Bilal Abu-Ghazaleh had just moved to London few days before our call, splitting his time between there and Dubai.
After nearly a decade in the U.S., including a stint at Scale AI, he’s bringing that experience to his next venture: 1001 AI , a company creating AI infrastructure for critical industries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
The startup recently raised a $9 million seed round led by CIV, General Catalyst, and Lux Capital. Other backers include global and regional angels such as Chris Ré, Amjad Masad (Replit), Amira Sajwani (DAMAC), Khalid Bin Bader Al Saud (RAED Ventures), and Hisham Alfalih (Lean Technologies).
Abu-Ghazaleh said his two-month-old company promises to cut inefficiencies in high-stakes sectors like aviation, logistics, and oil and gas through an AI-native operating system for decision-making.
“Just looking at the top three or four industries like airports, ports, construction, and oil and gas, we see more than $10 billion in inefficiencies across the Gulf alone,” the founder and CEO said in an interview with TechCrunch. “That’s just in markets like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Even without counting other sectors, these industries represent a massive opportunity.”
For example, any efficiencies found in airport operations can compound the savings, impacting both the airport and its airlines. Meanwhile, he said nine out of ten of the regions mega-projects fall behind schedule or go over budget, meaning even small increases in efficiencies can save these projects serious money.
1001 AI hopes to sell its decision-making AI to new projects after it launches its first product, which is scheduled by year’s end. The startup is in talks with some of the Gulf’s largest construction firms and airports, said Abu-Ghazaleh.
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