Qvest-SRMG joint venture to drive media innovation in KSA

Peter Nöthen, CEO of the Qvest Group, and Mohammed Nazer, CFO and CIO of SRMG, at the signing ceremony.
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Updated 09 January 2024
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Qvest-SRMG joint venture to drive media innovation in KSA

Qvest, a global leader in media-focused practices and services, and SRMG, the largest integrated media group from the MENA region, have agreed to establish a joint venture aimed at enhancing media, production and technology services in Saudi Arabia. The JV encompasses foresight and innovation, change management, cloud adoption, data and analytics, media supply chain technologies and content distribution.

Through Qvest’s comprehensive technology and project expertise and SRMG’s strong media operations and strategic positioning in the region, the JV will strategically support businesses within the vibrant Saudi Arabian market and beyond. Based in Riyadh, the JV has already started collaborating on its first projects, with the goal of becoming fully operational by the first half of 2024. The partners have also identified several other potential projects for the JV across media and entertainment, telecommunications, energy, industry, tourism, public sector and sports.

This newly established JV is committed to ensuring that its business activities and growth are aligned with the demands of the country’s high-profile giga-projects. The media and entertainment sector in the MENA region is projected to increase by 9 percent to exceed $20 billion by 2026, outpacing global growth. Notably, Saudi Arabia is the leading player within the regional media ecosystem, with nearly 30 percent of the market share. The industry’s progress, evolution and innovation are a key pillar of the country’s transformation plan, Vision 2030. As a direct result of this and other major developments, the Kingdom’s media industry is expected to grow by more than 10 percent annually by 2030.

Mohammed Nazer, CFO and CIO of SRMG, said: “Establishing Qvest in Saudi Arabia through this joint venture represents an important step forward in elevating the media ecosystem in the MENA region. Over the next seven years, the local and regional media and entertainment sectors are set to significantly grow, led by Saudi Arabia. This partnership harnesses Qvest’s global expertise and SRMG’s regional strength, ensuring that we have the technological infrastructure in Saudi Arabia to bolster key industries like media and entertainment, telecommunications, energy, tourism, sports, and others.”

The primary focus of this partnership includes projects situated in Saudi Arabia and collaborative endeavors with companies and organizations operating in the Kingdom. Qvest will provide its world-class practices and services in areas such as foresight and innovation, change management, cloud adoption, data and analytics, media supply chain technologies and content distribution. This will be supported by SRMG’s unrivaled expertise, extensive knowledge and wide-ranging capabilities within Saudi Arabia’s media and entertainment landscape. With this, the JV will help transform the nascent yet expanding media production industry in the country.

Peter Nöthen, CEO of the Qvest Group, said: “We have been successfully implementing technology projects in the MENA region and are, thus, enablers of real innovation and progress in Saudi Arabia. With this joint venture, we will create a structure where SRMG, Qvest, and customers benefit equally and sustainably from expertise and insights. We will strengthen future-oriented businesses in this country and boost its enormous potential.”

SRMG and Qvest already enjoy a strong working relationship, as the Qvest team was responsible for the systems integration of the full-IP based multi-platform TV station Asharq News Network in Riyadh and Dubai that supports state-of-the-art media and IT technology for Asharq’s live news coverage.

 


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.


 


Lean strengthens its global footprint with scientific achievements, strategic partnerships

Updated 05 June 2025
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Lean strengthens its global footprint with scientific achievements, strategic partnerships

Lean Business Services — the Kingdom’s foremost developer of digital-health solutions and a Public Investment Fund portfolio company— continues to consolidate its leadership in the digital-health sector at both national and international levels. 

At ISPOR 2025 in Montréal, Canada, the company’s research team presented three peer-reviewed studies grounded in advanced analytics and extensive national datasets before embarking on an official visit to South Korea to explore collaborations in health technology and research.

The first study introduced an integrated economic model that assesses the cost-effectiveness of Type 2 diabetes-prevention programs over a 10-year horizon, capturing both direct and indirect costs from the first-year diagnosis through long-term complications. 

A second paper provided a comprehensive assessment to date of Saudi Arabia’s chronic disease burden, leveraging records from more than 33 million individuals and sophisticated statistical models to inform resource allocation and healthcare planning. 

The third study delivered a five-year review of more than 2 million psychotropic prescriptions, pinpointing opportunities to refine prescribing practices, particularly for older adults, relative to other chronic-medication regimens.

To broaden its international collaboration, a Lean delegation traveled to South Korea, where it joined the Saudi–Korean Business & Investment Forum, met leading health-tech institutions, and examined best practices at Seoul National University Hospital. 

Discussions focused on artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and population data analytics.

Engineer Mohannad Al-Rasheed, Lean’s chief executive officer, expressed pride in representing the Kingdom on these global stages. 

“Lean is committed to building knowledge partnerships that elevate Saudi Arabia as an advanced hub for digital health,” he said. “Our active participation in specialized international gatherings reflects the maturity of the Saudi health sector and its ability to export both expertise and solutions.”

Driven by the conviction that data-powered innovation is key to a more efficient and inclusive healthcare future, Lean will continue to invest in research and cross-border collaboration, supporting Vision 2030’s goal of a cutting-edge, sustainable digital-health ecosystem for the Kingdom.