RIYADH: Khalid Al-Salem, director general of the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON), told Arab News on Monday during the Future Factory Show Conference that they did a preliminary survey and they have found that they have “about 17,000 female workers inside MODON's factories.”
Al-Salem, who is a speaker at the conference, said that they didn’t expect this number, and they will do another survey to make sure that number of female workers in factories is correct.
“I remember when I first came to MODON we reported only 7,500,” he said.
Al-Salem said: “We have ‘ready-built factories’ we created it for male and female investors. Even foreign companies are now taking these ready-built factories because they don’t want to waste time in building them — they have them ready and they just need to bring their hardware and production lines to get going.”
He said that they are training women to enable them to work in the industry sector. One way they are helping women work in Riyadh is opening a daycare for employees which costs around SR200 a month.
The Future Factory Show conference was organized by MODON, in the presence of the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar Al-Khorayef, and the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah Al-Swaha, and with the participation of more than 350 bodies from inside and outside the Kingdom. More than 280 factories, 17 exhibitors and 21 speakers from technical leaders, local and international empowerment entities and a number of executives and experts are taking part to discuss their views on the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on the future of the industrial sector in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Khorayef said: “Jobs will be available for our male and female youth, and creativity will be the real role of factories. Traditional labor will be limited, which is commensurate with the vision of the country in different sectors and specifically the industrial sector.”
Al-Khorayef also stressed the role of information technology, pointing out that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is setting up the infrastructure through which the industrial sector can launch in the next phase of future industries.
In his opening speech to the conference, Al-Khorayef confirmed that Saudi industry is seeking to follow the changes taking place in manufacturing processes worldwide, where manufacturers are raising productivity by employing advanced technology such as the Internet, robots, augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D printing and artificial intelligence,
He said: “These changes are at the heart of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and intelligent manufacturing, which is pushing for increased investment in digital technologies that allow for self-management of factories and improve the ability to make better decisions, representing an opportunity to achieve an added economic value of about $4.5 trillion to the global manufacturing sector annually.”
Al-Khorayef said that the Future Factory Show aims to review international experiences, improve the level of knowledge, and share best practices and global trends to stimulate the industrial sector to transform digitally and adopt the applications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as well as “to bring together the key players in the manufacturing sector in one platform."
MODON minister Khalid Al Salem: “We have about 1,700 female workers in factories”
MODON minister Khalid Al Salem: “We have about 1,700 female workers in factories”
- Khalid Al Salem: “In MODON we have about 17,000 female workers in our factories”
- Future Factory Show conference was organized by MODON
Saudi space technology plays growing role in conflict and disaster zones: NSG executive
- Company analyzes damage from natural disasters, including flash floods
RIYADH: Saudi-built space systems are moving beyond data collection to play a direct role in operational decision-making, particularly in high-stakes situations like conflict zones and natural disasters, according to one industry executive.
Hassan Al-Johani, vice president of business development at Neo Space Group, spoke on the sidelines of the World Defense Show in Riyadh, which has Arab News as a media partner, about how the company’s technology is used in real-life scenarios.
Al-Johani pointed to disaster management as an example of how integrated space services can directly influence outcomes on the ground.
The company uses high-resolution Earth observation imagery in optical, radio and infrared spectrums, to analyze damage from natural disasters, including flash floods.
He said this information can then be turned into actionable intelligence and shared directly with teams operating in affected areas, allowing them to assess damage to roads and determine the best routes for delivering equipment and emergency aid.
“We can utilize that in geospatial intelligence and communicate it to teams in the field using advanced satellite communications,” Al-Johani said.
The company’s satellite technology allows people to communicate in crisis-hit areas when traditional communication infrastructure has been damaged.
He added: “Even when communication fails, even when there’s disruption in infrastructure, we have the ability to understand what has happened, but also communicate it to people (who) need to take decisions in real time to save lives and property.”
Demonstrations at the World Defense Show, he said, were designed to show how this integrated approach worked in practice.
“We are not promoting one domain or one technology, but rather a unified architecture that brings together the best of the latest technologies,” he said.
The company’s technology has military uses, allowing users to determine the best locations for deploying troops and equipment, and its satellite technology allows secure communications in war zones.
He also highlighted the technical design choices behind ensuring continuity of service, particularly in contested or disrupted environments.
Artificial intelligence, he added, is increasingly part of the company’s system.
“We’re not utilizing just traditional geospatial intelligence, but rather AI-powered intelligence,” Al-Johani said.
This layered approach, he explained, is intended to reduce dependence on any single system or data source.
He added: “If one layer fails, then you have other layers to supplement and ensure the continuity of the value delivered to the clients.”
Beyond technology, Al-Johani said discussions at the World Defense Show reflected a broader shift in how Saudi Arabia approaches the space and defense sectors.
“Saudi Arabia has demonstrated that we are not looking to be buyers, but rather partners and builders,” he said.
“That means that we have to have an engaging dialogue with partners from around the world, understanding which parts of the ecosystem we need to build on.”
He said this approach ultimately supported local capability building and long-term sector development, adding that it was targeted at “finding a meaningful partnership that delivers win-win for everyone, (and) ultimately contributes to building this country, this industry and the space sector.”
