The Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Center for AI Research and Ethics (ICAIRE), has invited university students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and around the world to register for and participate in the AI Readiness Hackathon. The hackathon aims to empower a new generation of innovators and researchers and enhance their readiness to develop innovative solutions that contribute to building a future better prepared for AI technologies. The initiative comes as part of international efforts to support responsible innovation and build capacity in this field. The AI…
Author: Editorial Team
Fady Younes, Managing Director for Cybersecurity at Cisco Middle East, Africa, Türkiye, Romania, and CIS. The UAE is among the world’s fastest adopters of AI, driven by strong government policies, heavy investment in digital infrastructure, and widespread enterprise interest. As the country pursues its National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, organisations are becoming acutely aware that the unprecedented pace of AI adoption requires them to strengthen cyber resilience at the same pace as innovation. While AI unleashes immense potential, it also introduces new and complex risks. That’s why cybersecurity is the ultimate enabler of trusted AI, especially in highly-regulated…
DUBAI — Qatar, Pakistan and other regional mediators were scrambling again on Friday to pull the US and Iran back from the brink of renewed war and revive peace talks, as days of strikes by the two countries appeared to settle into an uneasy pause. Qatari negotiators have travelled to Iran to meet officials there in an effort to de-escalate the situation and create conditions for the US-Iran talks to resume, a diplomat with knowledge of the visit told CNN. The trip was planned in coordination with the United States, the source said. Qatar, which helped broker the US-Iran truce…
AL-BAHA — Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majed Al-Hogail launched and inaugurated municipal and housing projects worth more than SR1.67 billion during a visit to Al-Baha on Thursday. The visit included inspections of ongoing municipal and housing projects, the inauguration of completed developments, the laying of foundation stones for new projects and the handover of housing units to beneficiaries of developmental housing programs. Municipal projects included completed developments worth SR464 million and new projects valued at SR873.5 million, covering roads, sidewalks, street lighting, flood mitigation, parks, public facilities and other infrastructure aimed at improving services for residents and visitors. In…
Karl Crowther. The conversation in boardrooms across the UAE and Saudi Arabia has begun to shift from developing more AI capabilities to ensuring that they work efficiently across the entire organisation. Typically, every novel technology follows the same chronology. First comes the capability phase, followed by questions about how that capability should be managed. Quite inevitably, AI too has arrived at this inflection point. As organisations move from experimentation and AI pilots to enterprise-wide production, the focus is shifting to how those capabilities are managed, governed and scaled. The need for oversight and accountability is becoming increasingly critical. The UAE and…
The Board of Directors of the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND), chaired by Chairman of AGFUND’s Board of Directors Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz approved, AGFUND’s Strategy until 2030, marking a new phase in its development journey. The board also approved funding for 15 development projects in areas related to sustainable development, during its meeting held today at AGFUND headquarters in Riyadh. Prince Abdulaziz said: “I extend my deepest gratitude and appreciation to the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries for their generous and continued support to AGFUND. Over the decades, this support has formed a fundamental…
MANILA — Landslides triggered by one of the strongest storms in decades have left at least 15 people dead and six others missing on the island of Mindanao in southern Philippines, as parts of East Asia brace themselves for the looming storm. Typhoon Bavi is expected to pound Taiwan’s north and east, as well as Japan’s remote southwestern islands, on Friday and Saturday before smashing into China, which has been hit by deadly storms this week. Typhoon Bavi, which spans 1,000km (620 miles) at its widest point – roughly the width of France – is sweeping across the Pacific towards…
Burjeel Holdings marked the admission of its inaugural $500 million Sukuk to trading on the London Stock Exchange’s International Securities Market (ISM) with a Market Open Ceremony, following strong demand from regional and international investors. The listing follows the successful completion of Burjeel’s debut Sukuk issuance under its $1.5 billion Senior Unsecured Sukuk Programme, marking the healthcare group’s first entry into international debt capital markets and the first Sukuk issued by a MENA healthcare provider since 2018. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. The ceremony was attended by Sheikh Khalid bin Saud Al…
PALM BEACH, Florida — An airport in Florida officially changed its name President Donald J. Trump International Airport on Thursday, accelerating a push by the US president and his supporters to plaster his name and image on national landmarks and banknotes. Signs for the Palm Beach International Airport have been removed, while new signage goes up. “Because an entire airport transformation doesn’t happen overnight, you’ll notice a combination of both our classic look and our new brand elements coexisting while traveling through the terminal over the next several weeks,” airport officials said in a Facebook post. “This will soon be…
MADRID — Twelve people were reported killed in a wildfire in Almeria in southern Spain, as about 150 firefighters battled the blaze that broke out amid soaring temperatures, the Emergency Agency of Andalucía said early on Friday. “The number of people who died in the fire in Los Gallardos has risen to 12 after the confirmation of six more deaths,” the regional government of Andalusia said in a statement. The deaths took place in the hamlet of Bedar, the statement said, adding that the fire injured at least six people, including a woman who suffered burns and another person with…