From Madinah with love - entrepreneur shares Saudi dates with the world
Arab News speaks with Moroccan entrepreneur who imports Saudi dates to Germany
‘My dream is that German customers will discover the quality and diversity of Saudi dates’
Updated 15 April 2022
David Kampmann
EPPSTEIN, Germany: Dates have always been omnipresent in Nora Blouza’s life. The 37-year-old is from southern Morocco, where her late grandfather once owned a date plantation. “Dates would always be in the house,” she told Arab News.
When Blouza’s Dutch-Moroccan husband came to Germany due to his work in 2018, she followed him with their three children after having lived in the Netherlands for 17 years.
“Originally we planned to just stay for three years,” she said. But the coronavirus pandemic thwarted the family’s plans.
They had to stay, and due to the lockdown they spent most of their daily life at home. To Blouza it was a double-edged sword.
“The bad news was that we were staying at home. The good news was that we started to develop ideas and put them to good use.”
It was during Ramadan last year that her daughter brought up a topic that gave Blouza a new idea.
“She reminded me of the high amounts of dates people consume, especially during Ramadan, of the many different types and tastes.”
It was then that Blouza had the idea of launching her own date business in Germany and importing large amounts. Although she was raised on dates, the business itself was something new to her.
As Blouza is Moroccan, her home country and its neighbors Algeria and Tunisia were the first that came to mind as potential suppliers, but none of them met her criteria.
“The amounts there aren’t as large as I’d like,” she said. “Neither could they provide the kind of diversity that I wanted.”
Diversity and quality were her top priorities. Eventually, it was dates from Saudi Arabia that she saw as meeting her criteria.
“Saudi Arabia has many different and often unique types of dates,” she said. “Ajwa, for example, is something that only grows in the city of Madinah.”
Blouza undertook research and found a supplier that suited her ideas best: Nakheel Alya, a company in Madinah.
Although it sells its products to 30 countries, Nakheel Alya is relatively new, having been founded in 2015.
Despite that, it “met my criteria,” said Blouza, who fulfilled her dream and launched her business, Nakheel Fruits, in August 2021.
Boxes of different products such as natural dates, date cookies, and dates covered in chocolate and filled with almonds or walnuts, fill the company’s warehouse in Eppstein, a town in the state of Hesse at the edge of the Taunus mountains.
“We mostly supply supermarkets and individual clients that order our products via our website,” said Blouza
While individual clients are from all over Germany, the supermarkets are mostly from Hesse, with demand rising during Ramadan.
Despite her original plans to stay in Germany for only three years, she now wants to stay indefinitely. “I like it here. And I love my project.”
She hopes that her business will grow and expand nationwide. “My dream is that we will develop further and that German customers will discover the quality and diversity of Saudi dates and date products.”
Saudi and Spanish foreign ministers meet in Madrid
Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Jose Manuel Albares spoke about global efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza
Updated 14 sec ago
Arab News
MADRID: The Saudi and Spanish foreign ministers met in Madrid on Friday to discuss the current situation in the Gaza Strip, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Jose Manuel Albares spoke about global efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, SPA added.
The two met on the sidelines of a high-level meeting of ministers from Muslim and European countries along with the European Union’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell in Spain to discuss how to advance a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
During their meeting, they also discussed preparations for the high-level event on the same topic which will be held at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
They also reviewed relations between the Kingdom and Spain and ways to enhance them in various fields.
Former DG of Public Security sentenced to prison, fined SR1m for forgery and bribery crimes
Updated 42 min 12 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: The Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, also known as Nazaha, announced that Lieutenant General Khalid bin Qarar Al-Harbi, the former Director-General of Public Security, has been sentenced to prison and fined SR1 million for bribery and forgery crimes, an official source at the Ministry of Interior said Friday.
His sentence came in accordance with the Criminal Procedures Law and after an investigation by Nazaha.
Saudi Fashion Commission to organize investment tour in London
The tour, which coincides with the conclusion of London Fashion Week, will offer opportunities for investors
Updated 13 September 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: The Saudi Fashion Commission will launch an investment tour in London on Tuesday, in collaboration with the nation’s Cultural Development Fund and Ministry of Investment.
The tour, which coincides with the conclusion of London Fashion Week, will offer opportunities for investors seeking a stake in the nation’s burgeoning industry.
The venue is The Twenty Two located in the Mayfair area, which is close to the primary London Fashion Week activities, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.
The tour is a part of the commission’s ongoing endeavors to improve and simplify access to the fashion sector, particularly by the private sector.
It aligns with the objectives of the Cultural Development Fund, which aims to position the Kingdom as a global leader in arts and culture.
The event will feature discussions with representatives of international and local investors.
Saudi Arabia strongly condemns intrusion by Netanyahu into Palestinian Jordan Valley
Ministry of Foreign Affairs says such violations harm efforts to ease tensions in the region and to provide protection for Palestinian civilians
It also renews call for the international community to fully live up to its responsibility to do all it can to halt Israeli aggression
Updated 13 September 2024
Arab News
JEDDAH: The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned what it described as a blatant Israeli intrusion by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into a Palestinian-controlled area of the Jordan Valley.
It said the incident was a provocative action carried out with the aim of expanding Israeli settlement activity that violates international law and resolutions designed to prevent such actions, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu, accompanied by Israeli army commanders, visited part of the valley close to the border with Jordan and announced his intention to build a wall along the border to prevent what he described as attempts to smuggle weapons and fighters into the West Bank and Israel. It is a revival of a project initially proposed by Israeli authorities about 20 years ago.
The ministry said such violations harm efforts to ease tensions in the region and to provide protection for civilians in the Palestinian territories.
It reiterated the important need for an end to Israel’s aggression in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the territory, the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes, and increased flows of humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.
The ministry also renewed its call for the international community to fully live up to its responsibility to do all it can to halt all Israeli aggression against Palestinians and their territories, and stressed the need for mechanisms to ensure accountability for actions in Gaza and to help end actions by Israeli authorities that threaten security and undermine peace efforts in the region.
From seamless travel to tailored experiences, AI is transforming Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry
The Kingdom has raised it ambition to attract 150 million tourists per year by 2030, with AI at the heart of its tourism strategy
From personalized excursions to interactive augmented reality tours, experts say AI is revolutionizing the sector
Updated 13 September 2024
Sulafa Alkhunaizi
RIYADH: As the tourism industry prospers in Saudi Arabia, local travel agents are turning to artificial intelligence to help their clients plan dream vacations, offer seamless journeys, and create highly personalized visitor experiences.
As part of its Vision 2030 economic reform agenda, Saudi Arabia has raised its ambition to attract 150 million tourists a year by the end of the decade. Thanks to an array of AI solutions, this new target could be well within grasp.
An artistic impression of the resort planned by the Saudi giga-project NEOM and hospitality firm Equinox Hotels on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba will feature 15 hotels and over 2,500 residences in 12 locations. (NEOM image)
NEOM, Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion mega-city taking shape on the Kingdom’s northwest coast, will feature a range of innovative tourism experiences, using AI for personalized services, transport and hospitality.
Meanwhile, at the UNESCO World Heritage sites of AlUla and Diriyah, AI-powered augmented reality technology will offer visitors a program of interactive tours through the Kingdom’s historical sites.
Diriyah, the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, offers visitors a program of interactive tours. (DGDA photo)
“The Kingdom is making significant progress in building its local AI talent through ambitious initiatives, collaborating with global AI players, such as Artefact, to upskill its young talent on AI,” Rahul Arya, CEO of tech consultancy Artefact MENA, told Arab News.
“The Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence’s major initiatives and events, such as the GAIN Summit, are also putting the Kingdom on the global AI map and positioning it as an AI pioneer in the region.”
The latest edition of the Global AI Summit, also known as GAIN, took place in Riyadh between Sept. 10 and 12, offering a platform for experts, academics, corporates and policymakers to advance the discussion on AI.
During the 3-day GAIN Summit in Riyadh, AI’s transformative potential for the tourism sector was among the main topics discussed by experts, academics, corporates and policymakers. (AN photo by Abdulrahman Bin Shalhoub)
Oussama Ahmad, Artefact’s global lead on travel and tourism, attended the summit, held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center.
“As an AI practitioner, I am both invigorated and captivated by Saudi Arabia’s pioneering role in AI, as evidenced by its global leadership in government AI strategy,” he told Arab News.
“It’s imperative for me to be at GAIN to witness the latest AI advancements and success stories in the Kingdom and to exchange insights with thought leaders and experts in the domain.”
During the event, Ahmad moderated a panel discussion on AI’s transformative potential for the tourism sector.
“This session was part of a ‘first-of-a-kind’ event on AI for Tourism — a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism, Saudi Tourism Authority, SDAIA and Artefact,” he said.
“Additionally, I had the pleasure to sign a memorandum of understanding between Artefact and STA to drive the development of AI solutions to promote Saudi Arabia as a leading tourism destination and to elevate its visitors’ experience.”
Ahmad said that AI solutions can enhance the marketing of the Kingdom as a tourist destination by addressing specific perception barriers with targeted messages delivered through the right channels.
“Solutions created by artificial intelligence include monitoring visitors’ experiences, addressing pain points and capitalizing on moments of delight, as an outstanding visitor experience is crucial for encouraging repeat visits and referrals,” he said.
“Additionally, AI can help identify new global events and attractions to be hosted by the Kingdom, plan for participant capacity at these events, and measure their return on investment.”
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Ahmad highlighted the Saudi Tourism Authority’s AI-powered recommendation systems, predictive analytics for visitors, spending on optimizing capacity planning, and AI adoption by the Kingdom’s newest national carrier.
“Riyadh Air has established its data and AI infrastructure on-cloud to develop AI applications aimed at differentiating its guest experience and enhancing its commercial and operational performance,” he said.
Ahmad highlighted the effectiveness and accuracy of many AI applications, especially those based on generative AI, which rely on a detailed understanding of language and its dialectical nuances.
“This deep understanding can make all the difference in the model’s analysis of text or speech input, extraction of insights, and the accuracy of the model’s responses to user queries,” he said, underscoring the need for such models to be trained in Arabic dialects.
“AI models, and more specifically large language models, should be trained on the native language (both text and speech) and fine-tuned with the various dialects present in the Kingdom and its priority source markets of visitors.
“Moreover, Saudi Arabia has specific cultural aspects related to social values, customs, education, and communication … Developing AI solutions and innovations in the Kingdom comes with challenges, but the Kingdom is working to bridge the gap.”
Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi, president of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, unveiling the “State of AI in Saudi Arabia” report outlining the Kingdom’s advancements from 2019 to 2023. (SPA)
For Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector and other emerging industries to reap the benefits AI has to offer, Ahmad said the Kingdom should focus on data collection, the entry of cloud providers, and on supporting local tech talent.
“First, AI applications require a vast amount of clean historical data, typically in the range of hundreds of thousands to millions of data rows,” he said.
“However, the emerging Saudi tourism sector currently faces limitations in data availability and quality. To address this, organizations in Saudi Arabia should focus on extensive data collection through first-party data strategies and partnerships for second and third-party data exchange.
“In the meantime, AI models can be developed as proof of concepts and later fine-tuned as data sources are enriched.”
“Second, many organizations in the Kingdom have legacy technology infrastructure that cannot support the deployment and productionalization of large-scale AI applications.
“However, the entry of cloud providers into the Kingdom through local data centers has begun to alleviate this challenge, particularly as cloud service providers make their most advanced AI services available in these data centers.
Cloud providers are part of a set of requirements needed for the tourism sector to reap the benefits AI has to offer. (AN photo by Abdulrahman Bin Shalhoub)
“The third challenge is the undersupply of AI talent in the Saudi market, which has led to limited AI innovation locally. To address this, local organizations are tapping into global AI talent pools.”
High-quality data and robust governance are key pillars for developing effective AI models that generate accurate results. That is why the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence has created the National Data Management Office and the National Data Index.
“To address this, SDAIA has devised the NDMO and NDI frameworks, which regulate and standardize data governance and management across the Kingdom, thus accelerating AI development and leading to value creation from data insights,” Ahmad said.
“Additionally, the Kingdom has set clear standards for residency of AI applications based on the classification of data sets required for those applications. This has fueled a healthy competition among cloud providers to build compliant data centers in the Kingdom, offering a comprehensive range of their AI applications and services.”
Rahul Arya (left), CEO of tech consultancy Artefact MENA, and Oussama Ahmad, Artefact’s global lead on travel and tourism. (Supplied)
Most recently, the Kingdom pioneered AI regulations by defining a set of “AI Ethics Principles” in collaboration with the EU and in line with its AI Act.
“This framework ensures that AI development is ethical, transparent, and compliant with personal data protection standards,” Ahmad said.
If the Kingdom is able to overcome challenges such as data availability, technological infrastructure, and talent scarcity, Ahmad believes Saudi Arabia will make significant strides in AI development and adoption.
“The successful implementation of AI solutions, tailored to local languages, cultural nuances, and compliant with regulatory frameworks, is crucial for unlocking the full potential of AI in driving the tourism sector.”
