How Saudi Arabia’s KAUST is pushing the envelope on Generative AI possibilities

An aerial view of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Thuwal is shown nin this photo posted on KAUST’s Facebook account. (Photo courtesy of KAUST)
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Updated 20 July 2024
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How Saudi Arabia’s KAUST is pushing the envelope on Generative AI possibilities

  • Launch of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology’s Center of Excellence was announced on July 1
  • The goal is to find solutions aligned with four national priority areas outlined in Kingdom’s RDIA Vision 2030

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology is joining the global artificial intelligence race by accelerating generative AI research and development through models that align with the Kingdom’s Research Development and Innovation Authority’s Vision 2030.

“Generative AI (GenAI) is on its way to transform every aspect of our civilization and has already started doing so. It will be central to the future development of (Saudi Arabia), with a plethora of applications in health care, industry, energy, sustainability and entertainment, among many others,” Bernard Ghanem, chair of the Center of Excellence in Generative AI at KAUST, told Arab News.

On July 1, KAUST announced the launch of its Center of Excellence (CoE) on Generative AI, which intends to be the premier research, development, and innovation hub for pioneering generative AI technology aimed at addressing the most pressing challenges faced by the Kingdom and the world.




KAUST's new Center of Excellence (CoE) on Generative AI aims to be the premier research, development, and innovation hub for pioneering generative AI technology in the Kingdom. (KAUST photo)

“The KAUST GenAI CoE will push the envelope on what is possible with GenAI, in terms of technical capabilities, applications and real-world impact,” Ghanem said.

“We envision that the CoE will play a major role in boosting and expediting the GenAI landscape in the Kingdom and the world at large, leading to an explosion of new models with real-world applications in the four national priority R&D sectors identified by the Kingdom.”

KAUST’s mission is to enable GenAI research and development through GenAI models to find solutions aligned with the four national priority areas outlined in the Kingdom’s RDIA Vision 2030: Health and wellness; sustainability and essential needs; energy and industrials; and economies of the future.

“Throughout its lifetime, the GenAI CoE will work with partners in the Kingdom and the world to identify specific challenges to tackle within each of the four RDI pillars,” Ghanem said.




Bernard Ghanem, chair of the Center of Excellence in Generative AI at KAUST. (KAUST photo)

He outlined KAUST GenAI CoE’s strategies for using GenAI in the Kingdom’s priority research and development areas.

For health and wellness, the center aims to develop a GenAI multi-modal foundation model designed for clinical image analysis as well as establish a GenAI-based drug design and development pipeline for the Arab population.

In line with sustainability, KAUST GenAI CoE is working to develop GenAI foundation models for Earth observation data from satellite inputs as well as using the set foundation models for insights about Earth observation, with emphasis on specific-use cases including agricultural informatics, ecosystem assessment, and weather forecasting and prediction.

On energy and industries, Ghanem explained that the center of excellence was developing and specializing in GenAI foundational models in the domain of chemistry.




​KAUST’s mission is to enable GenAI research and development to find solutions on health and wellness, sustainability and essential needs, energy and industrials, and economies of the future. (Shutterstock image)

The center is using “foundation models for chemical reaction optimization (i.e., discovering the optimal chemical setup for a reaction to produce the best outcomes) and advanced material discovery and synthesis (i.e., combining GenAI models with an automated robotic chemistry lab for significantly expedited real-world discovery).”

Finally, in its mission to build the economies of the future, the GenAI Center of Excellence is developing and specializing in multi-modal GenAI models for business and government transformation. Through this, it aims to create GenAI models for the education sector such as intelligent tutoring for students and teacher assistance.

Ghanem said that the work in GenAI also extended to establishing “more expressive and more efficient GenAI models for visual content creation to support the growing creative industry such as social media, gaming, and entertainment in general.”

“The prospects of GenAI in creating massive value are supported by recent reports that expect this technology to conservatively add to the world economy a market size of several hundreds of billions of USD by 2030 and to significantly contribute to Saudi Arabia’s GDP by 2030,” Ghanem said. 

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Ghanem explained that this mission would be executed through three main pillars: “The innovation of general-purpose GenAI models that are endowed with properties needed for ubiquitous, efficient and trustworthy deployment, the specialization of these models for solutions in all four pillars of the RDIA … and the delivery of the Kingdom’s ambition to accelerate the adoption of GenAI in the Kingdom by focusing on translational research and talent development.” 

With advances in Gen AI, new concerns are raised about the technology’s negative societal impacts, such as data privacy, environmental sustainability, and disparities in quality and coverage across regions and cultures. 

The KAUST CoE plans to address these concerns through its research projects on GenAI trustworthiness, efficient training and inference, and Arabic language model development. 

Ghanem underlined their mission in these projects to “usher in the next phase of GenAI technological evolution headlined by trustworthiness, internationalization, open access, and less environmental impact.” 

The GenAI CoE also intends to focus on making a positive impact through GenAI training and upskilling programs for KAUST researchers, partners, and the general public. Through their training outreach initiatives, the CoE hopes to address the shortage of GenAI talent in Saudi Arabia. 




File photo showing participants in the World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth held at KAUST in Thuwal last year. KAUST has emphasized the importance of such competitions in fostering AI skills and knowledge among young people. (SPA)

In a press statement, the center recognized that much more will be needed in the way of training, especially at the national level, “to truly drive significant impact in this aspect.” 

When asked what scientific, technical and upskilling challenges need to be addressed to advance the Saudi GenAI sector, Ghanem spoke of the importance of “access to large-scale data, talent development, GenAI hardware infrastructure, and GenAI Investment. 

“The GenAI ecosystem in the Kingdom is young and flourishing, and much progress has been made so far. However, several challenges still remain,” Ghanem said. 

“Arguably, one main reason why popular GenAI tools perform so well right now is their access to large-scale data for training and fine-tuning. Getting access to such volumes of data is crucial for future GenAI development in the Kingdom. Although efforts are ongoing in this respect within Saudi Arabia, more can be done to open source data from various organizations and entities.” 




KAUST also aims to create GenAI models for the education sector such as intelligent tutoring for students and teacher assistance. (Shutterstock image)

Developing a suitable GenAI environment in Saudi Arabia, Ghanem said, “will require a mass-scale talent development program (i.e., GenAI for the masses). This includes access to higher education in the field, but more importantly, it is based on short-term and focused training programs that teach the essentials of GenAI development to non-experts.” 

Ghanem believes that having access to large-scale data and sizable local talent is not enough for a thriving GenAI ecosystem. 

“Access to specialized hardware accelerators (e.g., high-end GPUs) is paramount for GenAI large-scale training and mass inference. Unfortunately, without access to enough of this hardware infrastructure, progress will be dampened, and the ecosystem will not progress and deliver impact in a timely manner,” he said.

On the topic of GenAI investment, Ghanem explained that healthy investment in this sector for homegrown and internationally competitive technology and commercial solutions is essential for a thriving and self-sustaining GenAI ecosystem. 

“While there are efforts in this respect currently ongoing, more concerted efforts can be made to address this challenge in such a fast-paced and ever-evolving field,” he said. 

“Through the CoE, new GenAI models will be developed and deployed to tackle the most pressing national and global challenges. We will do so while maintaining the utmost levels of AI ethical standards, by enforcing key values (e.g., fairness, safety and trustworthiness) in our R&D pipelines.”
 

 


Oil Updates – crude trades in tight range ahead of US election

Updated 7 sec ago
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Oil Updates – crude trades in tight range ahead of US election

SINGAPORE: Oil prices traded in a narrow range on Tuesday ahead of what is expected to be an exceptionally close US presidential election, after rising more than 2 percent in the previous session as OPEC+ delayed plans to hike production in December.

Brent crude futures ticked down 3 cents, or 0.04 percent, to $75.05 a barrel by 9:00 a.m. Saudi time, while US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $71.43 a barrel, down 4 cents, or 0.06 percent.
“We are now in the calm before the storm,” IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said.

Oil prices were supported by Sunday’s announcement from OPEC and their allies, a group known as OPEC+, to push back a production hike by a month from December as weak demand and rising non-OPEC supply depress markets.

Still, risk-taking remains limited with a busy week — including the US election, the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting, and China’s National People’s Congress meeting — keeping many traders on the sidelines, said Yeap Jun Rong, market strategist at IG.

For now, polls suggest the US presidential race will be closely contested, and any delay in election results or even disputes could pose near-term risks for broader markets or drag on them for longer, added Yeap.

“Eyes are also on China’s NPC meeting for any clarity on fiscal stimulus to uplift the country’s demand outlook, but we are unlikely to see any strong commitment before the US presidential results, and that will continue to keep oil prices in a near-term waiting game,” Yeap said.

Meanwhile, OPEC oil output rebounded in October as Libya resumed output, a Reuters survey found, although a further Iraqi effort to meet its cuts pledged to the wider OPEC+ alliance limited the gain.

More oil could come from OPEC producer Iran as Tehran has approved a plan to increase output by 250,000 barrels per day, the oil ministry’s news website Shana reported on Monday.

In the US, a late season tropical storm predicted to intensify into a category 2 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico this week could reduce oil production by about 4 million barrels, researchers said.

“Technically, crude oil needs to rebound above resistance at $71.50/72.50 to negate the downside risks,” IG’s Sycamore said, referring to WTI prices.

“All of which suggests there won’t be a scramble to chase it higher in the short term.”

Ahead of US weekly oil data on Wednesday, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Monday that US crude stockpiles likely rose last week, while distillate and gasoline inventories fell.


Business activities strengthen in UAE and Kuwait: S&P Global

Updated 12 min 21 sec ago
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Business activities strengthen in UAE and Kuwait: S&P Global

RIYADH: Non-oil business activity in the UAE continued its momentum in October, with the Emirates’ Purchasing Managers’ Index reaching 54.1, up from 53.8 in the previous month, an economy tracker showed. 

According to the latest PMI report compiled by S&P Global, the rise in the index was driven by a faster increase in business activity, as demand rose and firms maintained efforts to contain backlogs. 

Aligned with the economic diversification efforts of its Arab neighbors, the UAE is also reducing its reliance on crude revenues and is concentrating more on sectors such as tourism.

“The main factor keeping the PMI above its previous reading was an expansion in business activity, which accelerated notably, albeit from September’s three-year low,” said David Owen, senior economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence. 

According to the agency, the pace of business activity levels in October improved at its quickest rate since April, as firms raised output in response to higher sales volumes, healthy work pipelines and robust client numbers. 

However, the growth of new orders softened to its lowest since February 2023, which contributed to both weaker job creation and a renewed drop in selling charges.

“A softening of new business growth in October added to signs that the non-oil economy is losing strength after a robust growth period in late-2023/early-2024. Firms in the survey panel frequently indicated that crowding in the market was eating into sales, and hitting job creation which slipped to a 30-month low,” said Owen. 

He added: “Firms reduced their output prices for the first time in six months in a bid to try and reverse this slowing sales trend. Positively, this came at the same time as input price pressures softened, likewise to a six-month low.” 

The report revealed that the intakes of new work increased in October, but the rate of growth dropped to its weakest level in 20 months. 

According to the survey, business sentiment improved following September’s 18-month low, yet remained at one of its weakest levels in 2024 so far. 

The report added that companies were generally hopeful that activity and demand growth would be resilient in the future, in part supported by strong sales pipelines. Conversely, uncertainty and high competition were both noted as headwinds to growth by non-oil firms in the UAE. 

Dubai PMI slightly edges down

In the same report, S&P Global revealed that non-oil companies in Dubai registered a slower improvement in operating conditions during October with the PMI falling to 53.2, down from 54.1 in September. 

According to the survey, new business intakes in Dubai rose at the softest rate since the beginning of 2022, as a number of firms cited tougher market conditions and increased numbers of competitors. 

S&P Global added that the pace of employment growth also ticked down in October, but output growth accelerated slightly to a five-month high. 

Similar to the overall scenario in the UAE, non-oil firms in Dubai also posted a drop in average selling prices for the first time since April, due to strong competition. 

Kuwait’s non-oil sector regains momentum

In another report, S&P Global revealed that the non-oil sector in Kuwait regained momentum, with the PMI rising to 52.7 in October, up from 50.3 in September to reach its highest level in seven months. 

According to the survey, both output and new orders rose in the 10th month of the year, while companies also ramped up purchasing activity. 

The report added that advertising and competitive pricing were the main factors outlined by survey respondents which drove the growth of new orders. 

“October saw a rejuvenation of the Kuwaiti non-oil private sector, with firms much better able to bring in new business during the month and therefore seeing output growth quicken,” said Andrew Harker, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence. 

He added: “The latest figures raise hopes that the recent soft-patch is behind us and that growth will continue over the remainder of the year. Adding to this sense of positivity, business confidence continued to strengthen.”

While companies increased their purchasing activity rapidly, the pace of job creation remained only fractional in October, as most of the firms embraced this tactic to save costs. 

“Less positive was that firms are still often displaying a reluctance to hire additional staff as they attempt to limit costs. A renewed increase in backlogs of work, however, might mean that workforce numbers are raised more quickly in the months ahead,” said Harker. 


Saudi Arabia’s PMI rises to 6-month high in October

Updated 38 min 35 sec ago
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Saudi Arabia’s PMI rises to 6-month high in October

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s non-oil business activities strengthened in October, with the Kingdom’s purchasing managers’ index rising to a six-month high of 56.9, an economy tracker showed.

The Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia PMI survey, compiled by S&P Global, revealed that this figure beat the Kingdom’s September rating of 56.3 and the August level of 54.8.

The report revealed that this rise was driven by a sharper increase in sales, which supported further expansions in business activity, employment, purchasing activity, and stocks. 

S&P Global highlighted that any PMI readings above 50 indicate growth, while levels below 50 signal contraction. 

Strengthening the non-oil private sector is a crucial goal outlined in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, as the Kingdom is steadily diversifying its economy by reducing its decades-long reliance on crude revenues. 

Affirming the progress of Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification, a report released by GASTAT in October showed that the Kingdom’s non-oil activities expanded by 4.2 percent in the third quarter of this year, compared to the same period in 2023. 

“In October 2024, Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector maintained its upward trajectory, with the PMI rising to 56.9 from 56.3, highlighting the nation’s robust economic health. This growth is part of a steady expansion trend since September 2020, driven by increasing demand and aligning with the goals of Vision 2030,” said Naif Al-Ghaith, chief economist at Riyad Bank. 

He added: “The comprehensive sectoral gains reflect a strong business environment, supported by government initiatives and heightened private sector engagement, aligning with ongoing projects under Vision 2030 that aim to diversify the economy and reduce reliance on oil.” 

S&P Global also attributed the rise in PMI to a stronger increase in sales volumes in October, as businesses commented on higher client demand and a general uplift in economic conditions. 

Survey respondents cited various factors, including customer arrivals, successful marketing strategies, and increased infrastructure development, as some key elements driving non-oil business growth in the Kingdom. 

“Over 40 percent of surveyed companies reported a surge in demand, spurred by robust domestic client interest, creative marketing strategies, and continuous infrastructure investments. These elements underscore Saudi Arabia’s economic resilience and high market confidence, further solidifying its position as a leading non-oil economy in the region,” said Al-Ghaith. 

The report added that businesses that took part in the survey were optimistic about future growth, and it encouraged companies to increase their purchase activity in October. 

Companies operating the Kingdom’s non-oil sector also raised their labor capacity in October, which enabled these firms to remain on top of workloads and curtail their levels of work-in-hand. 

Even though the pace of job creation remained stronger than average, it eased for the second month in a row, partly due to a reduction in the number of staff in the construction sector. 

“With this ongoing expansion, the non-oil sector’s contribution is projected to exceed 52 percent of the overall GDP and grow beyond 4 percent in 2024, reflecting the successful implementation of Vision 2030 and its associated projects,” concluded Al-Ghaith. 


Saudi Aramco reports $27.52bn net profit in Q3

Updated 52 min 5 sec ago
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Saudi Aramco reports $27.52bn net profit in Q3

RIYADH: Energy giant Saudi Aramco reported a net profit of SR103.37 billion ($27.52 billion) in the third quarter of this year, exceeding analyst expectations, which projected a median net income of $26.9 billion. 

In a statement, the firm revealed that its net profit for the third quarter witnessed a decline of 15.40 percent compared to the same period in 2023, due to challenging market conditions including lower market prices for crude oil, refined, and chemical products.

Saudi Arabia, aligned with the decision of OPEC+, reduced its oil output by 500,000 barrels per day in April 2023, and this cut has now been extended until December 2024. 

“Aramco delivered robust net income and generated strong free cash flow during the third quarter, despite a lower oil price environment,” said Amin Nasser, president and CEO of the company. 

He added: “We also progressed our upstream developments, strengthened our downstream value chain, and advanced our new energies program as we continue to invest through cycles.” 

According to the statement, Aramco’s overall revenue from sales stood at SR416.63 billion in the third quarter, representing a marginal decline of 1.76 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. 

In terms of capital investments, the energy giant allocated SR49.6 billion in the third quarter, showcasing its continued commitment to expansion and production capabilities. 

Aramco also issued international sukuk worth $3 billion in the three months to the end of September, which further diversified the company’s investor base and enhanced liquidity profile. 

“Our recent $3 billion international sukuk issuance highlighted strong investor confidence in Aramco and we can be proud of the significant strides the company continues to make, all while sustaining our high levels of profitability, operational performance and reliability,” said Nasser. 

He added: “As we focus on strategic growth opportunities and capturing value through integration and diversification, we intend to maintain our positive momentum and cement our position as a leading global energy and petrochemicals player.” 

In the first nine months of this year, Aramco reported a net profit of SR314.65 billion, representing a decline of 11.25 percent compared to the same period in 2023. 

The statement added that the company’s overall sales revenue stood at SR1.24 trillion over the period, marking a marginal year-on-year rise of 0.02 percent. 

In a separate bourse filing, the energy giant declared a base dividend of SR0.315 per share, totaling SR76.06 billion for the third quarter of 2024.

The company also announced the sixth payment of a performance-linked dividend of SR0.167 per share, totaling SR40.39 billion, based on the combined full-year financial results of 2022 and 2023. 

Aramco said that it continued its progress in the renewable energy sector during the third quarter as it completed the financial close for three solar PV projects, with an anticipated combined capacity of 5.5 gigawatts. 

In September, Aramco’s wholly-owned subsidiary SAPCO, along with partners ACWA Power and the Public Investment Fund announced the financial closure for three solar photovoltaic projects worth SR12 billion. 

The Haden and Muwayh projects in Makkah province each have a planned production capacity of 2 GW, while the Al-Khushaybi project in Qassim province has a planned production capacity of 1.5 GW. 


Pakistan PM says policy rate reduction to enhance business activities, boost employment

Updated 05 November 2024
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Pakistan PM says policy rate reduction to enhance business activities, boost employment

  • Pakistan’s central bank slashed key policy rate by 250 basis points to 15 percent on Monday 
  • With fourth straight reduction since June, Islamabad aims to revive sluggish economy 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has welcomed the central bank’s decision to cut the policy rate by 250 basis points, saying the move would help boost the country’s business activities and enhance employment opportunities, state-run media reported on Tuesday.

Pakistan’s central bank slashed its key policy rate by 250 basis points to 15 percent on Monday for a fourth straight reduction since June. The development takes place as Islamabad attempts to revive a sluggish, fragile $350 billion economy as inflation eases. 

Monday’s move follows cuts of 150 bps in June, 100 bps in July, and 200 in September that have taken the rate from an all-time high of 22 percent, set in June 2023 and left unchanged for a year. It takes the total cuts to 700 bps in under five months.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says the reduction in policy rate will enhance business activities, exports and employment opportunities in the country,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. 

Sharif was chairing a meeting of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) parliamentary party on Monday when he touched upon the central bank’s move. The premier noted that inflation has reduced from an alarming 38 percent in May 2023 to 7 percent at present.

The Pakistani premier informed members of the PML-N parliamentary party about his visit to Saudi Arabia and Qatar last week, saying that “a new chapter” has been added to the Pakistan-Saudi investment partnership. 

“The Saudi leadership assured all kinds of support for the stability and development of Pakistan’s economy,” Sharif said according to the state broadcaster. 

The Pakistani prime minister also informed the lawmakers about his visit to Qatar, saying that the Qatari leadership also assured an increase in investment for Pakistan. He said talks were held between both sides on giving “a practical shape” to projects worth $3 billion in Pakistan. 

“He said Qatar will invest in various sectors including aviation, hoteling, information technology and energy sectors in Pakistan,” the state broadcaster said. “Shehbaz Sharif said the government is taking steps on a priority basis to facilitate investment and increase foreign investment in Pakistan.”