Dr. Sami Al-Homod was recently appointed the assistant minister for planning and development at the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources.
He gained a bachelor’s degree in information systems from Riyadh’s King Saud University (KSU) in 1994. Three years later, he obtained a master’s degree in the same subject from George Mason University in the US and achieved a Ph.D. in information technology from the same institution in 2002. Al-Homod also completed a leadership development program at Boston Consulting Group in 2013.
He began his professional career soon after his graduation from KSU, becoming a system analyst and programmer at the IT center of the Saline Water Conversion Corp. One year later, he joined his alma mater as a teaching assistant in the college of administrative sciences.
In 2004, Al-Homod was appointed vice dean of libraries for administration and financial affairs and remained in the position until 2008 when he was promoted to dean of the e-learning and distance learning department at KSU.
He became a faculty member of the management information systems department at the college of business administration in 2012 and one year later joined the Saudi Ministry of Labor and Social Development as its deputy minister for planning and development.
In 2015, he moved to the Kingdom’s Ministry of Justice as deputy minister for planning, development and informatics and supervisor of the ministry’s Vision Realization Office.
Al-Homod provided consultancy services to Riyadh municipality from 2012 to 2013 and also supervised its IT and e-services center.
In addition, he provided consultancy services to the then Ministry of Higher Education (before its merger with the Ministry of Education), Ernst & Young, and the KSU colleges of computer and information sciences, and applied sciences.
Al-Homod has received a number of international awards and honors including a UN award for public services on Smart Campus Projects in 2011, the Prince Bandar bin Sultan Award for scientific and academic achievement in 1998, and an excellence certificate in information systems from George Mason University in 1997.
Dr. Sami Al-Homod, assistant minister for planning and development at the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources
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Dr. Sami Al-Homod, assistant minister for planning and development at the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources
- Al-Homod was appointed vice dean of libraries for administration and financial affairs and remained in the position until 2008 when he was promoted to dean of the e-learning and distance learning department at KSU
Makkah Route Initiative streamlines pilgrimage journey using AI
- Services include the issuing of electronic Hajj visas, biometric data collection, completion of passport procedures
RIYADH: The Makkah Route Initiative has adopted an AI-enhanced approach to streamline services for pilgrims arriving from various countries for this Hajj season, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
Uing technology and digital solutions, the initiative simplifies the pilgrimage journey, particularly through expedited entry procedures into Saudi Arabia via dedicated lounges at pilgrims’ home country airports.
The initiative employs advanced digital technology to provide the best services to pilgrims while also ensuring the highest level of comfort throughout their journey.
Services include the issuing of electronic Hajj visas, biometric data collection, completion of passport procedures in specialized lounges at departure airports, ensuring health requirements are met, and efficient luggage tagging and sorting. After arrival in the Kingdom, pathways are assigned, and partner agencies ensure hassle-free delivery of pilgrims’ luggage to their accommodation.
Chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council President Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi praised the program for simplifying procedures for pilgrims, both in their home countries and on arrival.
He said that the initiative had made the Hajj journey easier, simpler and faster, and thanked the Saudi government and the Kingdom’s leadership for their commitment to serving pilgrims with the highest technological standards.
SPA accompanied pilgrims benefiting from the initiative at Islamabad’s airport, observing the proficient work of Saudi personnel involved in the project.
KFUPM’s 10th design expo celebrates student ingenuity
DHAHRAN: The King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals hosted its tenth Design Expo on Saturday, with senior students’ graduation projects highlighting solutions to real industry problems.
President of the university, Mohammed Al-Saggaf, spoke to each team and handed out awards. It was during his tenure as president that the new model for the expo was put into place.
“This exhibition is distinguished by the collaborative effort among students from different majors to create innovative projects,” the university said in a statement.
Mimicking industry standards, the university event also briefs the soon-to-be professionals on how to pitch and speak about their projects to the public, potential investors and educators.
“This exhibition will showcase various academic projects presented by our students in diverse fields,” the statement said.
A total of 1,063 students participated to present 185 projects “devising solutions for industrial challenges” in the following categories: artificial intelligence, automation technology, construction technology, digital transformation, drone technology, energy systems, environmental technology, health care technology, renewable energy, sustainability and technology enhancement.
The winning projects included an autonomous wheelchair that uses electromyography — EMG — a technique for evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles.
Prizes were also awarded for the most entrepreneurial project, the most innovative project and the best elevator pitch, along with an award based on public voting and the president’s choice award.
The most humanitarian project award was handed to “Quick-Construct Housing for Refugees and the Impoverished,” to six students: Alwaleed Talal Abutaleb and Abdulaziz Talal Abutaleb from the architectural engineering and construction management program; Ayoub Abdullah Alsalamah from mechanical engineering; Ammar Omar Alhawsawi from electrical engineering; and Faris Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani and Bander Nasser Almubaddel from aerospace engineering.
“All of this is Saudi-made, even the manufacturing process. It’s the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia, the mechanism and everything — from designing to construction — was assembled by a Saudi company,” Almubaddel told Arab News.
In a record three minutes, the structure can be built and lived in almost instantly. Their target is the refugees in the Middle East — to offer durable, affordable, portable shelter that can be assembled easily and efficiently.
Abutaleb, who focused on the architectural elements, said: “What we brought to the table (is) that we designed the unit, the dimension, the process and the interior of the unit. We are responsible for the integration of the system within the unit, in addition to the construction and the assembling.”
Electrical engineering student Alhawsawi said: “I contributed the power system and all the connections required; and all the power systems that will be integrated into the unit.”
Aerospace engineering student Alsuhaibani added: “The unit is very simple to assemble — these materials that we used to construct the unit have a very high resistance for the heat. It has item resistance, and it can withstand the harsh environment in Saudi Arabia.”
The team will continue to work on the project beyond the classroom to make it useful in the real world.
Saudi project clears 2,010 Houthi mines in Yemen
- A total of 442,077 mines have been cleared since the start of the initiative in 2018
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Project Masam cleared 2,010 mines in Yemen — which had been planted by the Houthi militia — between May 11 to 17, according to a recent report.
Overseen by the Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief, the project’s specialist teams destroyed 1,980 pieces of unexploded ordnance, 19 anti-tank mines and 11 anti-personnel mines.
The explosives, which were planted indiscriminately by the Houthis across Yemen, posed a threat to civilians, including children, women and the elderly.
Project Masam is one of several initiatives undertaken by Saudi Arabia at the request of King Salman, which has cleared routes for humanitarian aid to reach the country’s citizens.
The demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Saada.
A total of 442,077 mines have been cleared since the start of the initiative in 2018, according to Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the project’s managing director.
The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.
About 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the beginning of the conflict in Yemen, many of them displaced by the presence of land mines, according to the Project Masam website.
Masam teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads and schools to facilitate the safe movement of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Alkhobar’s farmers’ market ends on a sweet note
ALKHOBAR: Alkhobar seafront bustled with activity as the farmers’ market, organized by the Culinary Arts Commission in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and the Eastern Province Municipality, came to town.
The three-day evening market, which ended on Saturday, showcased the seasonal bounties of the Eastern Province with homegrown goodies for sale, and quickly attracted more footfall despite the humidity and sweltering heat.
The market featured 15 booths from 10 farmers who were mostly from neighboring areas, along with a few from other parts of the Kingdom.
The Culinary Arts Commission set-up a bookstand in which Saudi-centric, food-related books were on sale in both English and Arabic, as well as games, hoodies and socks.
The family-friendly event was a stone’s-throw from the waves of the corniche, where seating options were ample and offered the perfect spot to relax and snack.
Ghada Abdullah Al-Garyafi, a beekeeper from Qatif for the past four years, told Arab News about participating at the event. “As a Saudi beekeeper, I produce many types of honey in addition to derivative products. I make organic syrup, which is in very high demand, as well as organic honey vinegar.”
Additionally, she offers other items such as honey spoons — sealed spoons filled with honey that can be unwrapped and used to stir tea, or consumed directly.
She also used the event as a way to test out new recipes. “We introduced a new honey drink, with bits of passionfruit and other produce mixed in. I wanted to see the opinion of customers and the visitors to the festival, and they liked it very much.”
Speaking about taking up beekeeping, she explained that what started out as a fear became her whole life. “I used to be afraid of bees! I challenged myself during (COVID-19) period when my husband brought maybe four or five hives within a farm he rented. I would go with him and make a big fuss about being scared,” she said, laughing. “Little by little, he told me to get closer and that they wouldn’t sting me if I wore the protective gear. He showed me how to inspect the hives.
“Eventually, I overcame my fear, thank God, and became a honey producer. I worked during the mangroves season, which was my first experience. All of our production comes from the Eastern region, specifically from Qatif, Saihat, Safwa and Ras Tanura,” she said.
Other entrepreneurs at the market included the organic company, Planet of Plants at Jenan Al-Nakheel Farm, as well as many other local and regional goods.
Children could have their faces painted or their names written in Arabic calligraphy during the event. A live oud player serenaded the crowd.
The farmers’ market is just one of the stops in the commission’s seasonal tour, which will continue in the coming weeks.
Saudi envoy to Dhaka praises Makkah Route efficiency
- Makkah Route Initiative streamlines the performance of Hajj for Bangladeshi pilgrims
RIYADH: Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Issa bin Youssef Al-Duhailan lauded the Makkah Route Initiative as a unique program that streamlines the performance of Hajj for Bangladeshi pilgrims, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
Al-Duhailan highlighted the initiative’s role in the Pilgrim Experience Program, a Saudi Vision 2030 program focused on enhancing services for Hajj performers, and emphasized how the initiative has significantly improved the Kingdom’s organization and planning for pilgrims visiting the holy city of Makkah.
“The initiative showcases excellence in management, organization, and efforts to facilitate the journey of pilgrims to the holy lands,” Al-Duhailan said.
The initiative’s features, he added, include the issuance of electronic Hajj visas and luggage coding at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, which enables Bangladeshi pilgrims to be processed upon arrival in Saudi Arabia as domestic travelers and expedites their transportation to their places of residence in Makkah and Madinah.
“Pilgrims are welcomed with hospitality, security, and safety throughout their journey, creating a rich and unforgettable spiritual experience,” Al-Duhailan said, expressing his gratitude to the Saudi leadership for its vision and to all those involved in the Makkah Route Initiative for their dedication to serving Hajj pilgrims.
