People attend a launch event of a number of regional technological initiatives in Riyadh on Wednesday. The kingdom has joined forces with leading technology giants to improve its digital competencies. AFP
People attend a launch event of a number of regional technological initiatives in Riyadh on Wednesday. The kingdom has joined forces with leading technology giants to improve its digital competencies. AFP
People attend a launch event of a number of regional technological initiatives in Riyadh on Wednesday. The kingdom has joined forces with leading technology giants to improve its digital competencies. AFP
People attend a launch event of a number of regional technological initiatives in Riyadh on Wednesday. The kingdom has joined forces with leading technology giants to improve its digital competencies.

Saudi Arabia unveils locally-made smart chip and new tech initiatives worth $1bn


Alkesh Sharma
  • English
  • Arabic

Saudi Arabia unveiled its first locally-made smart chip and announced a slew of new high-tech initiatives worth 4 billion Saudi riyals ($1.07bn) in partnership with 10 global tech giants to improve its technological prowess.

The new initiatives announced on Wednesday in Riyadh aim to boost innovation and the digital capabilities of the kingdom and produce one programmer out of every 100 Saudi nationals by 2030, the state-run Saudi Press Agency said.

The Arab world's largest economy has tied up with leading technology giants that include IBM, Microsoft, Cisco and Trend Micro.

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha also unveiled the first Saudi-made smart chip that will be used in military, civil and commercial equipment and applications. The new chip is faster than existing chips in the market, Mr Alswaha said.

Digital transformation is among the central pillars of the kingdom's Vision 2030 initiative that seeks to diversify the economy, nurture local industries and reduce the reliance on oil.

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha unveiled the first Saudi-made smart chip. AFP
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha unveiled the first Saudi-made smart chip. AFP

The kingdom is creating an artificial intelligence-friendly ecosystem that incorporates data analytics, high-speed broadband and 5G deployment. The country’s big data and AI market is expected to reach $891.7 million by 2026, growing at an annual rate of 32.6 per cent from last year’s $164.9m, according to research consultancy Mordor Intelligence.

Saudi Arabia aims to be one of the top five countries globally in AI and it needs the creation of 25,000 specialist jobs in the field by 2030, Abdullah Al Ghamdi, the head of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), said.

The country is also investing heavily in big projects such as the $500bn futuristic city, Neom. It is also building the Red Sea, Qidiya and Waad Al Shamal developments, which are all tech-first projects with smart city infrastructure.

During Wednesday’s event, the kingdom also unveiled the Saudi-Chinese eWTP Arabia Capital Fund that is supported by China’s eWTP Capital and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund. It aims to back emerging technology companies in the country with a capital of 1.5bn riyals.

The Saudi Federation for Cyber Security, Programming and Drones, and the kingdom's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) launched one of the biggest technological initiatives, Tuwaiq 1000 boot camp. Started in the kingdom's 13 regions with 40 training camps, this project will cover four areas – cyber security, programming, electronic games and AI and data science.

The kingdom also announced it will host the technology conference and exhibition, Leap, next year that will contribute to the nation's goal of boosting the information and communication technology sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product by 50 per cent to 50bn riyals by 2025.

The Leap event is backed by a number of government organisations, including the MCIT.

Saudi Arabia aims to attract foreign and local investment worth over 75bn riyals in the fields of data and AI by 2030 and is looking to develop customised applications that could propel the use of Arabic language in AI algorithms and software.

AI is expected to contribute up to 12.4 per cent of the country’s GDP – equivalent to 506.5bn riyals – by 2030, according to the consultancy PwC.

AI is expected to contribute up to 12.4 per cent of Saudi Arabia's economy by 2030. AFP
AI is expected to contribute up to 12.4 per cent of Saudi Arabia's economy by 2030. AFP

In October, it signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Telecommunication Union – a UN-backed internet and telecoms agency – to promote best practices of AI solutions globally.

Saudi Arabia is competing with other regional technology centres such as the UAE, which offers long-term visas to technology entrepreneurs and professionals from around the world.

The UAE recently signed a pact with companies such as Google and Amazon to train 100,000 programmers and coders within the next five years and create 1,000 digital companies to boost its economy.

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MATCH INFO

Liverpool v Manchester City, Sunday, 8.30pm UAE

The specs: 2018 Peugeot 5008

Price, base / as tested: Dh99,900 / Dh134,900

Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power: 165hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 240Nm @ 1,400rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km

The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima


Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650

Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder

Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm

Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km

MATCH INFO

Championship play-offs, second legs:

Aston Villa 0
Middlesbrough 0

(Aston Villa advance 1-0 on aggregate)

Fulham 2
Sessegnon (47'), Odoi (66')

Derby County 0

(Fulham advance 2-1 on aggregate)

Final

Saturday, May 26, Wembley. Kick off 8pm (UAE) 

Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out now.

Anxiety and work stress major factors

Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.

A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.

Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.

One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.

It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."

Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.

“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi. 

“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."

Daniel Bardsley

The BIO

Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.

Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.

Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.

Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Andy%20Muschietti%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sasha%20Calle%2C%20Ben%20Affleck%2C%20Ezra%20Miller%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The bio

Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.

Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.

Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.

Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.

HIJRA

Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy

Director: Shahad Ameen

Rating: 3/5

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

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How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
'Laal Kaptaan'

Director: Navdeep Singh

Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain

Rating: 2/5

The Baghdad Clock

Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Khaldoon%20Bushnaq%20and%20Tariq%20Seksek%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Global%20Market%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20100%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20to%20date%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2415%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E261hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400Nm%20at%201%2C750-4%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.5L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C999%20(VX%20Luxury)%3B%20from%20Dh149%2C999%20(VX%20Black%20Gold)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: August 31, 2021, 3:03 AM