JEDDAH: Disruptive technologies are increasingly becoming part of the day-to-day life at personal and professional levels, participants of a panel discussion said Thursday at the Global IT Summit at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
Panel session participants suggested that the involvement of technology in daily life is inevitable and necessary for advancement in science and technology.
“Every single area of science is demanding more computing power,” said Steven Scott CTO of Cray at a panel discussing the future of supercomputing and high performing computing (HPC).
Learning how to thrive in a digitally disruptive world and being able to imagine how advanced technology will affect lives is a must. To Charles Araujo, principal analyst at Intellyx and founder of the Institute for Digital Transformation, the constant exploration of the future is one of the most important things individuals can do as a company.
“Everyone in your organization needs to become a futurist and be someone who is in a constant state of exploration,” he said at a session entitled “Thriving in a Digitally Disrupted World.”
Araujo described today’s age as the “chaos age” where individuals need to imagine the future and be prepared for the intervention of technology.
KAUST is home to Shaheen II, the seventh fastest supercomputer in the world, as announced at the International Computing Conference in Frankfurt in July 2015. It was a seed planted by late King Abdullah.
“What we have accomplished after seven years of existence is remarkable,” said Jean-Lou Chameau, president of KAUST, in a keynote at the second day of the Global IT Summit. “There is no university I believe in modern ages that was able to develop so quickly and so well.”
Chameau said that KAUST is fortunate that the late king had a vision to make an impact. Philanthropy was a cornerstone in sustaining the university where students from around the world pursue their masters and doctorate degrees.
This, he said, gives flexibility to students and researchers to pursue their education given the financial support.
“When I meet with potential candidates here I encourage them to take high risks, try to look at issues you don’t know anything about,” he added.
‘Chaos age’ requires futurists to protect business: Panel
‘Chaos age’ requires futurists to protect business: Panel
Threat to Kingdom’s security is ‘red line’ that will be ‘addressed and neutralized,’ Saudi envoy says
- Abdulaziz Alwasil tells UN Security Council the situation in southern Yemen is ‘a just cause with social and historic dimensions’ that can only be resolved through dialogue
- Recent military activity in the south was unilateral, resulting in an escalation that harms the interests of Yemeni people and undermines efforts to address issues in the south, he said
NEW YORK CITY: Any attempt to threaten Saudi Arabia’s national security is a “red line” and will be met with decisive action, the Kingdom’s ambassador to the UN told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Speaking during a meeting of the council to discuss Yemen, Abdulaziz Alwasil said the situation in the south of the country is “a just cause with social and historic dimensions” that can only be resolved through dialogue.
“We stress that any attempt to threaten our national security is a red line, and we will not hesitate to take the necessary actions and steps to address it and neutralize it,” he added.
Alwasil reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for Yemeni President Rashad Al-Alimi, the Presidential Leadership Council, and the Yemeni government in their efforts to achieve security, stability, development and peace while preserving national unity.
He said military activity by Southern Transitional Council forces in Hadramout and Al-Mahra on Dec. 2, 2025, was unilateral, did not have the approval of the Presidential Leadership Council, and was not carried out in coordination with the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen.
It had resulted in an unjustified escalation that harmed the interests of the Yemeni people, undermined efforts to address the issues in the south, and ran counter to the coalition’s objectives, Alwasil added.
The Kingdom, working with its coalition partners, the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government, had moved to contain the situation by dispatching a military force to coordinate arrangements with the Southern Transitional Council in Aden, he said.
The aim was to ensure the return of the southern council’s forces to their previous positions outside of Hadramout and Al-Mahra, and the handover of camps to legitimate government forces and local authorities in line with agreed procedures, Alwasil added.
He expressed regret over the military operations that took place in Hadramout and Al-Mahra, close to Saudi Arabia’s southern border, which he said posed a direct threat to the Kingdom’s national security, as well as the security of Yemen and regional stability. Such steps were extremely dangerous, he added, and contradicted the principles on which the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen had been founded.
Alwasil welcomed a prisoner and detainee exchange agreement signed in Muscat on Dec. 23, which he described as an important humanitarian measure to alleviate suffering and build confidence.
He praised Oman for hosting and sponsoring the consultations and supporting negotiations, and commended the efforts of UN’s special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, the International Committee of the Red Cross and all others that has played a part.
Regarding the political efforts to resolve the crisis, Alwasil said Saudi Arabia welcomed President Al-Alimi’s call for an inclusive conference in Riyadh to bring together all stakeholders to discuss just solutions to the situation in southern Yemen.
Preparations for the conference have begun, he added, in cooperation with the Yemeni government and southern representatives, reflecting the close ties between the two countries and their shared interests in stabilizing Yemen.
He urged all southern stakeholders to participate actively and constructively in the talks, to help find comprehensive and just solutions that meet the legitimate aspirations of the people of southern Yemen.
Alwasil called on all Yemeni forces and stakeholders to cooperate and intensify their efforts to reach a lasting political settlement that would ensure security and stability.
He described the southern issue as “a just cause with social and historic dimensions,” adding that “the only way to address it is through dialogue that leads to a comprehensive political solution” based on nationally and internationally agreed terms of reference.
