Saudi entrepreneurs and technology enthusiasts flourish in a tech-developing society

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Saleh Al-Mohsin, right, of Marn Tech.
Updated 11 November 2018
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Saudi entrepreneurs and technology enthusiasts flourish in a tech-developing society

  • Initiative supports entrepreneurs and helps them develop their technical projects
  • Platforms include online grocery shopping, 3D printing and social media analytics

DUBAI: The next Steve Jobs could soon emerge in Saudi Arabia as young minds are being nurtured through an initiative aimed at fostering talent across the Kingdom.
Misk Innovation, which launched at GITEX Future Stars in Dubai last month, supports Saudi entrepreneurs to develop technical projects.
“It has been created because of all the inspiring talent that we have back home and the great opportunities,” said Deemah Al-Yahya, executive manager of Misk Innovation.
“Given the profound (impact) of digital and economic transformation the region is experiencing, the importance of innovation is growing. For the past 40 years or so, the region has achieved new levels of economic growth and modernization, transforming itself into one of the world’s dynamic economies.”
By focusing on innovation and collaboration, Al-Yahya said the region has become a technological advanced society with a highly motivated and educated workforce.
Misk Innovation was set up to help young Saudis to embrace the technological revolution. It aimed to provide a comprehensive framework to discover, develop and empower young Saudis.
“When you read about highly successful innovators such as Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, it’s easy to think that they have something the rest of us don’t have,” Al-Yahya said.
“They changed business, industries and the world itself. Each one of us can be one of them by learning some of these tactics, including not discounting any crazy idea — there were no thoughts of limitation based on age, experience, level or how the world operates but, as adults, many of us too quickly shut down our ideas.”
She explained such ideas are the root of the world’s most successful innovations. “The people who realize these revolutionary advancements let themselves believe that a crazy idea is always a reality,” she said.
She added that how you cope with fear is also key. “A lot of people believe that to be a leader in innovation, you have to be fearless,” she said. “In fact, successful innovators let their fear exist without letting it dictate their decision-making.
“Never think you know it all — even though we might think that successful people are truly the biggest experts in their fields, the ones that stay innovative never operate under that assumption.”
Entrepreneurs should surround themselves with heroes, she added, as successful innovators know that they cannot do it alone. “Innovation comes from hunger,” Al-Yahya said. “You can do something new that has never been done before or something that has, but in a new way.”
For Salem Alghanem, a near-failure proved to be a boon. Almost failing his first year at university led him to create Faheem, a platform connecting students with qualified tutors in the Kingdom. “The only way to get a tutor in Saudi is by word of mouth or by seeing posters around malls,” he said. “I faced this problem myself when I struggled in maths and that pushed me to create something that was needed.”
He launched the company last year, based in Riyadh. “The majority of our population is young and creating businesses gives them more experience and knowledge,” he said. “It will solve problems in the economy, while benefiting us and allowing us to shape our own future.”
Redwan Sulaimai, a 30-year-old data analyst from Jeddah, works at Lucidiya, which was created two years ago in Jeddah to help fill a gap in the field of social media. “It’s about social media analytics in the Arabic language,” he said. “There’s a lack of tools focusing on Arabic, which allow us to find public sentiment and the volume of interaction with certain topics in Saudi Arabia. We prepare reports for our clients or annual subscriptions.”
The company is a rare operator in this market. “Twitter is probably the most popular platform in Saudi Arabia and the easiest one for people to express their feelings on any topic,” Sulaimai said. “There’s a huge lack in this field. Data is the future of the region, and it’s one of the biggest motivations for me to dig deeper and explore more.”
3D printing led Omar Abuhabaya, from Jeddah, to create Shakl3d.com two years ago. The company provides printing services, converting ideas into physical products. “We do architectural models, spare part protection, characters and solutions,” said the 26-year-old mechanical engineer.
The startup allows designers to upload their 3D model, select the material and scale of their design, and receive instant pricing, production and shipment. Abuhabaya explained: “I bought the printer as a student and used it at home so every time I’d leave my house, I’d come back to a gift with products popping out of the machine. In this industrial revolution, technologies, such as the internet of things, 3D printing and artificial intelligence, are disrupting markets and economies and we should capitalize on this now. Small and medium-sized enterprises can make a difference in the region and startup communities can dictate the coming years.”
Noura Alzoman, a 27-year-old nutritionist, was a founder of ZadFresh, an online grocery shopping platform. “We’ve become the biggest company in Saudi Arabia for grocery shopping,” she said. “We want to help young Saudis’ lifestyle.”
Saleh AlMohsin created Marn Tech in 2016 to provide SMEs with their own cash register, integrated with banks and the tax authority in the Kingdom. “Saudi Arabia is starting with VAT this year so most shops don’t have a cash register,” said the 33-year-old. This is low-cost, easily accessible and digital.”
For Misk Innovation, providing challenges to the startups, linked to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the United Nations’ Sustainability Goals, opens up a window to the youth to start coming up with ideas and problem-solving.
“Once they do, we support them in creating their ventures,” Al-Yahya said. “We’re moving from an oil-based to a diversified economy.”
Misk Innovation believes that looking at the whole value chain with startups is vital. “We provide the opportunity to incubate startups, bring great resources from the world, from experts and mentors to programs, to our Saudi start-ups to support and help them grow,” Al-Yahya added.
“We connect the dots and create a one-stop-shop. We (must) come together with absurd ideas and ‘what ifs,’ support and help each other, think together and believe that we can do it together. We have curious innovative minds, which will push us all to the edge of innovation where we can make a global leap of faith together.”


Sudanese cultural festival begins at Suwaidi Park

Updated 08 November 2024
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Sudanese cultural festival begins at Suwaidi Park

RIYADH: A cultural festival at Suwaidi Park is inviting visitors to explore the rich heritage and traditions of Sudan.

Part of Riyadh Season, the event takes place until Nov. 17 and features Sudanese music, dancing, food and crafts.

Content creator Hamoud Waleed said cultural festivals played a key role in building connections and understanding.

“Events like this are very important because sometimes you can’t go to see their tradition and culture. But when these cultures come to us here … it lets us know more and more about other people, how they live, what their interests are, and how we can engage with them,” he said.

“When we talk about Sudanese culture, it’s beautiful and comes from a very old history and nice heritage, and when it comes to us, it lets us know more about it, and this is exactly what we are seeing here in Suwaidi Park.”

Sudanese nationals make up 6.1 percent of the Kingdom’s population, according to the Saudi Census, so such exhibitions are important in promoting mutual respect and harmony between communities.

Sudanese singer Youssef Khairy highlighted the diversity of his culture, explaining how sharing traditions strengthened bonds between different people.

“Music unites us all, regardless of colors, shapes, languages, religions, or ways of thinking,” he said. “I am here to represent Nubian music, Nubian heritage and the Nubian civilization.”

Live music and dance performances during the festival are bringing Sudanese heritage to life and offering audiences an authentic cultural experience.

Visitor Olaa Abdulnaaem said these, along with the lively atmosphere, and engaging children’s activities, were standout features for her.

Hiam Othman, a Sudanese attire designer, said the festival had significantly promoted her business. “Our products have been well-received, and they reflect our Sudanese culture,” she said.

Riyadh Season 2024 has already drawn 4 million visitors from around the world, according to Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority. He believes the surge in attendance reflects a growing appetite for cultural exploration and new experiences.

The festival is part of the Global Harmony initiative by the Ministry of Media and the General Entertainment Authority, which is aligned with the goals of the Quality of Life Program. The scheme celebrates the Kingdom’s multicultural landscape by highlighting the lives, contributions and cultural integration of its residents.

In the coming weeks, Global Harmony will celebrate a variety of cultures. After the Sudanese festival there will be a Jordanian, Lebanese and Syrian event from Nov. 17-19, Bangladeshi from Nov. 20-23, and Egyptian from Nov. 24-30. 

Launched on Oct. 17, the initiative began with music and dance honoring the culture of Indian expatriates.


KSrelief delivers winter aid and dates to Yemen’s vulnerable

These packages form part of the emergency shelter project in Yemen. (SPA)
Updated 08 November 2024
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KSrelief delivers winter aid and dates to Yemen’s vulnerable

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has delivered dates and winter shelter to vulnerable people in Yemen, the Saudi Press Agency reported late Thursday.

KSrelief’s volunteers distributed 100 winter bags in Thamud district, Hadhramaut governorate, for 600 individuals from 100 vulnerable families.

These packages form part of the emergency shelter project in Yemen. (SPA)

The aid is a part of the agency’s emergency shelter project in the country.

Meanwhile, 2,459 cartons of dates were delivered in Al-Wadi district, Marib governorate, for the benefit of 14,754 people.


KSrelief continues international relief efforts in Chad, Pakistan

Updated 08 November 2024
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KSrelief continues international relief efforts in Chad, Pakistan

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered aid to people most in need in Chad and Pakistan, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

Some 201 food parcels, benefiting 1,206 people, were distributed in the village of Sharkaya, in Hajar Lamis province, as part of the 2024 Food Security Support Project in the Republic of Chad.

Aid has also been given to 10,500 vulnerable people in flood-affected areas of Pakistan as part of the fourth phase of KSrelief’s initiative to provide shelter materials and winter bags to the country.


Saudi agency KSrelief delivers food, hygiene kits in Syria

The aid is a part of KSrelief’s projects to support earthquake-affected people in northern Syria. (SPA)
Updated 08 November 2024
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Saudi agency KSrelief delivers food, hygiene kits in Syria

  • The aid is a part of KSrelief’s projects to support earthquake-affected people in northern Syria

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has distributed food and hygiene kits to thousands of vulnerable people across Syria, the Saudi Press Agency reported late Thursday.

The agency’s volunteers delivered 750 food parcels and 750 hygiene kits in Al-Hasakah, Syria, benefiting 4,500 people.

The aid is a part of KSrelief’s projects to support earthquake-affected people in northern Syria. (SPA)

Meanwhile 745 Syrian families, comprising 2,652 people, in Al-Dana, Idlib governorate, received food and hygiene kits.

The aid is a part of KSrelief’s projects to support earthquake-affected people in northern Syria.


How Google aims to bridge the AI skills gap in Saudi Arabia and the wider region

Updated 08 November 2024
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How Google aims to bridge the AI skills gap in Saudi Arabia and the wider region

  • Backed by local partners, Google will boost AI upskilling for women, youth, migrants, and rural communities
  • The AI Opportunity Initiative aims to equip half a million people across the MENA region with AI skills

DUBAI: As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes industries, job roles and skill requirements, the Middle East and North Africa region is actively embracing advanced technologies and collaborating with tech giants to bridge the skills gap in an evolving labor market.

One such collaboration is with Google’s newly launched AI Opportunity Initiative, which offers training and education opportunities to make AI technologies more accessible and inclusive across the region.

By collaborating with local organizations, the AI Opportunity Initiative seeks to “train half a million people in the next two years,” Anthony Nakache, managing director of Google MENA, told an audience at the recent AI Connect MENA event at Dubai’s Etihad Museum.

To achieve this, Google “will give a grant of $15 million to fund local organizations,” Nakache said.

Najeeb Jarrar, regional director of marketing at Google MENA, told Arab News: “We are very excited about this AI Opportunity Initiative, especially since we are seeing the Saudi community is fully embracing AI both on the consumer side and on the developer and resource side.

“This is an initiative that we have launched globally and we now are bringing to the region. One of the aims of this initiative is how we are leveling the playing field for AI and AI education and skilling across the entire region,” he added, noting that students will learn to use AI more productively, including skills such as prompt engineering.

To bridge the digital divide in the labor market, Google’s AI Opportunity Initiative aims to upskill underserved workers in AI by offering tailored training materials in Arabic, in partnership with the non-profit Manarat, online course provider Coursera, and other organizations.

Google’s largest AI project in the region, the AI Opportunity Initiative will focus on four key areas: AI skills development, research, products, and infrastructure.

DID YOUKNOW?

• The new AI Opportunity Initiative is Google’s largest AI project in the region.

• It aims to equip 500,000 people in the MENA region with AI skills within two years.

• Google is granting $15 million to local organizations between 2024 and 2027.

• The Saudi government is reportedly creating a $40 billion fund to invest in AI.

“We also worked with local NGOs and local players in the market to ensure that we are also reaching out to different partners,” Jarrar said.

Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, has announced plans to contribute $15 million between this year and the end of 2027, providing funding to organizations across the region to ensure accessibility to AI opportunities.

The AI Opportunity Initiative also aims to equip 500,000 people in the MENA region with AI skills in the first two years. This includes students, academics, developers, entrepreneurs and underrepresented groups.

Speaking about the issue of accessibility, Jarrar said: “We wanted to ensure first that this local initiative does not feel like an initiative that is hard to get for the average user.”

Google’s largest AI project in the region, the AI Opportunity Initiative will focus on AI skills development, research, products, and infrastructure. (Supplied)

He pointed out that both language and local partners, such as Injaz and Raspberry Pi Foundation, play a major role in improving accessibility.

“The content is all in Arabic, we have local examples that we are actually able to showcase,” he said. “We are partnering with local partners that know the market and the community very well and are able to reach more people that are beyond what we can initially reach to.”

The AI Opportunity Initiative enables Google to expand the Maharat min Google program, which targets high school and university students, by introducing a new AI curriculum in Arabic.

As part of its mission to support underserved communities, Google.org is funding Village Capital, a non-profit that supports entrepreneurs tackling environmental, social and economic challenges.

Village Capital will equip business support organizations to offer AI upskilling opportunities to underserved workers. 

The program targets women, youth, migrants and rural communities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Bahrain and Iraq. 

The Raspberry Pi Foundation will use grant funding from Google.org to train teachers in AI literacy, equipping students aged 11-14 in the region with AI safety skills to better understand and navigate the challenges of AI technologies.

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Speaking at the Google AI Connect Event, Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer for Alphabet and Google, said: “AI is estimated to contribute $320 billion in economic growth for the Middle East by 2030.

“Google is working to ensure that people and communities throughout the region have the skills needed to capture the upside of this emerging technology.” 

She added: “Our local non-profit and university partners will help bring this program to people and communities throughout the region, ensuring that everyone can benefit from the opportunities that AI can deliver.”

 Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer for Alphabet and Google, speaking at the Google AI Connect event. (Photo courtesy of Google)

Since 2005, Google has invested more than $400 million in academic research globally.

The tech giant also announced during its Dubai event the launch of new Arabic AI products, including Gemini Live in Arabic, Gemini for Teens, Imagen3, and Gems on Gemini in Arabic. 

“For the previous year, we have worked hard with partners, with experts globally and from the region, to understand what are the constraints that we need to implement to make this product safer for teens, teens aged 13 to 18,” Jarrar said.

“We worked tirelessly to make sure we have the right guardrails to ensure that we had the right controls and the proper Q and A and testing, and today we are happy to say that Gemini for Teens is available for users and teens here in the region.”

These efforts are expected to support Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become an AI leader, ensuring its population stays aligned with the latest developments in the labor market.

A September report by the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence showed that 75 percent of the Saudi population is familiar with the concept of AI, and 64 percent are aware of its applications.