How cloud technology is accelerating Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation

The adoption of cloud computing is one of the most discussed topics in the Kingdom's ICT sector, as a way to accelerate digital transformation. (Getty Images)
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Updated 31 August 2022
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How cloud technology is accelerating Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation

  • Many organizations have turned to cloud computing as a competitive driver of operational efficiency
  • Rapid adoption of cloud services is a key driver of the Kingdom’s thriving digital economy

JEDDAH: With the amount of data increasing at an exponential rate, doubling every two years, information processing and analysis tools and storage technologies have become critical requirements for any nation with a clear strategy for digital transformation.

Saudi Arabia is no exception, thanks to a nimble information technology community whose rapid adoption of cloud-based technologies is supporting and accelerating the Kingdom’s digital transformation.

In recent years, many governments and organizations around the world have turned to cloud computing as a competitive driver of operational efficiency, mainly to find a balance between security and agility.

Last October, a study by research firm Markets and Markets estimated that cloud-services adoption will grow by 16.3 percent between 2021-2026. Similarly, Gartner, the technology research and consulting firm, estimates that more than 95 percent of new digital workloads will be deployed on cloud-native platforms by 2025, up from 30 percent in 2021.

The Kingdom’s investment in and utilization of cutting-age information and communications technology has prepared it well for the new era of e-government, a framework with benefits for citizens, the government and the economy.

Experts say the Saudi government has been proactive in its approach to the implementation of digital technologies driving economic diversification, boosting innovation and building a thriving digital economy.

The transformation to e-government is taking place as the ICT sector witnesses rapid change. In 2019, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology announced a “cloud first policy” that guides public and private sector companies as part of a cloud-led transformation.

The Communications and Technology Information Commission adopted a Cloud Computing Regulatory Framework, which aims to enhance cloud-computing services in the Kingdom and ensure regulatory transparency.




Cloud technology provides flexibility, scalability and access to the latest technologies, enabling teams to innovate faster and be more agile. (AFP)

The commission has laid out a path to become a 5G digital regulator, the most advanced category according to the International Telecommunication Union, to connect the Kingdom to a thriving digital economy, increase innovation, inclusiveness, and sustainability, growth and partnerships.

Two years ago, the commission updated its cloud-computing framework and outlined the separate responsibilities of service providers and users, namely individual customers, government agencies and enterprises. Currently, cloud services are deployed under four models: Private, public, community and hybrid.

The framework makes a clear distinction between “Saudi government data” and “non-government data.” Within these two categories, subscriber data uploaded into a cloud solution provider’s cloud system may then be subject to additional classification levels, depending on the required level to preserve the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the data in question.

Saudi government data may be classified as “top secret,” “secret,” “confidential,” or “public.” Non-government data is categorized as either “data received from Saudi government entities” or “other data.”

FASTFACTS

* Digitization is the transformation of information from analog or manual to digital, such as the conversion of handwritten records into computerized versions.

* Digitalization is the process of applying digital tech and capabilities to tasks normally handled by people, delivering improved outcomes.

In October 2020, the ministry published the Kingdom’s Cloud First Policy to accelerate the pace at which government authorities were migrating from traditional IT infrastructure to cloud platforms, and encourage the adoption of cloud services in the country.

The ministry said that the policy covered all government authorities with some exclusions. These authorities would consider cloud-computing options when making new IT investment decisions in line with a clearly defined strategy that caters for various technical, security and commercial requirements.

To date, there are 21 service providers in the Kingdom, according to the commission website, ranging between class A and C. Nine more cloud providers are in the process of qualifying.

CNTXT, a company established to spearhead cloud-computing adoption in the Kingdom, offers Google Cloud solutions and services, digital transformation software, and consulting for public and private sector customers seeking to secure their place in the digital future.




Companies wanting to secure their space in the digital future are advised to adopt cloud computing. (AFP)

The company is a joint venture by Saudi Aramco and Norwegian software firm Cognite.

“Many (clients) realize that cloud adoption is more than just adopting new technology,” its CEO, Abdullah Jarwan, told Arab News. “It is an all-encompassing organizational change. It is about establishing a new technology strategy for the company, identifying new ways of working, and undergoing change management processes that enable you to take the most from cloud technology.”

The global pandemic not only highlighted the vulnerability of national systems, but also showed that while foundational organizational infrastructure is essential, work is needed to strengthen the digital resilience of the Kingdom’s economic sectors.

Experts believe the Saudi government’s cloud-first policy goal will facilitate access to global cloud service providers, which in turn will attract investments, develop definitive data regulations, enable innovation, foster agility and scale up growth.

“Cloud-technology adoption, like any other technology adoption, also requires cultural change,” Jarwan said.

INNUMBERS

* 16.3 percent Global growth rate of cloud adoption in 2021-2026.

* $448bn Projected global cloud services market value by 2026.

* $10bn Projected demand for cloud services in KSA by 2030.

* 92 percent KSA executives expecting 50 percent+ shift to cloud over next three years.

“It requires the company to invest in training and up-skilling its workforce in order to make sure that employees know how to take the most advantage of new cloud-based tools. It can sometimes also be hard to convince people to start using new tools. So, this change needs to be embraced and communicated from the top, where the cloud is positioned as a fundamental enabler of a company’s innovation.”

Today, the adoption of cloud computing is one of the most discussed topics in the Kingdom’s ICT sector, as entities in both the public and private sectors look to accelerate digital transformation.

Cloud computing is a relatively mature and robust technology that offers its users several proven advantages, such as cost reduction, immediate scalability and resource sharing.

Security is cloud migration’s primary, if not most significant, characteristic. Cybersecurity threats across the digital landscape rose almost exponentially during the global pandemic. Many organizations opted for cloud migration owing to restrictions on operations with on-premise IT systems.

Though cybersecurity threats are still a significant concern today, cloud security concerns are also coming to the fore. Such threats include lack of user awareness of safe configuration practices for personal smart home security; lack of secure setup and checkups for remote access enterprise systems; and end-user education against social engineering as user information is increasingly stolen via fraudulent emails and web links sent via social media platforms, instant messages and others.




Participants including Saudi women attend a hackathon in Jeddah in 2018. (AFP/File Photo)

Despite the threats, a Mordor Intelligence study of migration to cloud services between 2018-2026 put the market value in 2026 at $448.324 billion, compared with $119.13 billion in 2021.

According to Jarwan, several points are usually considered before companies migrate to the cloud, such as “technology stack evaluation, on-premise hardware and software, security evaluation, identification of gaps, and cost.”

Once the assessments are made, companies prioritize their services for the transition.

“Companies that want to secure their space in the digital future must adopt the cloud,” Jarwan told Arab News. “It provides flexibility, scalability, and access to the latest technologies, enabling teams to innovate faster and be more agile.

“Companies can shift their focus from maintaining infrastructure, which is not their core business, to freeing resources for actual development and innovation.”

Looking ahead, Jarwan said: “The question is not if but when and how companies should adopt the cloud.”


Saudi Arabia condemns Israel attacks on Iran

Updated 9 sec ago
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Saudi Arabia condemns Israel attacks on Iran

  • Statement also restated that the “international community and the Security Council bears a “great responsibility to halt this immediate aggression”

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has condemned Israel’s strikes on Iran early on Friday, targeting multiple sites related to the country’s nuclear program and killing Hossein Salami, the chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), along with another top Guard official and two nuclear scientists.

The Kingdom “expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the blatant Israeli aggressions against the brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran, which undermine its sovereignty and security and constitute a clear violation of international laws and norms,” a statement from Saudi foreign ministry said.

The statement also restated that the “international community and the Security Council bears a “great responsibility to halt this immediate aggression.”

 

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military operation on Iran would “continue for as many days as it takes” to “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.’

Israel declared a state of emergency in anticipation of retaliatory missile and drone strikes.

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meanwhile warned that Israel would suffer severe consequences after the deadly attacks.

“With this crime, the Zionist regime has set itself for a bitter and painful fate and it will definitely receive it,” Khamenei said in a statement.


How emerging AI talent is shaping the future of smart healthcare in Saudi Arabia

Updated 40 min 38 sec ago
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How emerging AI talent is shaping the future of smart healthcare in Saudi Arabia

  • HuLP is an AI tool enabling doctors to refine cancer predictions in real-time, improving accuracy and trust
  • Med-YOLOWorld is a universal AI imaging tool that reads nine medical scan types at 70 frames per second

RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia accelerates its investment in AI-powered healthcare, two young researchers from the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence are building the very tools that hospitals in the Kingdom will soon need — intelligent, interpretable, and scalable systems for diagnosis and prognosis.

Although the university’s 2025 cohort did not include Saudi nationals this year, the work of two standout graduates, Mohammed Firdaus Ridzuan and Tooba Tehreem Sheikh, directly aligns with Saudi Arabia’s healthcare transformation plans under Vision 2030.

Their research offers practical, forward-looking solutions for the Kingdom’s next generation of smart hospitals.

At a time when AI systems are being deployed across diagnostic units in Saudi hospitals, from the King Faisal Specialist Hospital to new initiatives backed by the Saudi Data and AI Authority, the focus is shifting from capability to clarity.

Can the systems provide real-time support? Can they explain their reasoning? Can doctors intervene? These are the questions both Ridzuan and Sheikh have set out to answer.

Ridzuan, a PhD graduate in machine learning, developed Human-in-the-Loop for Prognosis, or HuLP for short — a cancer survival prediction system that places doctors back at the center of AI-powered decision-making.

Mohammed Firdaus Ridzuan. (Supplied)

“While AI has made significant strides in diagnosing diseases, predicting individual survival outcomes, especially in cancer, is still a challenging task,” Ridzuan told Arab News. “Our model addresses this by enabling real-time clinician intervention.”

Unlike traditional models that operate in isolation, HuLP is built for collaboration. Medical professionals can adjust and refine its predictions using their clinical expertise. These adjustments are not just temporary; they influence how the model evolves.

“Doctors and medical professionals can actively engage with the system,” Ridzuan said. “Their insights don’t just influence the result — they actually help the model learn.”

This approach to human-AI partnership ensures that predictions remain explainable, context-aware, and grounded in patient-specific realities, a key need for Saudi hospitals integrating AI at scale.

“By allowing clinicians to dynamically adjust predictions, we create a more adaptive and responsive system that can handle local challenges,” Ridzuan added.

The Kingdom’s healthcare institutions are undergoing a digital transformation driven by national entities like SDAIA, the Ministry of Health, and the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Innovation.

The Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, and KFSHI aigned a partnership in 2024 to commercialize GenAI. (Supplied)

These entities are focused not only on adopting new AI tools but also on ensuring that these systems can integrate into clinical workflows. This is where Ridzuan sees HuLP making an impact.

“Smart hospitals are already integrating AI diagnostic tools for medical imaging and patient data analysis,” he said. “Our model can take this to the next level by empowering clinicians to interact with and guide the system’s predictions.”

In settings where trust and transparency are vital, Ridzuan’s collaborative model could help hospitals overcome one of AI’s most persistent problems: the black box effect.

This refers to the opaque nature of certain systems, particularly in the field of AI, where the internal workings and decision-making processes are hidden or unknown.

The emphasis on local relevance also comes through in HuLP’s design. Ridzuan says real-time data from regional healthcare systems is essential for training accurate, context-sensitive models.

“Local data provides insights into the unique health conditions and medical practices within the Gulf region,” he said. “Integrating this data ensures that the AI is attuned to the specific needs and health profiles of patients in the region.

The system is built to learn continuously. As clinicians correct or refine its predictions, the model updates itself, improving with each interaction. This feedback loop is crucial for real-world deployments, especially in the Gulf, where data quality can be inconsistent.

While Ridzuan is focused on outcomes, Sheikh, an MSc graduate in computer vision, is transforming the way hospitals detect disease in the first place.

Her project, Med-YOLOWorld, is a next-generation imaging system that can read nine types of medical scans in real time.

Unlike traditional radiology AI tools, which are often limited to specific tasks, Med-YOLOWorld operates with open-vocabulary detection. That means it can identify anomalies and organ structures that it has not been explicitly trained on — a key feature for scalability.

“Most models are confined to a single modality like CT or X-ray,” Sheikh told Arab News. “Med-YOLOWorld supports nine diverse imaging types, including ultrasound, dermoscopy, microscopy, and histopathology.”

With support for up to 70 frames per second, the system is designed for clinical deployment in high-demand environments.

Sheikh sees clear potential for its use in Saudi Arabia, where institutions like the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre are already implementing multi-modal AI imaging tools.

The Center for Health Intelligence is KFSHRC's arm for Innovating the Future of Healthcare. (Supplied)

“It can seamlessly integrate with existing imaging systems to enable open-vocabulary detection,” she said. “Identifying a wide range of medical findings — even those outside its original training set — is essential for fast-paced clinical environments.”

But building a universal imaging tool came with its own technical hurdles.

“The biggest challenge was managing the diverse preprocessing requirements across imaging modalities,” Sheikh said. “CT and MRI scans need intensity normalization, while ultrasound, dermoscopy, and microscopy have completely different visual characteristics.”

Data imbalance was another issue. While MRI and CT scans are widely available, data for more niche imaging types is scarce. Sheikh tackled this by designing custom augmentation techniques to ensure the model performs consistently across all modalities.

She is now working on combining Med-YOLOWorld with vision-language models, systems that explain what they see in natural language.

“MiniGPT-Med does a great job at explaining radiology images,” she said. “But pairing it with a system like Med-YOLOWorld adds a crucial dimension — open-world localization. Not just describing the issue but pointing to it.”

This fusion could create a powerful end-to-end diagnostic pipeline: detect, explain, and localize. For Saudi hospitals embracing AI-driven imaging, the impact could be transformative.

Tooba Tehreem Sheikh. (Supplied)

For Sheikh, the global implications of her work are just as important as the technical achievements. “Med-YOLOWorld reduces the need for large, annotated datasets,” she said. “In fast-scaling healthcare systems, that’s a game-changer.”

By enabling the detection of unseen categories, the system can remain relevant even as new diseases or anomalies emerge. And when combined with language models, it can assist in medical training, annotations, and decision support, all while reducing dependence on expert-labeled data.

This approach could accelerate AI adoption in emerging regions, including across the Gulf and the wider Middle East and North Africa, where access to large datasets and AI-specialized radiologists remains limited.

While MBZUAI is based in the UAE, its alumni are playing a growing role in shaping AI initiatives that extend across the Gulf. Both Ridzuan and Sheikh have demonstrated how innovation, when aligned with clinical realities and regional goals, can scale far beyond the lab.

As Saudi Arabia continues to invest in smart hospitals, real-time imaging, and personalized care, tools like HuLP and Med-YOLOWorld represent the next wave of AI in healthcare: explainable, collaborative, and regionally adaptable.

And with growing partnerships between research institutions, healthcare providers, and government entities, these systems may not be far from deployment in the Kingdom, paving the way for a more intelligent, human-centered approach to medical care.
 

 


Pilgrims through the lens: How photographers document scenes of faith during Hajj

Updated 13 June 2025
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Pilgrims through the lens: How photographers document scenes of faith during Hajj

MAKKAH: Every year, the holy lands transform into a unique visual spectacle pulsing with faith and human diversity, drawing the world’s eyes to Makkah, where millions of Muslims perform the pilgrimage of Hajj.

During this period of spiritual and human momentum, photographers stand as visual historians, conveying to the world unforgettable scenes through their lenses that capture moments of worship, tears, unity, mercy, and cultural diversity.

Photographer Anas Al-Harthi said: “When I carry my camera during Hajj season, I feel that I am not just documenting an event but painting a grand canvas of faith in human colors from every continent.”

He added: “A photographer during Hajj does not just take a picture — he moves with a deep sense that this shot may remain a witness to a moment that will never be repeated in the pilgrim’s life.”

Photo by Faisal Al-Thaqafi.

Al-Harthi pointed out that the greatest challenge is respecting the sanctity of the scene without interfering with it, which requires a high artistic sense and an appreciation of place, time and situation.

Photographer Anas Bakhsh said that the experience of photographing during Hajj places the photographer at the heart of human emotion.

“Thousands of faces pass before you, and each face carries a story, every tear bears a prayer, and every movement expresses longing and contentment. Sometimes I feel that the photo I took is an answered prayer for someone in a moment of complete submission to God.”

He said that the scene forever engraved in his memory is when crowds gather on the plain of Arafat at the same time, a majestic sight where differences between people dissolve and the sounds of Talbiyah and supplication rise.

Photographer Faisal Al-Thaqafi said that professional photography during Hajj is not only about technical skill, but also about cultural and religious awareness, and the ability to engage with the scene with the spirit of a believing photographer. “The photographer during Hajj is not just a professional holding a camera — he is an eye pulsing with faith, translating emotion into imagery.”

He added: “Sometimes you capture an image of an elderly pilgrim raising his hands to the sky, and you realize that this photo will remain in people’s hearts more than any commentary or report — because it is sincere, pure, and simple.”

The three photographers agree that the logistical challenges — crowds, heat, and problems involving mobility — do not stand in the way of their passion. Instead, they drive them to exert double the effort to document this unique event.

Bakhsh said: “Every season, I return home with thousands of photos, but I keep only one or two for myself — those images that I feel touched something inside me and perhaps touched the hearts of millions around the world.”

Photo by Faisal Al-Thaqafi.

Al-Thaqafi said that a successful photograph during Hajj is not only one of high visual quality, but one that conveys a genuine emotion. “The strongest images are those that do not need an explanation. You see a pilgrim smiling or crying, and you feel your heart tremble.”

Al-Harthi believes that a photograph can change the world’s perception of Hajj and bring this great ritual closer to non-Muslims as well, saying: “We are not working only for documentation — we are working to build a human bridge, where the spirit of Islam is shown through an honest and professional lens.”

With these sincere lenses, the Hajj season becomes an open exhibition of spirituality, where photos tell stories that words cannot express, and bear witness to the greatest annual human gathering, where everyone is equal in attire, and united in purpose: seeking mercy and forgiveness.

Amid this visual momentum created by photographers through their lenses, the impact of these images is also felt by the pilgrims themselves and by millions of followers on social media. Syrian pilgrim Omar Al-Kadeeb, from Deir Ezzor, said: “Photos of relatives who performed the pilgrimage in the holy sites and near the Kaaba reached my family and friends within minutes and spread widely. At that moment, we felt like we were part of their spiritual journey despite the distance.” He added: “I saw images taken of pilgrims from all nationalities, and I found myself moving emotionally through the scenes — from a father crying in prayer, to a child smiling in Arafat, to a woman raising her hands to the sky in a profoundly moving moment that cannot be described.”

Photos by Faisal Al-Thaqafi, center shot, and Anas Al-Harthi.

Al-Kadeeb said that the professional photos shared by photographers on platforms such as X, Instagram and TikTok enhance the status of Hajj in people’s hearts and make it feel more relatable and more meaningful to the viewer — even if they are not performing Hajj themselves.

“I believe every beautiful image from Hajj is an indirect invitation for people to dream of Hajj and to realize the greatness of this immense pillar,” Al-Kadeeb said.

He concluded with high praise for the photographers: “They are not just professionals — they are messengers of peace and beauty, delivering the message in today’s universal language: a photo.”


KSrelief clinics help refugees in Jordan

Updated 12 June 2025
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KSrelief clinics help refugees in Jordan

AMMAN: The clinics of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center provided healthcare services to 2,789 patients in Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan during the first week of May.

The general medicine clinics received 778 patients, while the internal medicine clinic treated 128 patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, and asthma.

The pediatric clinics received 226 children, 131 patients visited dental clinics, and 312 women were treated by the two women’s health clinics.

The ear, nose, and throat clinic received 66 patients suffering from sinusitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, and middle ear infections. The ophthalmology clinic saw 37 patients.

The cardiology clinic received 15 patients, the diagnostic radiology clinic received 37 patients, and the rehabilitation medicine clinic also treated 37 patients.

A total of 3,245 laboratory tests were conducted for 284 patients, and 217 imaging procedures, including X-ray and ultrasound examinations, were performed for 184 patients. 


Shanghai Film Festival: Saudi Arabia to boost cultural cooperation with China

Updated 12 June 2025
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Shanghai Film Festival: Saudi Arabia to boost cultural cooperation with China

RIYADH: The Saudi Film Commission has announced its participation in the Shanghai International Film Festival, which will be held from June 13 to 22 in Shanghai, China.

The event is the largest film festival in China and the only Chinese festival accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations.

By participating, the commission aims to enhance cultural cooperation, strengthen international ties, and promote the visual and geographic richness of the Kingdom’s film locations. It also plans to explore co-production and distribution opportunities for Saudi films in the Chinese market.

The Saudi pavilion will be a platform to display the commission’s programs and initiatives, engage with industry professionals, and highlight the creative and commercial potential of the Kingdom’s film sector.

This participation underscores the commission’s commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s film industry by engaging with key international platforms, empowering local talent, and fostering global cultural exchange.