The crown prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, awarded Badir Program for Technology Incubators the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Award for Young Business Leaders (YBL) for the best incubators and accelerators.
The award was received by Nawaf Al-Sahhaf, CEO of Badir Program, during an event at Dubai World Trade Center on Monday.
Badir Program is one the leading initiatives launched by the King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST).
The jury lauded the program’s achievements, including growth performance indicators, creativity and innovation, social responsibility, organizational excellence and active contributions to support small- and medium-sized enterprises and technology startups.
Speaking on this occasion, Al-Sahhaf commended the program’s winning of the award, which reflects its performance and plans to develop and support technical entrepreneurship and incubators throughout the Kingdom, and its success in helping female and male Saudi entrepreneurs transform their technical ideas into successful investment projects by providing the right environment for the growth of technology startups.
Al-Sahhaf said: “Since its inception, Badir Program was able to provide its specialized services to more than 200 technology startups. In 2017, the number of technology startups incubated by the program increased to 157, as we plan to support the establishment of 600 new companies that will contribute to the provision of 3,600 jobs for Saudi young men and women, as part of the National Transformation Program 2020.”
He said the program’s most important achievements last year were the establishment and operation of three technology incubators in the Kingdom, the opening and launching of the first business accelerator in Riyadh, as well as the support and organization of more than 65 entrepreneurship events, including three events for Demo Day that gathered start-up companies and financing investors.
A first of its kind in the region, the YBL award aims to create a competitive environment among entrepreneurs to honor and motivate individuals and institutions that have contributed to the development of the entrepreneurial sector performance.
Badir Program wins YBL award for best incubators
Badir Program wins YBL award for best incubators
Aramco Digital to launch National Industrial Network on 450 MHz band
Aramco Digital, the digital and technology arm of Aramco, is preparing to launch its National Industrial Network operating on the 450 MHz spectrum, a network designed to enable secure, resilient, and high-reliability industrial communications across Saudi Arabia. The network has been engineered as a mission-critical industrial infrastructure to deliver high levels of security, flexibility, and reliability to meet the needs of industrial sectors. It provides wide-area coverage with advanced protection standards, supporting operational environments that require continuous performance and dependable connectivity for critical facilities and assets.
“The National Industrial Network has been designed to support the advanced operational requirements of modern industrial environments, aimed at enhancing efficiency, strengthening business continuity, and enabling a new class of highly reliable industrial communications. Together with next-generation mission-critical smart radios, the network aims to help build a future-ready industrial infrastructure that enables real-time data insights, supports industrial digital transformation, and aligns with the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030,” said Nabil Al-Nuaim, Aramco Digital CEO.
Unlike public networks, the National Industrial Network has been purpose-built for industrial environments, enabling connectivity for critical assets, supply chains, logistics operations, and autonomous mobility systems. The network seeks to elevate smart industrial services, supporting real-time monitoring, automation, enhanced safety, and higher operational efficiency across industrial sectors.
As part of the launch, Aramco Digital plans to introduce an integrated portfolio of industrial digital solutions powered by the 450 MHz network. These include specialized connectivity packages tailored to diverse sector needs, along with a new generation of mission-critical smart radios designed specifically for industrial operations. The devices combine rugged high-performance design and industrial safety compliance with advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, enhanced sensing technologies, extended battery life, and real-time on-device data processing, helping improve accuracy, safety, and operational continuity in complex environments.
The network has also been designed to support a wide spectrum of industrial IoT applications, including asset condition and performance monitoring, fleet tracking, air-quality and environmental sensing, intelligent video monitoring, smart metering, lighting and infrastructure control, as well as mobility and fleet-management solutions. These capabilities enhance operational transparency, automation, and efficiency across both industrial and public sectors.
The National Industrial Network aims to help establish a strong technological foundation for Saudi Arabia’s next industrial phase, contributing to the objectives of Vision 2030 by delivering highly reliable, nationwide industrial connectivity that enables automation, intelligence, and advanced digital services across vital sectors. By developing connectivity solutions aligned with the needs of modern industrial operations, Aramco Digital is helping shape the future of mission-critical digital infrastructure in the Kingdom, moving beyond traditional telecommunications to enable continuous interaction between devices, machines, and AI-powered systems, and strengthening real-time decision-making through edge processing.
The 450 MHz National Industrial Network represents more than an improvement in coverage or performance. It is a strategic step toward smarter, more autonomous, and technology-driven industrial ecosystems that enhance operational excellence and set a new benchmark for advanced digital infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
With the accelerating pace of digital transformation in the Kingdom, secure and reliable connectivity has become a fundamental pillar in supporting operational requirements and driving economic growth. Organizations across various sectors— including industrial sectors and those enabling future economies — are increasingly relying on advanced connectivity solutions and technologies to enhance safety and reliability, improve operational efficiency, and unlock new horizons for sustainable economic development.
