1001 AI Raises $9 Million to Transform Critical Industries in MENA

Bilal Abu-Ghazaleh has raised $9 million for his new company, 1001 AI, which builds decision-making software for essential industries in the Middle East and North Africa. He recently moved to London from Dubai after spending almost a decade in the United States, including at Scale AI.

The company aims to reduce waste and delays in sectors such as aviation, ports, oil and gas, and construction. “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,” he said

The seed round was led by CIV, General Catalyst and Lux Capital, with backing from Chris Ré, Amjad Masad, Amira Sajwani, Khalid Bin Bader Al Saud and Hisham Al-Falih. Though only two months old, 1001 AI is building teams between Dubai and London and preparing to launch its first product by the end of the year in the construction sector. The company is also in talks with major airport operators in the Gulf.

Why the Gulf Is 1001 AI’s Ultimate Test Ground

Abu-Ghazaleh was born in Jordan and moved to the U.S. for college. He worked at Hive AI before joining Scale AI in 2020 when the company was growing quickly. There, he managed generative AI operations and helped expand global data annotation networks. After a shift in company direction, he left to found 1001 AI.