Three outstanding Saudi students named as Rhodes Scholars

Ahmed Aljohani and Mohammed Alghadeer will join a total cohort of more than 100 Rhodes Scholars who will travel to Oxford in October next year. (Supplied)
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Updated 11 November 2021
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Three outstanding Saudi students named as Rhodes Scholars

  • The applications for the next round of admission for the Rhodes Scholarship will open in June 2022

RIYADH: This year again, three students from Saudi Arabia have been selected to join the 2022 global class of Rhodes Scholars. Ahmed Aljohani, Jood Al-Thukair and Mohammed Alghadeer will join a total cohort of more than 100 Rhodes Scholars who will travel to Oxford in October next year.
The Rhodes Scholarships are post-graduate awards supporting outstanding students, to enable two to three years of study, depending on the academic route taken, at the University of Oxford. The scholarship is not just a financial bursary, it is a life-changing opportunity for exceptional young people with the potential to make a difference for good in the world.
The scholars elect for Saudi Arabia demonstrated their energy and commitment to making a difference during a rigorous selection process, which included three rounds of reviews before the final virtual interviews of several shortlisted candidates with an international selection committee.
Aljohani currently studies biology at Emory University. Growing up next to the Red Sea has led him to pursue a career in biology research to explore the sea’s captivating natural beauty and its secrets. At Oxford, Aljohani hopes to pursue his passion in learning more about the Red Sea’s super corals and use them as a model to save dying coral reefs globally.
Al-Thukair graduated from King Saud University with a BA in English language and literature in May this year. She is passionate about honoring Arab literature, hence her founding of Sumou — one of the leading independent publications in the region. At Oxford, Al-Thukair will study the intersections between politics and literature that mark the features of Arab women’s literary works.

FASTFACT

The Rhodes Scholarships are post-graduate awards supporting outstanding students, to enable two to three years of study, depending on the academic route taken, at the University of Oxford.

Alghadeer studied both physics and electrical engineering at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. He is currently working in collaboration with the Quantum Nanoelectronics Laboratory at University of California, Berkeley. As a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, he plans to study condensed matter physics with research focus on quantum information technology.
The first endowed Saudi Arabia scholarship was established in 2018 and was funded by Muhammad Alagil, with a second endowed scholarship added in 2020, funded by Abdulrahman Alagil Sons. Both donors are co-founders of Jarir Bookstores. This funding was done with encouragement from the Ministry of Education, as education is one of the core elements of Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s ambitious blueprint for the future.
Dr. Elizabeth Kiss, warden and CEO of the Rhodes Trust, said: “Three years ago and thanks to Muhammad Alagil’s generous gift, we launched the first Saudi Arabia endowed scholarship to ensure that more of world’s diversity would be reflected at Rhodes House. It has been a pleasure to meet the exceptional young scholars from Saudi Arabia selected in these three previous years and witness their enriching contribution to Rhodes House — cultural diversity is a core value of ours and one that we see benefit our cohort of scholars every day, as they learn from each other in profound ways.”
The applications for the next round of admission for the Rhodes Scholarship will open in June 2022.


Riyad Bank and Mastercard join forces to empower MSMEs

Updated 08 June 2025
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Riyad Bank and Mastercard join forces to empower MSMEs

Riyad Bank and Mastercard have collaborated to provide small and medium-sized businesses in Saudi Arabia with enhanced access to funding. The two entities have introduced a unique credit card program offering micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises access to financial solutions to grow and thrive.

As part of the agreement, Riyad Bank will enable MSMEs across the Kingdom with a three-tier credit program providing greater choice and flexibility in the form of unique cards: the Mastercard NMOO Business Credit Card, Mastercard NMOO Executive Credit Card, and Mastercard NMOO World Credit Card.

Each of these unique products will offer flexible limits, supporting enterprises and entrepreneurs to take greater control of their futures. They will deliver real-time solutions that support MSMEs to help buy, operate and sell, bridging financing gaps, and providing access to funding by enabling enterprises to get approved for credit facilities, for example, for business expansion.

“As one of the largest financial institutions in the Kingdom, we are fully committed to serving as a trusted financial solutions partner to the people, businesses, and entities we support,” said Mohammed Abo Al-Naja, chief corporate banking officer, Riyad Bank. “Over the years, we have helped to drive the growth and development of Saudi Arabia’s micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises ecosystem, and today, we are more determined than ever to empower businesses to realize their potential. We are pleased to have partnered with Mastercard to launch our truly novel three-tier credit program, powering the future of MSMEs with timely access to crucial funding.”

“At a time when Saudi entrepreneurship is truly beginning to flourish, we recognize that effective partnerships and innovation are essential to empowering micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises to advance and thrive,” said Adam Jones, EVP and division president, West Arabia, Mastercard. “Our partnership with Riyad Bank was launched with this goal in mind. Together, we aim to provide MSMEs with essential access to critical lending and funding. We look forward to expanding our first-of-its-kind program to more businesses across the country and supporting them in achieving their goals.”


SAS digital twins transform manufacturing

Updated 08 June 2025
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SAS digital twins transform manufacturing

SAS is poised to help transform critical processes in the manufacturing industry with enhanced digital twins that combine SAS’ powerful AI and advanced analytics with Unreal Engine from Epic Games.

With these digital twins, manufacturers like Georgia-Pacific can experiment with new strategies in simulated digital worlds, then take the best approaches and implement them in the real world.
One of the world’s leading manufacturers of paper and wood-based building products, GP is piloting these enhanced digital twins at its Savannah River Mill, which manufactures napkins, paper towels and toilet tissue.

GP is leveraging SAS’ technology to optimize its use of automated guided vehicles and other processes.

 


New digital health platform for pilgrims

Updated 08 June 2025
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New digital health platform for pilgrims

Healthtrip, the world’s largest health travel platform, has launched Healinharam.com, a dedicated digital platform that connects international tourists, particularly pilgrims, to a trusted network of medical, wellness, and chronic care services across Makkah, Madinah, and Jeddah.

The initiative directly supports Saudi Arabia’s broader ambition to establish itself as a global hub for medical and wellness tourism, in line with Vision 2030.

It also responds to increasing demand for high-quality care services during pilgrimage as the Kingdom continues to rapidly scale its healthcare infrastructure and wellness offerings.

Through Healinharam.com, pilgrims can now book health screenings, wellness therapies, and essential treatments such as dialysis, chemotherapy, and others, at leading Saudi hospitals.


Najm showcases traffic accident response system

Updated 08 June 2025
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Najm showcases traffic accident response system

Abdullah Al-Khalaf, acting CEO of Najm for Insurance Services, announced that the company has developed an integrated digital system for its traffic accident inspection service.

This development contributes to improving the efficiency and speed of handling and responding to traffic accidents, ensuring the safety of road users, reducing traffic congestion, and supporting environmental sustainability.

This announcement came during Najm’s participation in a workshop organized by Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, titled “Mechanisms for Dealing with Road Accident Offenders Under the Influence of Drugs.”

The event was held on May 28–29, with the participation of Arab and international experts specializing in security and safety.

Al-Khalaf emphasized Najm’s role in supporting the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 through the development of a smart, digital insurance sector.


XYZVerse warns against ongoing phishing scams targeting community

Updated 08 June 2025
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XYZVerse warns against ongoing phishing scams targeting community

The XYZVerse team has alerted its community to an increase in phishing scams and impersonation attempts by malicious actors posing as official representatives. The warning has been posted on XYZVerse’s official X account. These scammers are distributing fraudulent links, attempting to deceive users into revealing sensitive wallet information or transferring funds under false pretenses.

The rise in scam activity comes as XYZVerse gains momentum within the Web3 and meme coin space. With a growing community, rising visibility, and ongoing project development, the platform has become a target for opportunistic attackers seeking to exploit its success.

To maintain transparency and security, XYZVerse has undergone independent security audits conducted by Pessimistic and SolidProof, two established firms in the Web3 security space. These audits are designed to assess and validate the integrity of the project’s smart contracts, helping to identify potential vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them.

The project’s official Polygon-based token address is publicly available on the XYZVerse website, and XYZ tokens are only available for purchase through the official website: xyzverse.io.

Warning signs of a scam:

  • Messages from fake “XYZVerse Support” or team members
  • Suspicious links promising exclusive airdrops or claiming token sale updates
  • Requests for wallet access, seed phrases, or private keys

Fake communication often mimics the tone and branding of the project’s official channels. These attempts have included messages from unaffiliated Telegram or social media accounts, links to counterfeit airdrops, and websites mimicking the xyzverse.io domain. No legitimate communication will request wallet credentials, seed phrases, or private access information.

XYZVerse is actively monitoring the situation in coordination with its security partners and will continue taking steps to minimize exposure to fraudulent activity. Updates will be shared through established and verified communication channels.