Community Jameel Saudi successfully concluded the 7th edition of the StartSmart competition, in the presence of Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdullah bin Faisal, chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation; Abdulaziz bin Muhammad bin Aboud, director of the Ministry of Sports branch in Makkah region; and a number of business leaders and experts. The event was held under the patronage of Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, governor of Jeddah.
The concluding ceremony was organized at Jeddah Corniche Circuit by Bab Rizq Jameel and the Lenobadir program, in partnership with the Ministry of Sports, under the theme of “Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Entrepreneurship and the Green Economy.” This year’s edition featured four distinct tracks: Startups, Ideas, Social Enterprise, and the newly launched Environment track.
The competition witnessed remarkable participation, drawing 1,010 applicants, with 60 teams qualifying for the semifinal stage. The teams underwent an intensive training camp last July, covering a variety of topics, including strategic planning, marketing, and financial management. The qualifying teams presented their projects and ideas to a judging panel, resulting in the selection of 36 teams for the final stage, out of which 12 winning teams (three teams within each track) were selected and awarded valuable prizes that amounted to SR465,000 ($124,000).
In the Startups track, fanZ grabbed the first place, Siolla came second, and Ballurh secured the third place. In the Social Enterprise track, AmplifAI Health won first place, Bahaa Adaptive Solutions ranked second, while Ad Astr came third. As for the Ideas track, Rafah AI secured first place, Organic Waste Management came second, and Maqarri grabbed third place. In the new Environment track, SARsatX won first place, Ivvest ranked second and TrustiT came third.
On the sidelines of the event, Community Jameel Saudi held a forum that included a conference and eight workshops. The forum featured eight expert speakers who discussed some of the most important trends, challenges, and opportunities in the entrepreneurial sector and the market.
Community Jameel Saudi Concludes 7th StartSmart Competition
https://arab.news/mqr3h
Community Jameel Saudi Concludes 7th StartSmart Competition
KACST, Ericsson partner to advance gaming innovation in KSA
Ericsson and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in Riyadh have partnered to establish a joint advanced connectivity lab for gaming and beyond at KACST’s premises.
The “Blink Lab” will be conveniently located to facilitate accessibility for KACST’s researchers and startups that operate in KACST’s Garage, one of the largest incubators and accelerators for deep technologies in the region. It seeks to foster a culture of innovation, creativity, collaboration, and entrepreneurship to unlock the Kingdom’s technological and economic potential.
The lab will feature a private 5G network and serve as a testbed for training, research, product development and commercialization of innovative gaming solutions from global and local ecosystems.
The lab will be supported by Ericsson’s global expertise and latest cloud native technologies, like its 5G core and cloud native infrastructure solutions alongside equipment from its 5G radio access network portfolio. It will serve as an ideal venue for industry experts, researchers, and entrepreneurs to exchange knowledge and ideas, create new businesses, and aid in capturing the value of 5G connectivity and investing in local talent and innovation.
Dr. Mariam Nouh, vice president of future economies at KACST, said: “As a national laboratory and innovation park, KACST seeks to position the Kingdom among the world’s most advanced economies in technology, by investing in scientific and technological development, which are the two main pillars for achieving sustainable economic growth. In achieving these goals, we look forward to collaboration with Ericsson, contributing to enhancing the adoption of advanced technology solutions in the gaming sector, which is one of the most promising sectors in the Kingdom.”
Mashhour Al-Sudairy, head of local content at Ericsson Saudi Arabia, said: “Demonstrating our firm commitment to Saudi Arabia and Saudi Vision 2030, the partnership with KACST is part of our significant involvement in research in the multi-billion-dollar gaming industry to enable commercialization of 5G and 6G telecommunication networks. The upcoming establishment of the gaming research lab will provide a vital environment for knowledge exchange and innovation, advance technology and innovation in the Kingdom, and foster collaboration and network opportunities. We look forward to working with KACST to contribute to the growth and sustainability of the Kingdom’s gaming sector.”
Home to a thriving billion-dollar gaming industry, the Kingdom has recently emerged as one of the main global gaming hubs. In addition, between 2022 and 2023, the sector witnessed 22 percent growth, and during the LEAP 2024 technology conference in Riyadh, the country’s National Development Fund announced a $120 million investment under the Gaming and Esports Financing Program.
Ericsson has a strong track record of driving innovation and cultivating talents within the Kingdom in collaboration with local partners. In 2021, the company opened the 5G Innovation Hub in Riyadh that has developed a wide range of 5G use cases, including Internet of Things business case studies and enterprise verticals for 5G and IoT digitization across diverse industries and segments.
LuLu raises awareness about breast cancer, environment
As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, held every October, LuLu Hypermarket has once again launched its campaign titled “Buy Green Support Pink,” to raise awareness about breast cancer by supporting the Zahra Breast Cancer Association, one of the leading organizations in Saudi Arabia focused on awareness and prevention of this disease. This year marks the seventh year of the campaign.
The campaign revolves around a simple yet impactful concept that encompasses both environmental and social dimensions. Through this initiative, customers are encouraged to purchase eco-friendly bags at all LuLu branches. All proceeds from these sales will be directed to support the Zahra Association.
October is globally recognized as a month to highlight breast cancer, one of the most prevalent types of cancer among women worldwide. The Zahra Association has made a significant impact in Saudi Arabia by organizing awareness campaigns and early detection screenings, helping women gain essential information about prevention and early detection.
In collaboration with the Zahra Association, LuLu Hypermarket has also organized a lecture for its employees on breast cancer prevention. Additionally, an interactive awareness booth has been set up for shoppers, where brochures and pink ribbons are distributed to promote awareness.
Through this campaign, LuLu Hypermarket aims to contribute to these efforts and encourage more women to take the vital step of early screening, which can greatly improve treatment outcomes.
The campaign reflects LuLu Hypermarket’s ongoing commitment to social responsibility. In addition to providing top-quality services and products, LuLu is dedicated to driving positive change within the community. This initiative empowers consumers to support important causes through their everyday purchases, making them part of both environmental and humanitarian solutions.
Shehim Mohammed, director of LuLu Saudi Hypermarkets, said: ‘At LuLu, we view the October initiative in partnership with the Zahra Breast Cancer Association as an important service for families and women in Saudi Arabia. We have merged two campaign objectives that promote a brighter future, and we encourage shoppers to participate in these noble efforts.”
MBSC amplifies Saudi Vision 2030 at LEARN 2024
Prince Mohammed bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship, the Kingdom’s world-class business school, participated in the inaugural LEARN event, which took place in Riyadh on Oct. 6 and 7.
MBSC secured a prominent spot in the event as a silver sponsor, illustrating its dedication to empowering the youth to be active participants in shaping the future landscape and cultivating the next generation of leaders. The college engaged with attendees through multiple channels, including a workshop, two panel discussions and a dedicated booth that provided detailed information on its world-class education programs.
Dr. Joel Evans, associate professor of management and academic director of the Executive MBA Program at MBSC, joined a panel discussion on the first day of the event, under the theme “Developing Global Minds, Education, and Skills for the Modern World.” On the second day, Dr. Muhammad Azam Roomi, professor of entrepreneurship at MBSC, contributed thought-provoking insights to the panel discussion “Evolving Leaders for a Changing World: A New Paradigm for Executive Education.”
The workshop “How to Master Business Concepts through Case Studies,” led by Dr. Khaldoon Al-Htaybat, professor of accounting at MBSC, emphasized the significance of case studies in facilitating critical thinking and exploring the application of theory to real-world scenarios that address the complexities of the modern experience economy. Notably, MBSC is home to the Kingdom’s first case center.
Dr. Zeger Degraeve, dean of MBSC, said: “We feel delighted to be involved in progressive initiatives such as LEARN, that resonate perfectly with Saudi Vision 2030. The Human Capability Development Program is an integral part of Saudi Vision 2030, promoting education from early childhood through lifelong learning opportunities for individuals to reach their greatest potential. MBSC embraces this pillar, recognizing that education is the cornerstone of economic prosperity. We are dedicated to cultivating a future-ready workforce by providing high-quality, market-driven education that equips students with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in a dynamic global economy.”
Inspired by the lifelong learning journey, LEARN serves as a new platform for innovative thought, creative solutions and crucial debate in response to critical global educational challenges. The two-day conference and exhibition brought together the regional and global education community, as well as key stakeholders, visionaries, disruptors and policymakers, to exchange ground-breaking ideas and stimulate positive change.
Situated in King Abdullah Economic City, a contemporary urban center that provides an unparalleled modern environment for both students and faculty, MBSC offers world-class education “from Saudi Arabia for Saudi Arabia” in both KAEC and Riyadh, delivering practical, pragmatic, hands-on experiential learning to develop a new generation of transformative leaders.
Agility Logistics Parks begins major Riyadh expansion
Agility, a global leader in supply chain services, infrastructure, and innovation, announced plans for the final phase of expansion at the Agility Logistics Parks warehousing complex in Riyadh.
The expansion project represents an investment of SR250 million ($66.6 million) and will add 100,000 square meters of Class A warehousing to the complex, taking the total available area to 551,368 square meters. The first phase of the expansion will be ready and operating in Q1 2025. It is expected to create 300 new jobs for Saudis.
ALP developed and operates state-of-the-art warehousing complexes in Riyadh and Dammam. The company is investing more than SR611 million to build a third ALP complex, near Jeddah.
Michel Saab, global CEO of ALP, said the help and collaboration of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, the Ministry of Investment, and the Riyadh region municipality were vital to the launch of the ALP expansion in Riyadh.
“ALP’s expansion in Riyadh is not just about increasing our operational capacity,” Saab said. “It represents a substantial contribution to the growth of the logistics market in Saudi Arabia and will allow international companies to invest in their growth in the Kingdom. By building world-class warehousing, we are able to provide critical infrastructure that is helping to make the Kingdom a global and regional logistics hub.”
ALP offers some of Saudi Arabia’s most modern, sustainable warehousing. Its Riyadh Logistics Park is home to storage, distribution, processing, and fulfillment operations of some of the country’s leading consumer, industrial and e-commerce brands. In 2022, a warehouse at the Riyadh park became the first building in the Kingdom and the first warehouse in the GCC to receive EDGE Advanced certification.
EDGE, or Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies, is the global standard for energy-efficient buildings, a certification system overseen by the International Finance Corp., an arm of the World Bank. EDGE Advanced buildings are “zero-carbon ready” structures that are at least 40 percent more energy efficient than others in the market.
Enlaps partners with Rock Solid Group in Saudi Arabia
Enlaps, a leader in long-term digital imaging solutions for project monitoring, has announced a partnership with Rock Solid Group, a Saudi multidisciplinary technology company, to increase their market reach in the construction sector of Saudi Arabia.
Since 2019, Enlaps has been deploying its Tikee time-lapse solution in Saudi Arabia, a solution adopted by key players in the region’s construction industry. With more than 600 units shipped and 200 projects monitored in the region, the Tikee time-lapse solution has established itself as the reference for monitoring and analyzing construction projects. During this period, the collaboration with RSG has contributed to democratizing the use of the Tikee time-lapse solution. Enlaps and RSG are the key reference companies behind several megaprojects in Saudi Arabia.
The collaboration between Enlaps, recognized for its industry-leading time-lapse camera technology, and RSG, which offers a wide range of smart tailored solutions to meet the diverse needs of the Saudi construction sector, will provide superior project monitoring and time-lapse services for Saudi construction companies.
This partnership builds on their respective proven history in the Kingdom and a strong track record of cooperating on strategic Saudi projects.
“Our time-lapse construction cameras are playing a crucial role in capturing the progress of Saudi Arabia’s most iconic megaprojects in NEOM, Riyadh and Jeddah,” said Antoine Auberton, CEO of Enlaps. “By partnering with Rock Solid Group, we bring unmatched visual documentation and insights to construction site monitoring, allowing project owners to make informed decisions based on real-time, detailed site activity.”
“Enlaps has demonstrated their excellence in time-lapse and site monitoring across multiple projects in the Kingdom,” said Marc Mouawad, CEO of Rock Solid Group. “By combining our expertise, we deliver the best answer to meet the growing demand for high-quality, real-time monitoring in Saudi Arabia.”
“This partnership affirms our commitment to the realization of Saudi Vision 2030, aligning our efforts with the Kingdom’s strategic goals for economic diversification, digital transformation and technological advancement. It is also a tool to document those glorious achievements in Saudi Arabia,” Mouawad added.
Both Enlaps and RSG have a well-established presence in the Saudi market, contributing to the successful execution of high-profile projects. This partnership represents the next step in enhancing the way construction sites are monitored and managed, ensuring optimal performance and safety throughout the project lifecycle.
“Together, Enlaps and Rock Solid Group are committed to supporting Saudi Arabia’s ambitious infrastructure goals and continuing their legacy of excellence in the Kingdom’s construction industry,” a statement said.
