The physical world runs on minutes and margins. Airports handle hundreds of millions of passengers annually, with each idle aircraft minute costing operators over $100. And with 9 out of 10 mega-projects running behind schedule or over budget, even small inefficiencies translate into billions in losses. The next industrial leap won’t come from another chatbot, it will come from AI that rewires how the physical world runs. Decisions that save minutes, unlock capacity, and bend the cost curve of entire industries.

From Amman, Jordan, where I was born and raised, to studying computer science and working in the U.S., my journey has always been about bridging where I come from with where technology is going. Most of my career has been in AI at Scale, building systems that powered some of the world’s largest technology companies and showed me how transformative AI could be when embedded directly into complex workflows. This felt like the perfect moment to return.

MENA is scaling rapidly as new airports, ports, and mega-projects continue to rise every year.   The demand to digitize, optimize, and scale is immediate, and operators are eager to adopt technology that delivers real-world outcomes. Yet despite this momentum, there are few places to work at the true frontier of applied AI. 1001 is my attempt to change that: a place to build at the edge of technology, rooted in the region, but with global ambition. Many of us left to work at the cutting edge; 1001 is a place to come back and build it here.

We are building an AI-native operating system for decision-making in critical industries. Our aim is simple: make smarter decisions, faster. The platform combines live data ingestion, operational mapping, AI-driven decisioning, and oversight modules designed to turn real-time complexity into clear, auditable action. The future belongs to decision engines that act in the flow of operations, with outcomes you can count and governance you can trust. 

We’re excited to announce a $9M round led by CIV, General Catalyst, and Lux Capital to build 1001. We’re fortunate enough to be backed by regional and global leaders including Chris Re, Amjad Masad (Replit), Amira Sajwani (DAMAC, PRYPCO), Khalid Bin Bader Al Saud (RAED), and Hisham Alfalih (Lean).  

Momentum has already come from pilots with tier-one logistics operators and an initial collaboration with regional developers, where we’re working together on how applied AI can reimagine large-scale operations. This funding accelerates early deployments across aviation, logistics, and infrastructure while helping us recruit world-class engineering and operational talent. 

We are actively hiring in Dubai, London and globally. If you are interested in joining 1001, please reach out: contact@1001.ai

- Bilal Abu-Ghazaleh