages and users.
Leveraging state-of-the-art research from QCRI, the system natively supports searching in Arabic and can even identify Arabic dialects in tweets. Other notable features include grouping users by their stances towards topics, checking for propaganda accounts, and detecting aggressive language in messages.
With its ability to provide real-time alerts about publicly readable messages on platforms such as Twitter, SAQR has already been used by multiple governmental and private entities. Analytics have helped in stance detection on Covid-19 vaccinations and preventive measures, and opinions on new and existing public services.
Dr Ahmed Elmagarmid, executive director of QCRI, commented: “The agreement with ADGS is a significant milestone in QCRI’s efforts to commercialise our innovative research and development. SAQR represents a powerful and innovative data-driven solution to emerging challenges in today’s digital world. We are especially pleased to advance our Arabic language technologies and contribute to Qatar's reputation for leadership in innovative research and technology.”
Christophe Billiottet, CEO of ADGS Computer Systems, said: “Our company mission is to improve human life by developing innovative algorithms that solve the challenges society is currently facing, in an ethical way. The agreement with QCRI clearly reflects our mission. Now, ADGS is ready to offer SAQR’s unique capabilities, both in formal Arabic language and regional dialects, to a wider audience and market.”
Since ADGS was founded in 2015, the deep tech research and development startup has focused on using fundamental science and advanced technologies to build futuristic applications. Its work is supported by partnerships and bilateral co-operation agreements with universities and foundations around the world.
Mus'ab Habib Husaini, senior software engineer at QCRI who leads the project, added: “Working with ADGS is an exciting step that will prove instrumental in advancing our long-term vision for SAQR. We saw the platform being successfully used by relevant authorities in Qatar during the Covid-19 pandemic, for instance, and this new achievement allows the capabilities of the platform to be recognised and deployed by a wide range of users within and outside Qatar.”
Developed by a team of researchers and software engineers, SAQR is a platform that supports businesses, government entities, researchers, and non-profit organisations in collecting, analysing, and monitoring social media activity on a large scale. It can not only display high-level statistics about topics of interest, but also uses advanced AI to help users discover trends and understand the demographic breakdown of relevant messages and users.
Leveraging state-of-the-art research from QCRI, the system natively supports searching in Arabic and can even identify Arabic dialects in tweets. Other notable features include grouping users by their stances towards topics, checking for propaganda accounts, and detecting aggressive language in messages.
With its ability to provide real-time alerts about publicly readable messages on platforms such as Twitter, SAQR has already been used by multiple governmental and private entities. Analytics have helped in stance detection on Covid-19 vaccinations and preventive measures, and opinions on new and existing public services.
Dr Ahmed Elmagarmid, executive director of QCRI, commented: “The agreement with ADGS is a significant milestone in QCRI’s efforts to commercialise our innovative research and development. SAQR represents a powerful and innovative data-driven solution to emerging challenges in today’s digital world. We are especially pleased to advance our Arabic language technologies and contribute to Qatar's reputation for leadership in innovative research and technology.”
Christophe Billiottet, CEO of ADGS Computer Systems, said: “Our company mission is to improve human life by developing innovative algorithms that solve the challenges society is currently facing, in an ethical way. The agreement with QCRI clearly reflects our mission. Now, ADGS is ready to offer SAQR’s unique capabilities, both in formal Arabic language and regional dialects, to a wider audience and market.”
Since ADGS was founded in 2015, the deep tech research and development startup has focused on using fundamental science and advanced technologies to build futuristic applications. Its work is supported by partnerships and bilateral co-operation agreements with universities and foundations around the world.
Mus'ab Habib Husaini, senior software engineer at QCRI who leads the project, added: “Working with ADGS is an exciting step that will prove instrumental in advancing our long-term vision for SAQR. We saw the platform being successfully used by relevant authorities in Qatar during the Covid-19 pandemic, for instance, and this new achievement allows the capabilities of the platform to be recognised and deployed by a wide range of users within and outside Qatar.”
