Islamic body joins hands with UNHCR to help refugees

In 2019, the fund assisted more than 1 million beneficiaries in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Mauritania, Yemen, Bangladesh and Malaysia.
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Updated 16 June 2020
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Islamic body joins hands with UNHCR to help refugees

In order to strengthen collaboration and governance in the area of Islamic social finance, the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR and the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) have signed a three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU). This aims at developing Islamic finance tools for the benefit of the world’s most vulnerable refugees and internally displaced persons.

The AAOIFI is collaborating with the UNHCR to exchange areas of expertise, create zakat governance standards for international humanitarian organizations and develop other areas of Islamic philanthropy for the UN body.

“Collaboration and partnerships with financial institutions and Islamic finance infrastructure organizations such as the AAOIFI is at the core of the UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund engagement strategy. No impact can be achieved otherwise in response to the global displacement crisis affecting over 70 million people today,” said Khaled Khalifa, the UNHCR’s senior adviser on Islamic finance and regional representative to the GCC countries.

“We very much welcome the signing of this landmark MoU with the AAOIFI, capitalizing on their extensive expertise in Islamic finance, especially in light of the COVID-19 outbreak ... this pandemic is an emergency on top of an emergency,” added Khalifa.

Omar Mustafa Ansari, AAOIFI’s secretary-general, said: “We are pleased to embark with the UNHCR on this purposeful journey, which can tailor Islamic social finance tools for the benefit of the refugees. We look forward to building a strategic partnership to engage Islamic financial institutions and other industry players in the global humanitarian response to support refugees.”

In 2019, the UNHCR launched its Refugee Zakat Fund. Last year alone, the fund assisted more than 1 million beneficiaries in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Mauritania, Yemen, Bangladesh and Malaysia. This year, the fund continues to capitalize on partnerships to double this impact, especially amid the COVID-19 emergency.


Aramco Digital to launch National Industrial Network on 450 MHz band

Updated 12 January 2026
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Aramco Digital to launch National Industrial Network on 450 MHz band

Aramco Digital, the digital and technology arm of Aramco, is preparing to launch its National Industrial Network operating on the 450 MHz spectrum, a network designed to enable secure, resilient, and high-reliability industrial communications across Saudi Arabia. The network has been engineered as a mission-critical industrial infrastructure to deliver high levels of security, flexibility, and reliability to meet the needs of industrial sectors. It provides wide-area coverage with advanced protection standards, supporting operational environments that require continuous performance and dependable connectivity for critical facilities and assets.

“The National Industrial Network has been designed to support the advanced operational requirements of modern industrial environments, aimed at enhancing efficiency, strengthening business continuity, and enabling a new class of highly reliable industrial communications. Together with next-generation mission-critical smart radios, the network aims to help build a future-ready industrial infrastructure that enables real-time data insights, supports industrial digital transformation, and aligns with the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030,” said Nabil Al-Nuaim, Aramco Digital CEO.

Unlike public networks, the National Industrial Network has been purpose-built for industrial environments, enabling connectivity for critical assets, supply chains, logistics operations, and autonomous mobility systems. The network seeks to elevate smart industrial services, supporting real-time monitoring, automation, enhanced safety, and higher operational efficiency across industrial sectors.

As part of the launch, Aramco Digital plans to introduce an integrated portfolio of industrial digital solutions powered by the 450 MHz network. These include specialized connectivity packages tailored to diverse sector needs, along with a new generation of mission-critical smart radios designed specifically for industrial operations. The devices combine rugged high-performance design and industrial safety compliance with advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, enhanced sensing technologies, extended battery life, and real-time on-device data processing, helping improve accuracy, safety, and operational continuity in complex environments.

The network has also been designed to support a wide spectrum of industrial IoT applications, including asset condition and performance monitoring, fleet tracking, air-quality and environmental sensing, intelligent video monitoring, smart metering, lighting and infrastructure control, as well as mobility and fleet-management solutions. These capabilities enhance operational transparency, automation, and efficiency across both industrial and public sectors.

The National Industrial Network aims to help establish a strong technological foundation for Saudi Arabia’s next industrial phase, contributing to the objectives of Vision 2030 by delivering highly reliable, nationwide industrial connectivity that enables automation, intelligence, and advanced digital services across vital sectors. By developing connectivity solutions aligned with the needs of modern industrial operations, Aramco Digital is helping shape the future of mission-critical digital infrastructure in the Kingdom, moving beyond traditional telecommunications to enable continuous interaction between devices, machines, and AI-powered systems, and strengthening real-time decision-making through edge processing.

The 450 MHz National Industrial Network represents more than an improvement in coverage or performance. It is a strategic step toward smarter, more autonomous, and technology-driven industrial ecosystems that enhance operational excellence and set a new benchmark for advanced digital infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.

With the accelerating pace of digital transformation in the Kingdom, secure and reliable connectivity has become a fundamental pillar in supporting operational requirements and driving economic growth. Organizations across various sectors— including industrial sectors and those enabling future economies — are increasingly relying on advanced connectivity solutions and technologies to enhance safety and reliability, improve operational efficiency, and unlock new horizons for sustainable economic development.