The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) recently partnered with Huawei to launch the First Huawei and Partners ICT Talent Job Fair at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The recruitment event aimed to promote promising students who have taken part in previous Huawei training programs such as the ICT Competition, Future Leaders Program, Seeds for the Future, or educational initiatives through Huawei’s ICT Academies, and offer them the opportunity to advance their careers.
The event was attended by Vice President of Channels and Commercial Sales at Huawei Middle East Hazem Bazan; Chinese Ambassador to the Kingdom Li Huaxin; Vice Chairman of the Riyadh Chamber Mansour Al-Shathri; HR Adviser for the Shared Support Deputy Governor of SAGIA Abdul Aziz Altamimi; and other senior officials from the MCIT as well as the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, Saudi Center for International Strategic Partnerships, Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), and 16 enterprises who are Huawei’s local partners.
At the job fair, hundreds of students applied for ICT positions at Huawei and its partner enterprises. Huawei also used the forum as a platform to launch the Saudi Talent Enablement Program (STEP), a program which will encompass many of Huawei’s educational initiatives to promote the development of valuable skills in Saudi nationals.
On the sidelines of the fair, 30 students graduated from Huawei’s Future Leaders Program, an initiative which provides technical education to Saudi nationals, particularly fresh university graduates.
Chinese Ambassador Li said: “This First Huawei and Partners ICT Talent Job Fair is yet another example of China’s strong partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I proudly recognize the contribution that Huawei makes through its social responsibility programs as it plays a major role in developing skills of the youth of the Kingdom.”
Saad Almaleki, general manager of digital capabilities at MCIT, said: “We are proud to partner with Huawei once again to promote the First Huawei and Partners ICT Talent Job Fair, and support our students in developing the skills and technology necessary to enable our leadership’s Vision 2030 and National Transformation Plan 2020. We are grateful to Huawei for its great contribution to accelerating our Kingdom’s digital transformation by equipping our students with the skills they need to drive forward the ICT industry and promote them into labor market, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration and partnership for many years to come.”
Vice President of Channels and Commercial Sales at Huawei Middle East Bazan said: “Huawei sees enormous potential for Saudi Arabia to become a global leader and pioneer in the ICT sector. Saudi Vision 2030 calls for the development of the Kingdom into an innovative and globally-competitive economy through digital transformation, and our aim at Huawei is to support the success of this vision.”
MCIT, Huawei launch ICT job fair in Riyadh
MCIT, Huawei launch ICT job fair in Riyadh
More crop per drop: NADEC and EF Polymer deploy breakthrough technology to cut agricultural water use by 40%
Following a strategic technology-scouting framework led by Universal Materials Incubator, the National Agricultural Development Company has entered into a partnership to launch large-scale field trials of EF Polymer, marking a significant step in deploying deep-technology solutions to strengthen the Kingdom’s food and water security.
The collaboration initiates field trials of EF Polymer’s proprietary solution — a 100 percent organic, biodegradable powder that performs like a “soil battery” upcycled from food waste. Engineered to address water scarcity in arid and semi-arid regions, the material can absorb up to 50 times its own weight in water and gradually release moisture directly to plant roots. This mechanism has the potential to reduce irrigation water use by up to 40 percent, while enhancing crop yield and long-term agricultural productivity.
Beyond water efficiency, EF Polymer improves nutrient retention by minimizing fertilizer leaching, thereby reducing overall fertilizer requirements. After approximately one year in the soil, the material fully biodegrades into organic carbon, organic matter, and trace nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, and nitrogen — contributing directly to improved soil health and long-term fertility.
The solution is affordable, easy to apply, and suitable for a wide range of crops, making it viable both for individual farmers and for industrial-scale agricultural operations such as NADEC’s.
EF Polymer has already achieved significant commercial adoption across multiple global markets, including Japan, the US, India and Turkiye, where it is actively used by farmers and agribusiness operators to improve water efficiency, soil health, and crop resilience under varying climatic conditions.
Its organic credentials are certified by OMRI and Ecocert, reinforcing its alignment with sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices.
The stakes for this alliance are high. By 2030, global freshwater demand is projected to exceed supply by 40 percent. In Saudi Arabia, the challenge is localized but intense: the agricultural sector alone consumes approximately 11.4 billion cubic meters of water annually. This partnership underscores NADEC’s commitment to adopting innovative, scalable technologies that conserve natural resources while supporting resilient food systems across the Kingdom.
Mohamed Al-Rajhi, VP of supply chain sector at NADEC, said: “Strategic agriculture today requires a long-term commitment to soil health and resource circularity. NADEC is leading the shift toward regenerative practices that restore our natural capital rather than merely consuming it. By diversifying our crop portfolio and investing in closed-loop nutrient management, we are insulating our operations against global price volatility and environmental shifts.”
“We are aggressively deploying AI-driven irrigation systems and satellite-based crop monitoring to optimize every drop of water and every hectare of land. This strategic pivot toward agri-digitization allows us to mitigate climate risks in real-time while significantly reducing our carbon footprint. Our commitment to sustainability is our greatest competitive advantage, ensuring that NADEC remains the cornerstone of the Middle East’s agri-food sector for decades to come. These trials focus on strategic scalable crops like wheat and olive trees to ensure the future of the Kingdom’s food security is both sustainable and locally rooted,” he added.
Strategic trial milestones:
- Wheat: Trials have commenced to demonstrate water retention in this water-intensive crop.
- Olive and blueberry: Specialized testing is scheduled for March to evaluate yield improvements and nutrient efficiency.
This collaboration supports Saudi Vision 2030 goals of reducing non-renewable groundwater use by 90 percent.
