LONDON: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to meet technology titans in the US over the next week, as the Kingdom embarks on a technology-driven economic transformation.
Saudi Arabia has embarked on a major investment push into technology, which includes a $3.5 billion deal with Uber in 2016 and the creation of a massive tech fund with Japan’s SoftBank Group.
The crown prince’s two-and-a-half-week official tour of the US includes a push for Amazon to consider working with the Saudi Energy Ministry to build a data center in the country, as well as digitization services for national oil giant Aramco, Bloomberg reported.
“After the recent announcement regarding the Vision Fund’s investment in the world’s biggest solar power project in Saudi Arabia, international analysts are on the edge of their seats in anticipation of what might happen during the crown prince’s visit to Silicon Valley,” Wes Schwalje, COO of research firm Tahseen Consulting, told Arab News.
“We’ll likely see some big announcements regarding partnerships between flagship Saudi companies and government entities and prominent tech start-ups in the artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and autonomous vehicle sectors.”
Schwalje said he expects to see more partnerships announced that support the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 social and economic diversification blueprint.
“For example, during the crown prince’s UK visit a deal was signed with Medopad and Johnson & Johnson to utilize artificial intelligence to complement the Kingdom’s current initiatives to digitize health care as part of the National Transformation Program,” said Schwalje.
Scott Lucas, professor of international politics at the University of Birmingham, said the crown prince’s US meetings with tech titans also have strong PR value and reflect the Kingdom’s technological ambitions.
Transforming Saudi Arabia into the next Silicon Valley is a “big ask,” but “it’s never too late to get into the game of technology,” Lucas said. “If you don’t get into digital, you’ll get left behind.”
Saudi Arabia faces a major challenge in developing a domestic technology industry, he said. “The Kingdom has faced this type of problem before, when it had to get the oil and gas out of the ground,” he added.
“How did they do it, and how did they get the skills and technology to do it? They worked with partners. But when it comes to a digital economy, how do you get it? Where do you buy it?”
John David Lovelock, chief global forecaster at IT research firm Gartner, said: “If Saudi Arabia wants to be the Silicon Valley of the Middle East, it will need to provide access to skilled labor, as well as the ability to support this labor. It will also need strong IT regulations, reliable energy and good internet.
“The tech recruitment strategy has to be approached in multiple ways. You can’t train up the workforce as quickly as you need them, but then again you can’t create an entirely imported force.
“You have to have some skin in the game. Silicon Valley has a mix of imported and home-grown talent.”
It is not too late to create a global technology hub, Lovelock said. “There are three tech areas that don’t yet have a recognized global hub: The Internet of Things, AI and digital business.
“No one country has yet claimed the global crown for AI. There are many countries that would like to claim the crown, but at the moment it’s not settled,” Lovelock said.
“I’d advise any country now to focus on becoming a tech hub as the market is growing and growing.”
New technology deals could set Saudi Arabia on a path to rapid innovation
New technology deals could set Saudi Arabia on a path to rapid innovation
Saudi crown prince and French president discuss bilateral relations during phone call
- Saudi crown prince and French president exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues including the latest developments in Gaza
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed relations between their countries and ways to develop existing cooperation during a phone call on Wednesday.
The leaders congratulated each other on an agreement between the Saudia Group, represented by Saudia and flyadeal, and Airbus to purchase 105 aircraft, Saudi Press Agency reported.
France is one of Airbus’ four founding countries, as well as home to the company’s headquarters facility – which is located in Toulouse.
The crown prince and Macron also discussed topics of common interest. They also exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues including the latest developments in the situation in Gaza, the need to intensify efforts and international communication to reach an immediate end to the war there, and the necessity of delivering adequate humanitarian aid to the territory.
Sync Summit returns with digital call to action
- US activist urges children’s online safety regulations in sobering discussion
- Well-known Emirati interviewer and entrepreneur Anas Bukhash moderated a talk titled “Turning Tides: Recalling Humanity in a Digital World”
DHAHRAN: “We have become more concerned with burnt toast than frying our brains,” Abdullah Al-Rashid, director of the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, or Ithra, told the attentive crowd at the opening of the Sync Summit, the two-day event which opened on Wednesday.
Sync Summit, first held in 2022, returned to Ithra with more sobering reminders of why now, more than ever, we need to reset our relationship with the digital world.
Well-known Emirati interviewer and entrepreneur Anas Bukhash returned to the Sync stage where he moderated a talk titled “Turning Tides: Recalling Humanity in a Digital World.” He offered insights as someone who owes his career to the power of the Internet but also recognizes many of its negative aspects.
“A knife can slice bread or stab someone,” Bukhash said, noting technology’s ability to be a tool to build or injure, depending on how one uses it.
His panel included Kristin Bride from the US, an activist focused on children’s safety regulations on social media, and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
“Four years ago was the worst day of my life,” Bride told the stunned crowd. Her son, who was in high school, was seemingly thriving, having just landed a summer job at a pizza parlor.
Bride recalled telling her son how proud she was. Her son described how much he was looking forward to the future, but just hours later, he died by suicide during the night.
The activist later found out that her son had been severely bullied on Snapchat by anonymous users. The hundreds of messages she saw when she opened her late son’s account were every mother’s worst nightmare.
Bride fears that young people today lack the tools or the coping mechanisms to deal with online bullying. For the last three years, she has worked tirelessly to advocate for stronger regulations for young users, seeking stricter rules against anonymous users and asking for accountability from Snapchat and Meta.
“I feel sorry for my role,” said Wozniak, mentioning how he holds some guilt in building what has become a tangled World Wide Web.
Social media algorithms track a user’s activity to tailor content, which can sometimes limit the human or organic aspect of social interactions online.
“It’s not just a ‘like’ … you trigger a hundred advertisers,” Wozniak said.
Meanwhile, in a fireside chat, Arab News reporter Lama Alhamawi spoke to legendary football manager Jose Mourinho, who offered his philosophy on the social media usage of football players, describing the role that technology plays in the world of sport.
The summit also included a panel on utilizing technological advancements and finding ways to enhance the accuracy of fake news detection, along with other sessions dedicated to AI and wellness in the digital realm.
Ithra offered other events in the main plaza as well as programs curated for diverse audiences at the Ithra Theater and Ithra Cinema.
The Sync Summit is livestreamed and can be accessed on the Ithra website and social media channels.
Allam platform included in IBM’s watsonx
- Watsonx is IBM’s commercial generative AI and scientific data platform based on the cloud
- The director of the National Information Center at the SDAIA commended the watsonx platform’s exceptional technical capabilities
RIYADH: The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority announced Wednesday that Allam, the AI generative platform serving Saudi Arabia and Arabic speakers around the world, was included in IBM’s watsonx data platform at the IBM Think 2024 conference in its pilot phase as one of the best generative models in Arabic in the world.
Watsonx is IBM’s commercial generative AI and scientific data platform based on the cloud.
In a speech at the annual conference, the director of the National Information Center at the SDAIA, Essam Al-Waqeet, commended the watsonx platform’s exceptional technical capabilities in enabling large language models and simplifying machine learning, as well as enhancing AI governance, compliance and hybrid cloud deployment flexibility, and praised the inclusion of Allam for global use, which significantly strengthens SDAIA’s position as a leader in the field of AI.
“It is acknowledged that large linguistic models trained on high-quality data are the basis for the successful implementation of generative AI, and Allam has been trained on more than 500 billion linguistic units in Arabic. We will seek to expand the addition of high-quality data and work to improve the accuracy of its models,” Al-Waqeet said.
He also reaffirmed the SDAIA’s commitment to make Allam the best generative AI model in the Arabic language in the world.
Al-Waqeet also invited the participants at the IBM Think 2024 to join the third Global Artificial Intelligence Summit, to be organized by the SDAIA in Riyadh from Sept. 10-12 later this year.
Speedy and secure, Haramain High Speed Railway enhances Hajj experience
- The Haramain High Speed Railway plays a crucial role in the Hajj season’s transportation system
- Its operational plan incorporates more than 3,800 trips, offering more than 1.6 million seats to serve pilgrims and visitors in Madinah
RIYADH: The Haramain High Speed Railway offers pilgrims and travelers a safe and efficient way to navigate between holy sites.
The Saudi Press Agency recently witnessed the smooth operations at the Madinah station, the punctual arrivals and departures of trains carrying hundreds of pilgrims, Umrah performers, citizens and residents.
The train travels with regularity and is easy to use. At the station, SPA witnessed a streamlined process — travelers verify their reservations, head to the departure hall and board the train. The 13 rail cars offer ample seating. One car is dedicated to food and beverages.
Yahya Al-Sharqawi, from Egypt, expressed satisfaction with the ease and safety of the journey, highlighting the convenience of traveling directly from Jeddah airport to Madinah. He commended the Kingdom’s commitment to facilitating pilgrims’ movement.
Anwar Badr, another Egyptian visitor, was pleased with the many transportation options available, and the ease with which the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque can be reached, and expressed gratitude for the exceptional services provided to pilgrims.
Ali Rajabi, from Iran, echoed these sentiments, praising the comfort and convenience offered by the Haramain High Speed Railway. He said that the project serves pilgrims from all corners of the globe.
The Madinah station caters to travelers’ needs with a variety of amenities. Parking is available below the station, and self-service kiosks handle reservations and ticketing.
Information and assistance offices help to navigate the facilities. Multiple arrival and departure halls ensure smooth passenger flow, with seasonal halls specifically dedicated to serving pilgrims during peak periods.
For added convenience, the station boasts retail outlets selling food and beverages, as well as companies offering housing and car rental services. A permanent health center provides on-site medical care.
The Haramain High Speed Railway plays a crucial role in the Hajj season’s transportation system. Its operational plan incorporates more than 3,800 trips, offering more than 1.6 million seats to serve pilgrims and visitors in Madinah.
This efficient and modern railway system is a testament to Saudi Arabia’s dedication to ensuring a smooth and fulfilling Hajj experience for all, SPA reported.
Saudi Arabia showcases geospatial innovation at Ghana forum
- The conference highlights the significance of investing in technologies, artificial intelligence, and innovation in surveying and geospatial activities
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information is participating in the annual Conference of the International Federation of Surveyors in Accra, Ghana, from May 19-24.
The conference highlights the significance of investing in technologies, artificial intelligence, and innovation in surveying and geospatial activities, aiming for a flexible environment and sustainable management of natural resources.
Attendees will exchange expertise and learn best practices in the field.
The Saudi authority delivered a technical presentation, “Surveying and Geospatial Information in Saudi Arabia: Past, Present, and Future Aspirations,” during the event, attended by FIG President Diane Dumashie, vice presidents and experts.
Saudi ambassador to Ghana and Togo, Sultan Al-Dakhil, visited the authority’s booth, appreciating its efforts to strengthen partnerships with international organizations.
With more than 1,500 participants from 80 countries, the conference facilitates international collaborations among government bodies, the private sector, academia, and global expertise centers through 70 scientific sessions.
