In this paper, we address the significant gap in Arabic natural language processing (NLP) resources by introducing ArabicaQA, the first large-scale dataset for machine reading comprehension and open-domain question answering in Arabic. This comprehensive dataset, consisting of 89,095 answerable and 3,701 unanswerable questions created by crowdworkers to look similar to answerable ones, along with additional labels of open-domain questions marks a crucial advancement in Arabic NLP resources. We also present AraDPR, the first dense passage retrieval model trained on the Arabic Wikipedia corpus, specifically designed to tackle the unique challenges of Arabic text retrieval. Furthermore, our study includes extensive benchmarking of large language models (LLMs) for Arabic question answering, critically evaluating their performance in the Arabic language context. In conclusion, ArabicaQA, AraDPR, and the benchmarking of LLMs in Arabic question answering offer significant advancements in the field of Arabic NLP. The dataset and code are publicly accessible for further research https://github.com/DataScienceUIBK/ArabicaQA.

Abstract In the current business environment, where the customer is the primary focus, effective communication between marketing and senior management is vital for success. Effective customer profiling is a cornerstone of strategic decision-making for digital start-ups seeking sustainable growth and customer satisfaction. This research investigates the clustering of customers based on recency, frequency, and monetary (RFM) analysis and employs validation metrics to derive optimal clusters. The K-means clustering algorithm, coupled with the Elbow method, Silhouette coefficient, and Gap Statistics method, facilitates the identification of distinct customer segments. The study unveils three primary clusters with unique characteristics: new customers (Cluster A), best customers (Cluster B), and intermittent customers (Cluster C). For platform-based Edutech start-ups, Cluster A underscores the importance of tailored learning content and support, Cluster B emphasizes personalized incentives, and Cluster C suggests re-engagement strategies. By understanding and addressing the diverse needs of these clusters, digital start-ups can forge enduring connections, optimize customer engagement, and fuel sustainable business growth.