Snapchat’s latest updates, features now available in Saudi Arabia

Press conference showcased new functions in enterprise solutions, retail innovation, AR, and AI technologies.
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Updated 01 June 2023
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Snapchat’s latest updates, features now available in Saudi Arabia

  • 22m active users in the Kingdom to benefit from range of improvements, including AR, AI offerings

RIYADH: Snapchat has unveiled innovative story features, including Communities, After Dark and Friendship Flashbacks, that enable users to more creatively document special moments.

To highlight improvements shown off at the annual Snap Partner Summit, the platform held a press conference in Riyadh on May 31.

The event showcased a variety of new functions and developments in enterprise solutions, retail innovation, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence technologies.

“In Saudi Arabia, Snapchat is a part of people’s lives, with over 22 million active users, including a remarkable 71 percent of parents. It’s heartwarming to witness the deep engagement of Snapchatters in Saudi, who open the app nearly 50 times per day, embracing its role as a daily companion,” said Abdulla Alhammadi, Snapchat regional business lead for the KSA market.

“Our augmented reality features, particularly the Lenses, have struck a chord with over 85 percent of KSA users, demonstrating their popularity and impact. Equally inspiring is the fact that almost 60 percent of Saudi Arabia’s Monthly Active users are 25 or older, showcasing the diverse appeal of Snapchat across different generations.”

Users of Snapchat have several options for staying in touch with loved ones using the features: Communities, After Dark, and Friendship Flashbacks that let users capture memorable occasions in more interesting ways.

Friendship Flashbacks bring throwback memories from Snapchat Memories directly into conversations with friends, After Dark offers a dedicated story format for evening memories, and Communities allows students to share their perspectives with classmates.

A customized 3D Snap Map will make it simpler to find landmarks and popular destinations, and also provide new location-sharing capabilities.

Additionally, the Bitmoji design has been improved to offer avatars that not only look like Snapchatters, but also dress like them, with a greater selection of shoppable clothing and accessories.

Snapchat recognizes the power of its AR innovations and the camera in enabling storytelling and empowering content creators. And to further support creators, a Stories revenue sharing program has been introduced. Eligible creators with at least 50,000 followers, 25 million monthly Snap views, and a minimum of 10 Stories per month and at least 50,000 followers can now monetize their Stories through ads.

This program incentivizes creators and provides the community with more engaging content from their favorite creators.

Snapchat also aims to provide creators with more growth opportunities through new features such as Snap Map.

By tagging locations in Spotlight Snaps or saving Stories they love, creators can expand their reach and offer the community the chance to discover new talent. Moreover, dozens of new tools have been developed for creators, including the integration of Linktree, a leading link-in-bio platform, into their new Public Profiles.

Additionally, new Story updates will allow a broader audience to discover and appreciate creators’ creativity while maintaining Snapchat as the best platform for genuine friendships.

Snapchatters aged 18 and older can now post their own Public Story with a simple tap, and creators gain access to content performance insights and Story Replies.

Additionally, a new tool recommending Sounds to pair with Lenses will make Snaps even more expressive.

Snapchat also unveiled the AR Shopping Suite by ARES as part of its mission to revolutionize the shopping experience, AR Enterprise Services.

Innovative AR and AI technologies like Try-On and Fit Finder are integrated into customers’ own apps and websites by this package.

To bridge the gap between the virtual and real worlds in retail settings, Snapchat has unveiled AR Mirrors. This technology has already been adopted by companies like Nike and Coca-Cola.

Zainab Hawsawi, head of communications for Snap in Saudi Arabia, told Arab News: “AR is revolutionizing the way we live, and its impact is undeniable. In MENA, 85 percent of users engage with Lenses on a daily basis, emphasizing its integration into our daily lives. Looking ahead to 2025, we foresee an exciting shift where the majority of Gen Z and millennial social media users in Saudi Arabia and the UAE will actively embrace AR.

“Ipsos research reveals that shopping is the top motivator for consumers to utilize AR, and at Snapchat, we’re proud to introduce innovative AR solutions to the Saudi market. From Live Garment Transfer to AR Enterprise Services Shopping Suite and AR mirrors, we aim to enhance the shopping experience, making it more enjoyable and seamless for all.”


MIT Technology Review Arabia unveils 2024 ‘Innovators Under 35 MENA’ award winners

Updated 23 December 2024
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MIT Technology Review Arabia unveils 2024 ‘Innovators Under 35 MENA’ award winners

  • Saudi Arabia saw significant recognition this year, with five of its innovators earning awards
  • Innovators’ work range from groundbreaking genetic research to eco-friendly technologies and advanced health diagnostics

LONDON: MIT Technology Review Arabia has announced the 20 winners of its 2024 Innovators Under 35 MENA award, honoring young visionaries whose work spans fields such as biotechnology, artificial intelligence, energy and medicine.

This year’s honorees hail from across the region and beyond, including Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar, Bangladesh and Russia, and whose ideas have introduced innovations addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Their achievements range from groundbreaking genetic research to eco-friendly technologies and advanced health diagnostics.

Among this year’s winners is Saudi Arabia’s Asrar Damdam, whose UV-based device extends the shelf life of fresh food in only 30 seconds without chemicals, tackling global food waste.

Egypt’s Bassem Al-Shaib was recognized for his work with CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) technology, offering new possibilities for genetic therapies and climate change mitigation.

Qatar’s Dhabia Al-Mohannadi has developed a process to convert oil wastewater into hydrogen, contributing to decarbonization efforts.

Saudi Arabia saw significant recognition this year, with five of its innovators earning awards.

These include Mohammed Alamer, whose sustainable graphene production methods are gaining attention, and Lamyaa Almemadi, whose research at MIT focuses on monitoring mRNA degradation in vaccines.

Taghreed Sindi was recognized for developing AI tools to improve children’s hospital care, while Maha AlJuhani introduced methods for designing catalysts that recycle nitrogen, supporting sustainability in industry.

The honorees were selected by a panel of 19 judges, including academics and entrepreneurs from leading institutions worldwide.

The award, which was launched in the MENA in 2018, is the regional version of a global awards scheme launched by MIT Technology Review in 1999.

Part of Arabic digital content provider Majarra, Innovators Under 35 awards have previously honored figures such as Google co-founder Larry Page, and Mark Zuckerberg, founder, chairman and CEO of Meta, formerly known as Facebook.


Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. to sell Foxtel to Britain’s DAZN for $2.1 billion

Updated 23 December 2024
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Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. to sell Foxtel to Britain’s DAZN for $2.1 billion

  • News Corp. will gain a board seat and hold a 6 percent stake in DAZN
  • DAZN is a broadcasting partner for Italy’s Serie A, Spain’s LaLiga, Germany’s Bundesliga and France’s Ligue 1

SYDNEY: News Corp. has agreed to sell its Australian cable TV unit Foxtel to British-owned sports network DAZN for $2 billion (A$3.4 billion) including debt, cutting the Murdoch-controlled media empire’s exposure to a business up-ended by streaming platforms.
News Corp. will gain a board seat and hold a 6 percent stake in DAZN, a London-headquartered global streaming platform available in North America, Europe, and Asia and backed by Ukranian-born billionaire Len Blavatnik.
DAZN is a broadcasting partner for Italy’s Serie A, Spain’s LaLiga, Germany’s Bundesliga and France’s Ligue 1. It competes against traditional TV and satellite channels and provides access to a range of sports content, including American football, boxing and baseball over its streaming platform.
“Australians watch more sport than any other country in the world, which makes this deal an incredibly exciting opportunity for DAZN to enter a key market, marking another step in our long-term strategy to become the global home of sport,” said DAZN co-founder and CEO Shay Segev.
Foxtel, launched by News Corp. in 1995, has weighed on the media giant’s profits for years as the number of people who pay monthly subscriptions for its broadcast content switched to cheaper streaming options like Netflix.
It has tried to diversify by adding its own streaming services like Kayo, which livestreams local sports Australian Football League (AFL) and the National Rugby League (NRL), to win back sports broadcasting market share. It also shows ESPN.
However, its earnings have suffered with the cost of sports broadcasting rights soaring just as subscriber revenue has shrunk. To help offset the costs, Foxtel often shares rights with free-to-air broadcasters.
“Foxtel’s traditional premium pricing model has long been a point of contention, particularly in an era dominated by more affordable streaming alternatives,” said Paul Budde, an independent telco analyst.
“DAZN’s entry into the Australian market, potentially offering competitive or lower rates, could dramatically shift consumer expectations and reshape the pricing landscape.”
The AFL’s current seven-year deal with Foxtel-Channel Seven, which runs until 2031, is worth A$4.5 billion, while Cricket Australia will get A$1.5 billion from the same partners over the same time period.
Tennis rights, including the Australian Open Grand Slam, have been locked up until 2029 by Nine Entertainment, which has its own streaming service, Stan.
Nine is also in exclusive talks with Rugby Australia for broadcast rights beyond next year as the country prepares to host the Rugby World Cup in 2027.
NEWS CORP FOCUSES ON PUBLISHING
The valuation on Foxtel represents seven times its 2024 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), News Corp. said in a statement.
As part of the deal, shareholder loans valued at A$578 million outstanding will be repaid in full and Foxtel’s current debt will be refinanced at closing.
News Corp. chief executive Robert Thomson said the deal would allow the company to focus on its core operations of Dow Jones, digital real estate and book publishing. News owns 61.4 percent of online real estate platform REA Group and is the parent company of publisher HarperCollins.
The deal is due to be finalized in the second half of 2025 and is subject to regulatory approval, News Corp. said. Given the overseas ownership of DAZN, the transaction will need to be cleared by the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).
Blavatnik is a dual US and British citizen and the founder of Access Industries which has an investment portfolio worth more than $35 billion, according to its website.
FIRB did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Australian telecom Telstra has also sold its 35 percent stake in Foxtel to DAZN and will receive A$128 million in cash and a 3 percent stake in DAZN.


Journalists arrested in Turkiye over Syria drone deaths demo

Updated 23 December 2024
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Journalists arrested in Turkiye over Syria drone deaths demo

  • Turkiye has up to 18,000 troops in Syria, according to a Turkish official, and has said it could launch a military operation if the Kurdish forces in northern Syria do not lay down their arms

ISTANBUL: Turkish authorities arrested nine people, including seven journalists, for taking part in banned demonstration in support of two Turkish-Kurdish journalists killed by a Turkish drone in northern Syria, media and rights groups said Sunday.
Nazim Dastan, 32, and Cihan Bilgin, 29, who worked for Kurdish media, were killed Thursday near the Tishrin dam, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Aleppo, when their car exploded, the Dicle Firat Turkish journalists’ association said.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the journalists were killed by a Turkish drone, as did Kurdish media in Turkiye and Syria.
The MLSA Turkish media rights group said 59 people had been detained for taking part in a protest Saturday banned by police. It said 50 people subsequently released.
“Seven journalists detained yesterday as they tried to make a statement in favor of the dead journalists Nazim Dastan and Cihan Bilgin” have been formally arrested for “terrorist propaganda,” MLSA said on the X social media platform.
Since the fall of Bashar Assad on December 8, Turkiye has supported an offensive by armed groups against Kurdish forces that control a zone in northern Syria.
Turkiye has up to 18,000 troops in Syria, according to a Turkish official, and has said it could launch a military operation if the Kurdish forces in northern Syria do not lay down their arms.
 

 


Albania bans TikTok for a year after killing of teenager

Updated 22 December 2024
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Albania bans TikTok for a year after killing of teenager

  • Prime Minister Edi Rama government’s decision comes after a 14-year-old schoolboy was stabbed to death in November by a fellow pupil

TIRANA: Albania on Saturday announced a one-year ban on TikTok, the popular short video app, following the killing of a teenager last month that raised fears over the influence of social media on children.
The ban, part of a broader plan to make schools safer, will come into effect early next year, Prime Minister Edi Rama said after meeting with parents’ groups and teachers from across the country.
“For one year, we’ll be completely shutting it down for everyone. There will be no TikTok in Albania,” Rama said.
Several European countries including France, Germany and Belgium have enforced restrictions on social media use for children. In one of the world’s toughest regulations targeting Big Tech, Australia approved in November a complete social media ban for children under 16.
Rama has blamed social media, and TikTok in particular, for fueling violence among youth in and outside school.
His government’s decision comes after a 14-year-old schoolboy was stabbed to death in November by a fellow pupil. Local media had reported that the incident followed arguments between the two boys on social media. Videos had also emerged on TikTok of minors supporting the killing.
“The problem today is not our children, the problem today is us, the problem today is our society, the problem today is TikTok and all the others that are taking our children hostage,” Rama said.
TikTok said it was seeking “urgent clarity” from the Albanian government.
“We found no evidence that the perpetrator or victim had TikTok accounts, and multiple reports have in fact confirmed videos leading up to this incident were being posted on another platform, not TikTok,” a company spokesperson said.

 


Suspect in German Christmas market attack was ‘not quite what many rushed to assume’, veteran British journalist says

Updated 21 December 2024
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Suspect in German Christmas market attack was ‘not quite what many rushed to assume’, veteran British journalist says

  • ‘Evidence from his social media indicates he was an anti-Islam doctor who arrived in Germany in 2006 from Saudi Arabia’

DUBAI: British journalist Andrew Neil said the attacker behind Friday night’s deadly car-ramming at a busy Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany appeared to be ‘not quite what many on social media rushed to assume.’

“Evidence from his social media indicates he was an anti-Islam doctor who arrived in Germany in 2006 from Saudi Arabia,” the veteran journalist posted on his social media account.

The suspect, who was identified by German authorities as 50-year-old Saudi psychologist Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen, who had permanent residency and had lived in Germany for almost two decades. The motive for the car-ramming remained unknown, and a police operation was under way in the town of Bernburg, south of Magdeburg, where the suspect was believed to have lived.

 

 

Reports have noted that Saudi Arabia had warned German authorities about the attacker, who had posted extremist views on his personal X account. Germany’s Der Spiegel said the attacker sympathized with the far-right Alternative for Germany party. The magazine did not say where it got the information.

“Various media reports suggest he helped ex-Muslims, particularly women, to flee Saudi Arabia after turning their backs on Islam,” Neil commented. Neil also noted that the suspect posted tweets in support Elon Musk, jailed far right activist Tommy Robinson and malevolent conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

“His social media posts also indicate he thought Germany not doing enough to help Saudi female asylum seekers who had rejected Islam – and that the authorities were trying to undermine his work on their behalf,” the British journalist added.

“In his recent social-media posts published days before the attack he claimed the German government was promoting Islamisation and accused authorities of censoring and persecuting him because of his critical views of Islam. On his website, he warned prospective refugees to avoid Germany because of its government’s tolerance of radical Islam,” Neil said.

Christmas markets are a huge part of German culture as an annual holiday tradition, and the violence has prompted other German towns to cancel their weekend events as a precaution and out of solidarity with Magdeburg’s loss.

Berlin kept its markets open but has increased its police presence at them.