Emotional well-being key for safe return to school

At SEK-Riyadh, time is dedicated to team building for students in order to ensure their emotional well-being.
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Updated 15 September 2021
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Emotional well-being key for safe return to school

A lot of planning by the Saudi government and schools across the Kingdom is ensuring a safe return to in-person classes, as several schools reopen after months of closure due to COVID-19.
The pandemic has affected everyone: Some students or staff may have been ill or lost friends or relatives, while others may have become anxious about returning to school.
SEK-Riyadh is the first school in Saudi Arabia to open as part of the International School’s Attraction Program of the Royal Commission of Riyadh City. “We believe that the emotional well-being of students and staff is the true measure of a healthy school and is essential to developing effective teaching and learning — it is also key to nurturing positive relationships, and encouraging perseverance and resilience in our community,” the school said in a statement.
School counselor Julie Alonso explained how SEK-Riyadh is supporting students and staff. “At SEK-Riyadh, we use a holistic approach to student and staff well-being. An awareness of well-being and social and emotional learning is woven into the fabric of the curriculum. Mindfulness sessions and wellness workshops with small groups are part of our strategy, as is attention to the individual needs of the students and staff,” she said.
“Our formal and informal networks enable the teachers to support our students. Time is dedicated to team building and group reflections for students. Daily check-ins give students the opportunity to express how they are feeling, while also encouraging students to support each other. Our aim is to foster a culture of empathy and compassion.”
Here are some tips for parents to help children as they return to school:

Talk to your child:
Some younger children may feel anxious about returning to school. Reassure your child that teachers will make sure everyone is safe and healthy at school.

Mind your own emotions:
Be optimistic and positive about returning to school. Children need to understand that their parents are confident about the school being safe.

Communicate with your child’s teachers:
Talk to your child’s teachers regularly. When parents and teachers communicate effectively, students feel better supported and more confident.


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.