STC Academy: Preparing the next generation of digital leaders in Saudi Arabia

Illustration by Luis Grañena Lopez
Updated 14 March 2019
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STC Academy: Preparing the next generation of digital leaders in Saudi Arabia

  • STC Academy dean, Dr. Rafat Malik, discussed the work of the new school in an interview with Arab News
  • More than 1,000 students graduated from the academy in 2018

JEDDAH: STC Academy, the Saudi Telecom Company’s technology and leadership academy, opened in February 2018 with the aim of developing the next generation of digital leaders in the Kingdom. 

In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Dr. Rafat Malik, dean of STC Academy and vice president of STC, discussed the progress that the academy has made in fostering individuals able to identify, manage and develop the innovative technology of tomorrow.

“Within the Kingdom and the region, STC is at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution,” said Malik. “We’re right at the cutting edge of innovation, and our purpose is to prepare the next generation for a completely different technological reality for the Kingdom. 

We wanted to create a new and sustainable way of learning in this new era, to redefine what an academy looks and feels like, to create a culture that could be reflective of the new way of working within STC, and have the ability to meet the demands of the national 2030 Vision.

“The strategy of STC is ‘DARE’ — Digitize, Accelerate growth, Reinvent customer experience, and Expand,” Malik continued. “However, if you take away those letters and just look at the word, we are daring to digitally transform the whole Kingdom. The colleagues I work with are all driven to make this transformation happen. It goes beyond just being a job for me, it’s a purpose and a calling. That’s how I treat it, and that’s how many of us at STC view what we’re doing for the Kingdom.”

Malik began his career as a military aviator, then worked as an aeronautical engineer for the UK Ministry of Defense. 

After setting up several digital startups, he went on become one of the most senior leaders within the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College London, before becoming VP of the Financial Times Corporate Learning Alliance. 

In 2016, Malik was invited to visit STC headquarters in Riyadh to brainstorm ideas for how to contribute to building a thriving digital future for Saudi Arabia. “In that drive from the airport to the STC headquarters before my first meeting with the CEO at the time, observing and reflecting on the environment around me, it was apparent that this was a country on the cusp of taking quite a few (leaps) in innovation, technology, and how the whole society was positioning itself to be technology contributors on the international stage. 

“There were very few countries in the world that were going through this phase. Those thoughts remained on my mind (even until) today.”

At STC, Malik met the current CEO, Nasser Al Nasser, the VP of HR Ahmad Al Ghamdi, and other senior VP’s. 

“They left a lasting impression on me, and the impression was very simple: They were a group of people that were all passionate about transforming the Kingdom,” he said. “It was in their DNA. It just so happened they worked in the Kingdom’s largest telecoms company. That passion was infectious for me. I thought about it, discussed it with my family and surmised that the country is going through enormous change and it would be a privilege and honor for me to contribute and to be part of that story. More importantly, I dearly wanted to work with these individuals.”

With the help of STC Academy, STC is making positive strides toward providing world-class development in markets including data analytics, AI, cybersecurity, IoT (Internet of Things) and more. 

Malik pointed out that the company is launching a national 5G rollout. “When 5G comes along, it will help improve the lives not just of individuals, but of communities,” he said. “It will be a game changer for the Kingdom.”

STC is, he added, also playing a key role in ensuring gender diversity — a crucial part of Saudi Vision 2030. In fact, one of the members of Malik’s leadership team at STC Academy is also STC’s first female executive — Dr. Moudhi Al Jamea.

“Last year we worked with over 3,000 young individuals,” Malik said. “The gender split was 60/40, and, in some programs, 50/50. Creating diversity is critical. It’s a reflection of how we operate here. We have a 50% gender-split policy within the organization. 

“We’re opening ourselves up to diversity and creating an inclusive culture in an unprecedented way, while also ensuring that — regardless of gender — the skills we’re developing for these young candidates will be sustainable for the future.” 

In 2018, more than 1,000 students graduated from the academy. This year, it will be focusing on STC’s internal leadership teams, with most of its programs dedicated to sharpening the digital skills of another 1,000 digital leaders. 

This year, apart from increasing the number of courses it offers internally, STC Academy will also be focusing on external programs for the general public. 

“We’re not just an elite digital academy for experienced leaders, we also have a responsibility to lead and help the youth of the country as well,” Malik explained. “The way we design the learning process is that it intellectually stretches people, tests their agility, and challenges them by blending together digital simulations with key digital leadership themes.”

“We have a partnership with the Misk Foundation. On weekends, we open up the facility to Misk and an organization called Udacity, to develop skills around programming, Python computing, and data analytics. They are all unique to the Kingdom and a first for the region as well,” he continued. 

“The role STC and STC Academy is playing in Vision 2030 is palpable,” he continued. “(Our) aim is to create sustainable development journeys for new digital leaders. One of the principles on which we’ve developed the academy is to always keep in mind that (out there), is a young girl or boy just waiting to be discovered and given the opportunity to contribute their intellect, passion and ability to the Kingdom. Our job is to enable that young person’s dream to happen and to give them the tools to lead the next generation.

“Within a few years, I think people will view STC in a completely different way,” he concluded. “We’ll be a digital and technology company that just happened to start out as a telecoms company.”


Heba Ismail brings Saudi representation to NFT ecosystem

Saudi artist Heba Ismail showcased her work at the Outer Edge Innovation Summit in Riyadh recently. (Supplied)
Updated 11 sec ago
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Heba Ismail brings Saudi representation to NFT ecosystem

  • Heba Ismail is highlighting ways for artists to flourish in the digital world

JEDDAH: Saudi artist Heba Ismail showcased her work at the Outer Edge Innovation Summit in Riyadh this week.

Commenting on her experience at the summit as one of the first Saudi artists to venture into the Web3 art scene, she said: “Having my paintings displayed on the event screens is a tremendous honor, offering global visibility and inspiring more Saudi and Arab artists to explore the diverse options available for sharing their art with the world.

Saudi artist Heba Ismail showcased her work at the Outer Edge Innovation Summit in Riyadh recently. (Supplied)

“Through my participation with Nuqtah, the first Saudi NFT platform, I am eager to present my art on a global stage and connect with audiences in innovative ways,” she continued.

Non-fungible tokens — or NFTs — are, in this scenario, digital tokens that can be redeemed for a digital art work. Ismail is exploring their potential in the Saudi art scene.

HIGHLIGHTS

• With a professional background in dentistry, Heba Ismail found parallels between that meticulous work and her own creative process.

• Partnering with ChainVisory, a blockchain consultancy company, Ismail launched the Hebaism brand.

• It combines NFTs and original paintings, providing collectors with both digital and physical assets.

For Ismail, art has always been more than just a hobby — it’s been a lifelong calling. With a professional background in dentistry, Ismail found parallels between that meticulous work and her own creative process.

Saudi artist Heba Ismail showcased her work at the Outer Edge Innovation Summit in Riyadh recently. (Supplied)

Inspired by movements including cubism, fauvism, and surrealism, Ismail’s art is a fusion of diverse influences and personal narratives “Each face represents a feeling and a vision documented on a painting. I paint poetry, and often times each piece is accompanied by a poem,” she said. “As a Saudi female, most of my paintings represent myself and my Saudi culture, which I am proud of. The characters are coded feelings, faces that tell a story — either joy, sadness, or acrimony.”

Heba Ismail, Saudi artist

Her introduction to NFTs came in 2021, sparking a fascination with the technology and its potential. Partnering with ChainVisory, a blockchain consultancy company, Ismail launched her Hebaism brand, which combines NFTs and original paintings, providing collectors with both digital and physical assets.

As a female Saudi artist, I want to leave a mark and impact on every art platform, putting Saudi art on the map worldwide.

Heba Ismail, Saudi artist

“I wanted to keep the authentic classical painting process, yet the NFT world gave me a chance to meet and discover different ways to share my art and build a name and a brand,” she said. “It’s been an enlightening journey, uncovering the futuristic art process and connecting with a vibrant community through Web3.”

Ismail hopes to inspire other artists in the region to explore new avenues for artistic expression.

“As a female Saudi artist, I want to leave a mark and impact on every art platform, putting Saudi art on the map worldwide,” she said.

 


Who’s Who: Ahmed bin Ali Al-Suwailem, CEO of the National Center for Non-Profit Sector

Ahmed Al-Suwailem
Updated 1 min 12 sec ago
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Who’s Who: Ahmed bin Ali Al-Suwailem, CEO of the National Center for Non-Profit Sector

Ahmed Al-Suwailem has been CEO of the National Center for Non-Profit Sector since 2022. He has over 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors, specializing in economics, trade, finance, and banking.

Al-Suwailem is responsible for developing the Kingdom’s non-profit sector, expanding its impact on social and economic development, and integrating government efforts in licensing, financial supervision, and coordination.

Prior to his current position, Al-Suwailem, at various times, served as CEO of the National Anti-Commercial Concealment Program at the Saudi Ministry of Commerce; as adviser to the Saudi Minister of Commerce; and as secretary general of the Riyadh Chamber.  

He has also been head of management information systems in financial planning and control at Saudi Investment Bank, and executive vice president of financial control at Gulf International Bank.

Al-Suwailem currently also serves as managing director and board member at the Riyadh International Exhibition Center and is a board member of the General Authority for Awqaf and the Associations Support Fund, a trustee of the Riyadh Economic Forum, and a member of the executive committee for remuneration and compensation at the Riyadh Chamber.

Al-Suwailem holds a master’s degree in finance from George Washington University in the US and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from King Saud University in Saudi Arabia.

He is a certified management accountant and public accountant and holds a certificate in international financial reporting standards and accreditation in exhibition and conference management from the International Association of Exhibitions and Events.

 


Saudi FM Prince Faisal hosts Arab ministerial meeting on Gaza situation in Riyadh

Updated 8 min 27 sec ago
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Saudi FM Prince Faisal hosts Arab ministerial meeting on Gaza situation in Riyadh

RIYADH: Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan hosted a ministerial meeting on Saturday in Riyadh with representatives from six other Arab states to discuss the situation in Gaza, Saudi Press Agency reported. 

The meeting was attended by Ayman Al-Safadi of Jordan, Egypt’s Sameh Shoukry, Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization Hussein Al-Sheikh, diplomatic dvisor to the UAE president Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, and Minister of State at the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi.

They discussed the need to end the war on the Gaza Strip, reach an immediate and complete ceasefire, ensure the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law, and lift all restrictions that impede the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave.

They also expressed their support for all efforts aimed at international recognition of an independent Palestinian state, something they agreed was vital for Palestinians to be able to take irreversible steps to implement the two-state solution.

The ministers stressed the need for a State of Palestine to be based on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant international resolutions. 

They expressed their categorical rejection of any attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land, and any military operation in the Palestinian city of Rafah.

The ministers warned of the continuation of illegal Israeli measures in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem that undermine the two-state solution, including settlement expansion, land confiscation, military operations against Palestinians, settler attacks, and besieging freedom of worship for Muslims and Christians.


70 Saudi students win medals at tech Olympiad

Updated 27 April 2024
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70 Saudi students win medals at tech Olympiad

  • Young talents from across the Kingdom shine in programming and AI
  • The event also “aims to enhance the global competitiveness of this generation to help achieve the objectives of the Human Capacity Development Program, (part of) Saudi Vision 2030”

RIYADH: The National Olympiad for Programming and Artificial Intelligence (ATHKA) concluded on Saturday.
The event, organized over several months by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, in partnership with the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) and the Ministry of Education was intended to “nurture a promising generation of Saudi school students from intermediate and secondary levels, totaling about 3 million across various regions and governorates of the Kingdom, in the fields of programming and artificial intelligence,” according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The SPA added that the event also “aims to enhance the global competitiveness of this generation to help achieve the objectives of the Human Capacity Development Program, (part of) Saudi Vision 2030.”
Saudi Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan; chairman of the board of directors of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission, Dr. Khalid bin Abdullah Al-Sabti; president of SDAIA, Abdullah Al-Ghamdi; and the secretary-general of Mawhiba, Amal Al-Hazzaa, along with several officials from the fields of education and academia, a select group of AI specialists, and parents of the students, attended the event at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.
Yaser Al-Onaizan, CEO of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence at SDAIA, delivered a presentation on AI and its role in developing human capabilities at the event. He noted that the human element is key to AI, and said that today’s students will become experts in new technologies faster than ever due to the ample learning and training opportunities in AI.
The final round of the competition was held from April 23 to 27 in Riyadh. Five students from the secondary level and five students from the intermediate level were awarded gold medals in the Olympiad. Eleven students from the secondary level and 10 from the intermediate level received silver medals, while 19 secondary students and 20 intermediate students earned bronze.
A total of 298 students competed in the final stage after qualifying from a pool of 260,000 Saudi students from across the Kingdom.
The Olympiad was designed to find “outstanding school students skilled in computational thinking to analyze and solve algorithmic programming challenges,” according to the SPA. “This step would help them enter the field of AI and encourage them to develop computational thinking skills, design AI-based algorithms, and recognize these skills as essential for learning in the 21st century.”
Its goals also included, the SPA reported, “harnessing young students’ intellectual abilities to solve complex problems, fostering a knowledge-based economy, promoting competitive programming, and cultivating a generation capable of excelling in international Olympiads in informatics and AI. Additionally, it aimed to build and strengthen the next generation’s skills in advanced technology, including AI-related fields.”


Saudi deputy FM receives Palestinian president

Waleed Elkhereiji receives Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and delegation in Riyadh. (Supplied)
Updated 21 sec ago
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Saudi deputy FM receives Palestinian president

  • Abbas will participate in the special meeting of the World Economic Forum to promote global collaboration, growth, and energy for development

RIYADH: Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji received Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his accompanying delegation at King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh, on Saturday.

Abbas will participate in the special meeting of the World Economic Forum to promote global collaboration, growth, and energy for development, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Nayef bin Bandar Al-Sudairi, the Saudi ambassador to Jordan and non-resident ambassador to Palestine, and Ambassador of Palestine to the Kingdom Bassem Al-Agha were also present.