Golf Saudi wins global honor for contribution to game

Children participate in a training program that focuses on introducing golf at grassroots level to non-golfing Saudi children.
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Updated 05 November 2020
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Golf Saudi wins global honor for contribution to game

The World Golf Awards, one of the industry’s most prominent accolades, has awarded Golf Saudi with a “Vision Award,” during their COVID-modified annual ceremony in Dubai.

The awards, which brought together market leaders from more than 40 nations across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, North America and Oceania, was a celebration of the best courses and destinations across the golf industry. The World Golf Awards celebrate and reward excellence in golf tourism, world-class courses and golf destinations.

Voted for by professionals working within the golf travel and tourism industry, this accolade is expected to further solidify Golf Saudi’s position as one of the world’s most dynamic new golf markets.

Yasir O. Al-Rumayyan, chairman of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi, said: “To be recognized by the World Golf Awards is a great honor and provides a valuable boost to the progress of the game in Saudi Arabia. Thanks to the support of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince, deputy prime minister and minister of defense, and in line with Vision 2030, we have made great efforts to ensure our strategy for developing the sport is as progressive as it is inclusive. Whilst we are still in the formative stages of our national golf plans, progress has been considerable, giving us great confidence that our direction and commitment to sustainability will stand us in the best stead for the years to come.”

The World Golf Awards recognized Golf Saudi with their “Vision Award” for their efforts in facilitating uptake and participation in golf through the delivery of world-class facilities, operational excellence, the implementation of industry best practices and a continued commitment to establishing Saudi Arabia as an exceptional golfing nation. This has all been achieved with Golf Saudi simultaneously looking to instill a culture of environmental and ecological innovation throughout all of its ongoing initiatives.

Chris Frost, managing director of World Golf Awards, said: “I have closely watched over the past few years the accelerated development of Golf tourism in Saudi Arabia. Golf Saudi’s vision is truly breathtaking and quickly coming to fruition. The next decade is incredibly exciting for Golf tourism in the Kingdom and I believe in the near future the industry will be looking to the region as a market leader in golf development and sustainability.”

Launched in 2014, World Golf Awards aim to improve standards within golf tourism by rewarding the leading destinations in their field. Votes for the 2020 edition were cast by industry professionals and consumers from across the world in a range of categories, including both global and regional awards, with the ceremony itself taking place virtually from the Park Hyatt Dubai on Oct. 29.


ITC Infotech accelerates Vision 2030 through digital hub in Riyadh

Updated 17 January 2026
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ITC Infotech accelerates Vision 2030 through digital hub in Riyadh

ITC Infotech’s commitment to delivering real digital change in the Middle East is reinforced by strengthening collaboration and working more closely with customers on the ground. The establishment of its Digital and AI Engineering Hub in Riyadh brings superior digital engineering and AI skills closer to businesses, allowing for speedier collaboration, localized innovation, and solutions targeted to regional needs. This strategic expansion aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and underscores ITC Infotech’s long-standing emphasis on partnership-led growth and customer-centric innovation.

The hub was officially inaugurated on Jan. 15 by Sanjiv Puri, chairman and managing director of ITC Ltd. This facility is designed to help enterprises leverage advanced technologies and convert digital ambitions into measurable business outcomes. This move aligns closely with Saudi Arabia’s efforts to build a knowledge-driven economy powered by innovation and technology.

Saudi Arabia’s digital leap

Vision 2030 is more than just economic diversification; it is a clear blueprint for creating a technologically advanced society. This vision is centered on the integration of artificial intelligence and digital engineering, which are transforming industries and enabling long-term, sustainable growth. The strategic importance of AI is clear, with the Saudi Data and AI Authority estimating that it may add $135 billion to the Kingdom’s GDP by 2030. This commitment is supported by significant investments, including $14.9 billion announced at LEAP 2025 to advance digital infrastructure, talent, and next-generation technologies, as well as historic projects like the $2.7 billion Hexagon Data Center in Riyadh. Together, these efforts are laying the foundation for a secure, resilient, and future-ready digital ecosystem that can support AI adoption, data-driven governance, and smart city development at scale.

What the hub offers

ITC Infotech’s Riyadh hub is designed to fuel this momentum by focusing on three core areas:

  • AI-powered platforms: Delivering predictive analytics, intelligent automation, and data-driven insights to help businesses transition from reactive operations to proactive strategies.
  • Digital engineering solutions: Leveraging Industry 4.0-driven smart manufacturing capabilities, integrating AI-led modeling, connected systems, and advanced analytics to optimize production performance, improve asset utilization, and proactively reduce operational and quality risks across the engineering lifecycle.
  • Cloud-native architectures: Building agile, secure, and resilient ecosystems that enable faster innovation and seamless integration across enterprise systems.

These capabilities are designed to enable organizations to innovate, scale, and compete in a rapidly evolving digital economy. Beyond technology, the hub is fundamentally anchored in building a team of the region, from the region, for the region and for global impact. Through structured skill-building programs, deep partnerships with academia, systematic knowledge transfer, and immersive, hands-on delivery models, the hub is creating a future-ready Saudi workforce fully aligned with Vision 2030 and capable of serving both national and international priorities.

Driving enterprise transformation 

The ITC Infotech hub aims to enable transformation rather than simply deploy technology. By driving AI adoption, accelerating digital engineering, and building cloud-native ecosystems, ITC Infotech seeks to help businesses:

  • develop new business models to meet evolving market needs.
  • improve operational efficiency through predictive insights and automation.
  • support sustainability goals by optimizing resources and reducing risks.
  • build a skilled local workforce capable of leading future innovations.

These outcomes support enterprises as they transition to more resilient, data-driven, and digitally mature operating models.

The road ahead

ITC Infotech is a wholly owned subsidiary of ITC Limited, one of India’s largest conglomerates, with over 25 years of experience as a trusted technology services partner to enterprises globally. The company focuses on next-generation enterprise transformation, delivering services across infrastructure and application modernization, cloud, cybersecurity, digital engineering, and AI-led innovation.

As Saudi Arabia continues its digital journey, ITC Infotech’s combination of global expertise, strong local presence, and collaborative delivery model positions it as a long-term partner in advancing Vision 2030. ITC Infotech’s hub in Riyadh reflects this commitment, bringing advanced capabilities closer to customers, investing in local talent, and enabling enterprises to adopt AI at scale as they compete in an increasingly digital world.