Computational linguistics · Kuwait University
Teaching machines to read Arabic — and teaching the people who build them.
Professor of Computational Linguistics and Natural Language Processing at Kuwait University. Three-time recipient of the WSIS Prize from the International Telecommunication Union. Adviser to Kuwaiti government on information technology since 2000.
Work
Four strands, one discipline
Research into how Arabic behaves computationally, and the application of that research in teaching, in government, and in production systems.
Computational processing of Arabic
Finite-state and inheritance-based approaches to the computational processing of word structure, sentence structure treated with HPSG, computational treatment of orthographic variation, and syllabic analysis of i'lāl. Published in Computer Speech and Language, JASIST, IEEE and Springer.
See publications → Kuwait UniversityTeaching
Twelve courses at Kuwait University, from undergraduate to doctoral level in the College of Arts: computational linguistics, modern syntax, semantics, sociolinguistics, corpus linguistics, and the computational processing of Arabic at graduate level. Also C programming in the College of Engineering and Petroleum.
Read the biography → Public serviceAdviser to Kuwaiti government since 2000
The Amiri Diwan, the Central Agency for Information Technology, the National Assembly, the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Education, CITRA, and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.
See the record → PracticeInformation Age Consulting
Founded to put the research into production: Arabic language processing, generative AI, social media analytics and digital transformation for Kuwaiti ministries, universities and broadcasters.
About the centre → RecognitionThree WSIS Prizes from the ITU
Winner in 2017 for e-learning, Champion in 2019 for linguistic diversity and local content, and Champion in 2022 for Social Watcher in the media category — awarded on behalf of the United Nations.
See the awards → MediaFourteen years on Kuwait Television
Produced and presented information technology programmes on Kuwait TV from 2004 to 2018, alongside ITU panels, documentary films and conference lectures.
Watch and read →Get in touch
Research enquiries, collaboration, and speaking.
For academic collaboration, conference participation or media enquiries — or for consulting work, through Information Age Consulting.