Dubai, UAE – Rami Abu Arja, Senior Innovation Marketing Manager Middle East at Yasmina, Yango Group, shared growth milestones and product direction for the region’s leading Arabic first AI assistant during the Machines Can Think Summit 2026. Abu Arja spoke in an on stage interview with Katie Jensen.
Yasmina launched in the UAE as a voice based AI assistant designed specifically for Arabic and English speakers across the region. Development took place locally, led by regional talent with deep cultural understanding. The assistant supports Arabic in multiple dialects, starting with Khaliji, while also responding in English.
“Yasmina was built by people from this region for people from this region,” Abu Arja said. “Language, culture, ethics, and daily habits shaped every part of development.”
Unlike text focused AI tools, Yasmina operates primarily through spoken interaction. Users engage through natural conversation using everyday language. The assistant understands dialects from across the Arab world, including Saudi, Egyptian, Levantine, and Gulf speech patterns.
Cultural alignment drives adoption. Yasmina includes Islamic focused features such as Quran recitation, Adhan reminders, and Ramadan specific experiences. These features support daily routines while aligning with local values and family use.
“Ethics and responses follow local norms,” Abu Arja said. “Families trust Yasmina inside their homes.”
Adoption accelerated rapidly following launch. In Q4 2025, daily interactions increased five times compared to earlier periods. Users now average more than 22 interactions per day in the UAE. Conversational engagement ranks as the most used feature, followed by Islamic services.
Expansion continues beyond the UAE. Yasmina recently launched in Oman, with further regional growth planned.
News delivery emerged as a major use case. Users frequently request updates on sports, football, and regional headlines. Yasmina now delivers real time news summaries sourced exclusively from locally certified media outlets.
“Accuracy matters,” Abu Arja said. “News sources follow local standards to support trust.”
The assistant filters and summarizes information before presenting updates in concise, culturally aligned language. This approach addresses rising concerns around misinformation and unchecked AI outputs.
Language expansion remains a priority. The Yasmina team currently trains the assistant to speak Egyptian Arabic, one of the most widely understood dialects across the region due to media and entertainment influence. Release is expected within six months.
Product updates also target younger users. A new Yasmina offering designed for younger audiences enters development, responding to rising engagement among children and teens.
Abu Arja emphasized regional data handling as a key advantage. Local development and deployment support user confidence around privacy and data protection.
The conversation reflected core themes of the Machines Can Think Summit 2026, responsible AI, cultural relevance, regional innovation, and trusted human centered design.
About Yasmina
Yasmina is a bilingual AI voice assistant from Yango Group. She works on Yango smart speakers and supports Arabic and English. You use her to ask questions, play music, set reminders, and get local information such as prayer times and recipes in some markets.
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Interview conducted by Katie Jensen at Machines Can Think Summit 2026