stc develops use cases to enhance digital health and road safety

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Updated 25 September 2022
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stc develops use cases to enhance digital health and road safety

RIYADH: The Saudi Telecom Co. has developed use cases to enhance digital health and road safety, a senior representative said.

Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the Global AI Summit in Riyadh, Saud Alsheraihi, stc’s product and solutions vice president, said that the use cases will help the company establish a foothold in the artificial intelligence industry.

One of the use cases was to train machines and algorithms to provide diagnoses and predictions on health. “We want to be an example and show examples of the potential that we can do on top of our infrastructure,” he said.

Another use case was road safety predictions, such as predicting what would happen if the speed of a road in Riyadh increased by a certain amount.

“That will help decision makers big time because before they increase the speed limits on that road, they can predict and know exactly what we should do and how we can do that,” Alsheraihi added.

stc, Alsheraihi explained, is embarking on more digital and AI-related projects as a part of its DARE strategy. DARE stands for: Digitize stc, accelerate core asset performance, reinvent customer experience at world-class standards, and expand aggressively scale and scope. stc established it in 2018 with the aim of becoming a digital leader in the world by providing innovative services. “We are here as an extension of our DARE strategy where we are expanding in scope and scale, and one of the areas where we see ourselves in is actually AI,” Alsheraihi said.

As artificial intelligence becomes a part of multiple technologies, stc sees the complementarity of 5G edge computing, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and other services it provides, Alsheraihi said.

stc’s financial and logistics sectors are benefiting from digitization by improving efficiency, increasing revenues, and improving safety and security in their operations, he added.

stc has also created a cybersecurity subsidiary called sirar by stc which offers a comprehensive range of cybersecurity products and services that help businesses manage digital risks effectively, achieve compliance with relevant laws and regulations, and enable a robust and secure digital transformation journey.

Alsheraihi said that sirar focuses mainly on the enterprise sector.


Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector is a new economic engine between Riyadh and Paris, says ambassador

Updated 25 January 2026
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Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector is a new economic engine between Riyadh and Paris, says ambassador

RIYADH: Culture has become a fundamental pillar in bilateral relations between France and Saudi Arabia, according to the French Ambassador to the Kingdom, Patrick Maisonnave.

Maisonnave noted its connection to the entertainment and tourism sectors, which makes it a new engine for economic cooperation between Riyadh and Paris.

He told Al-Eqtisadiah during the opening ceremony of La Fabrique in the Jax district of Diriyah that cultural cooperation with Saudi Arabia is an important element for its attractiveness in the coming decades.

La Fabrique is a space dedicated to artistic creativity and cultural exchange, launched as part of a partnership between the Riyadh Art program and the French Institute in Riyadh. 

Running from Jan. 22 until Feb 14, the initiative will provide an open workspace that allows artists to develop and work on their ideas within a collaborative framework.

Launching La Fabrique as a space dedicated to artistic creativity

The ambassador highlighted that the transformation journey in the Kingdom under Vision 2030 has contributed to the emergence of a new generation of young artists and creators, alongside a growing desire in Saudi society to connect with culture and to embrace what is happening globally. 

He affirmed that the relationship between the two countries is “profound, even cultural par excellence,” with interest from the Saudi side in French culture, matched by increasing interest from the French public and cultural institutions unfolding in the Kingdom.

Latest estimates indicate that the culture-based economy represents about 2.3 percent of France’s gross domestic product, equivalent to more than 90 billion euros ($106.4 billion) in annual revenues, according to government data. The sector directly employs more than 600,000 people, making it one of the largest job-creating sectors in the fields of creativity, publishing, cinema, and visual arts.

Saudi Arabia benefiting from French experience in the cultural field

Maisonnave explained that France possesses established cultural institutions, while Saudi Arabia is building a strong cultural sector, which opens the door for cooperation opportunities.

This comes as an extension of the signing of 10 major cultural agreements a year ago between French and Saudi institutions, aiming to enhance cooperation and transfer French expertise and knowledge to contribute to the development of the cultural system in the Kingdom.

He added that experiences like La Fabrique provide an opportunity to meet the new generation of Saudi creators, who have expressed interest in connecting with French institutions and artists in Paris and France.

La Fabrique encompasses a space for multiple contemporary artistic practices, including performance arts, digital and interactive arts, photography, music, and cinema, while providing the public with an opportunity to witness the stages of producing artistic works and interact with the creative process.