Day: September 25, 2022

Jeddah– Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha praised the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to help flood-affected people in Pakistan.

He urged the OIC member states, financial and relief institutions, and the international community to provide the relief aid to the Pakistani people.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– The Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (“PIF”), which aims to foster innovation in strategic sectors and accelerate key national technological priorities in Saudi Arabia , has announced its investment with a value of SAR 776 million with SenseTime Group through a joint venture to establish SenseTime MEA, and work to build a sophisticated AI lab, create highly skilled jobs for talented Saudis, and contribute to positioning Saudi Arabia as the region’s leading AI-tech hub.

SCAI will work closely with SenseTime to develop solutions across diverse areas, including but not limited to the smart city, business intelligence, healthcare, and education domains, as well as localize the company’s cutting-edge computer vision and deep learning platform to enable the creation of intellectual properties which will be of immense benefit to the Kingdom and the region. The AI lab will serve as a dedicated research and development center, allowing the next generation of data scientists to benefit from the transfer of technology and SenseTime’s extensive expertise in the field.

The partnership’s corporate vehicle, SenseTime MEA, is set to focus on empowering the local AI ecosystem by building capabilities in computer vision and driving innovation in the AI and emerging technologies sectors.

Commenting on the announcement, Eng. Ayman AlRashed, CEO of SCAI, said: “We are pleased to enter into this Joint Venture with a global pioneer of SenseTime’s caliber. Today’s agreement represents an important strategic step on SCAI’s journey to develop national capabilities and build a robust, innovation-driven AI ecosystem. We look forward to working closely to provide world-class AI solutions that will contribute to the success of diverse smart city, business intelligence, healthcare, and education initiatives in the Kingdom and beyond.”

Dr. Xu Li, Executive Chairman of the Board & CEO of SenseTime, added: “It’s exciting to see the rapid digital transformation that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is undertaking, especially in the development of an AI ecosystem. SenseTime and SCAI share the same vision of creating a better society and improving people’s lives through the use of AI. I believe that our partnership will contribute to the realization of the Vision 2030 objectives and be a driving engine of next-generation cities across the Kingdom.”

Founded in Hong Kong in 2014, SenseTime is a leading AI-software company focused on the application of advanced technologies. The company is committed to advancing AI research and developing scalable and affordable AI software platforms that bring positive benefits to businesses and people.

Launched to support PIF’s strategic objectives and achieve national priorities, SCAI will develop local capability, cutting edge technology, and strategic partnerships to support creating Saudi-owned solutions in the AI ecosystem.

As part of its commitment to customer-centricity and collaboration, SCAI is showcasing its range of customer-centric solutions this week through its participation at the Global AI Summit in Riyadh. Now in its second edition, the summit is organized by the Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) and serves as an inspiring platform for dialogue that brings together key stakeholders from the public sector, academia, and private sector to shape the future of AI.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– Discussion panels accompanying the 2nd Global AI Summit – organized by the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) under the theme “Artificial Intelligence for the Good of Humanity” at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center in Riyadh between September 13 and 15, 2022 – commenced.

Speakers during the session, titled “Public Sector & Global Governance: Defining the big vision of today and next AI technologies, research, policy and social implications,” addressed means to the possibility of unifying visions and variant framework of AI and how can technology and academic leaders across the world to benefit from and utilize them for the good of humanity. The session also reviewed means to measure the impact of AI, connect global economies and interact with citizens for the good of humanity.

The session saw the participation of Chief AI Officer, President, Responsible AI Institute and Founder at Qantm AI Dr. Seth Dobrin; SVP and CTO at AI HPE Eng. Lim Goh; Chief Scientist in Artificial Intelligence at Huawei Cloud and AI Dr. Qi Tian; Executive Chairman of the Board and CEO at SenseTime Dr. Xu Li; Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence CEO Eng. Ayman Al-Rashed; and SVP and Global Innovation Officer at Cisco Dr. Guy Diedrich.

Dr. Xu Li stressed that work is ongoing with partners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, mainly in smart cities and the digital transformation stage, wondering about the possibility of machines to think, adding that the machines, with the immense development in AI, have become able to think and form the future of modern technologies and that the technological developments the world is currently witnessing have made a remarkable leap in the lives of humans.

Al-Rashed noted that major companies have realized several leaps over the past few years in AI, pointing out that startups have also the ability to progress, even if with slower pace than major companies, and form their future in the technological world. He also stressed that AI, unlike humans, has more flexibility and ability to transform and change once it is biased for something, announcing that Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence will invest more than SAR 600 million in the technological field inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the near future.

Diedrich noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enjoys big potential through its youth that are capable of shaping its future and progress in AI and modern technologies, adding that it is important to intensify training for the youth in the technological field and providing them with skills in AI.

He pointed out that AI has become an integral part of the transactions of several countries across the world and that the use of modern technologies is increasing, and that AI has become an influential source for the development of public transport means with having endeavors to transform several motion technologies into AI, which would contribute to the ability of major companies to maintain the safety and security of humans in their technological transactions without mistakes, reiterating the importance of focusing on goals of AI and work accurately before building AI and losing control on it later.

For his part, Goh stressed the importance for systems to be effective and capable of development, noting that it is not necessary to start from zero every time a new technology is built and that major companies can assume the role of realizing multiple envisioned goals.

Meanwhile, Tian went over modern applications that will be able to predict weather and agricultural conditions, among others, with more accuracy, noting that these applications will advance in a faster pace than their peers.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– Upon the generous directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Advisor to the Royal Court and Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah launched a relief airlift today from Saudi Arabia to provide urgent assistance to flood victims in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

In a statement following the official launch, Dr. Al Rabeeah said that the first two planes in the airlift would depart today from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh carrying 180 tons of food, medical, and shelter assistance. Dr. Al Rabeeah added that more than 19,000 people affected by the floods would benefit from this batch of aid.

Dr. Al Rabeeah also stated that at least ten airlift relief planes will be sent within the coming days, and that the airlift coincides with a relief land convoy that is being launched inside Pakistan in coordination with the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Islamabad and local authorities. The convoy is carrying shelter, food and medical aid which will be distributed in affected areas.

The Supervisor General stressed that this airlift reflected the leading global humanitarian role being played by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and underscored the Kingdom’s ongoing commitment to alleviating the suffering of people in need around the world.

Dr. Al Rabeeah expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince for the ongoing care and attention they give to supporting needy and vulnerable people worldwide. He added his hopes that the aid delivered during this airlift campaign would help to save and improve lives across Pakistan as the country seeks to overcome the devastating effects of the extensive flooding that has occurred there over the past several weeks.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– Director of the Artificial Intelligence Initiative at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Professor Jürgen Schmidhuber, said that artificial intelligence during three decades has served humanity and made development and qualitative leap in many fields, especially the medical and economic ones.

Professor Schmidhuber, who is known as the father of modern artificial intelligence, made his statement during his participation in the second edition of the Global AI Summit session discussing the requirements of time, in comparison between the past, the present, and the distant future in which AI dominates the technologies in the world, adding that artificial networks, the development of machine intelligence, the empowerment of smart cities and the manufacture of robots have contributed to the service of humanity and the improvement of life, especially the development of this technology in the medical fields, as it shortened the time and effort in diagnosing cases as quickly and accurately as possible, as well as performing operations.

He explained that AI in the automotive industry is now used on a larger scale than before, as autonomous has become safer through the mechanism of determining lanes, speed, traffic congestion control, and improving car driving to be applied in smart cities such as NEOM and others in line with the Kingdom’s vision 2030.

Professor Schmidhuber said: “The robots have now begun to self-learn after they have crossed many stages over the past decades, and today we are witnessing the use of artificial intelligence technology by companies in the most difficult games such as chess that require mental effort and high concentration as well as the use of the “Facebook” platform 30 billion times a week via smart technology.

Professor Schmidhuber is participating as part of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), along with artificial intelligence innovators, leaders of industry and government sectors, and policymakers worldwide, in the “Global AI Summit ” in its second edition, which kicked off today in Riyadh, with an expected attendance of more than 10,000 people and 200 speakers from 90 countries from around the world.

KAUST is one of the academic institutions active in boosting human capabilities and innovations in artificial intelligence in Saudi Arabia and the region, supported by its infrastructure that includes advanced technologies operated by leading experts such as Professor Jürgen Schmidhuber, head of the AI Initiative. KAUST has distinguished collaborative partnerships with key institutions from the public and private sectors in the Kingdom, which contributed to incorporating artificial intelligence in all vital areas such as security, energy, data analytics, and health.

Schmidhuber is a professor specializing in computer science at KAUST and has pioneering projects in artificial intelligence and technology for Deep Neural Networks (DNNs), and the neural networks that he worked on developing in his laboratory became by mid-2010 an essential component in more than three billion devices, including smartphones. It is also used billions of times a day for automatic translation on the social networking platform “Facebook”, speech recognition on the “Google” platform, Google Translator, the smart assistant “Siri” from Apple, “Alexa” from Amazon, and other applications.

Schmidhuber, as head of KAUST’s Artificial Intelligence Initiative, is keen to expand basic, interdisciplinary AI research, helping to make people’s lives healthier and easier. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), is a co-founder and chief scientist at NNAISENSE, and was recently Scientific Director at The Swiss AI Lab IDSIA (Istituto Dalle Molle di Studi sull’Intelligenza Artificiale), Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Lugano, received numerous international awards, authored over 350 research papers, a frequent keynote speaker and advises various governments on AI strategies.

KAUST’s participation will be diverse during the summit days from September 13-15, 2022, where KAUST’s deputy, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Global Researcher in Artificial Intelligence Professor Lawrence Carin, Deputy Director of the KAUST Initiative for Artificial Intelligence, and Professor of Computer Science Professor Bernard Ghanem, will discuss KAUST’s role in Developing artificial intelligence talents in the Kingdom during a panel discussion on human capacity development with the Vice President for Talent Development at the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), Dr. Abdulrahman Habib.

On the final day of the summit, KAUST Director of Information Technology Jason Ross will discuss the impact of KAUST’s smart initiatives on the university campus and will participate in a dialogue between heads of institutions, universities, and governors about the impact of artificial intelligence on the youth.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Chairman of Board of Directors of the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), the 2nd Global AI Summit, held under the theme “Artificial Intelligence for the Good of Humanity”, kicked off today with the participation of more than 10,000 people and 200 speakers from 90 countries, representing policymakers, specialists and concerned figures with AI. The three-day summit is held at the headquarters of the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center in Riyadh.

The patronage of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to the 2nd version of the summit stresses his keenness to benefit from this vital sector to realize the development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to make it a pioneering global model in building the knowledge economies to serve current and future generations and in realization of the Saudi Vision 2030.

The summit commenced with a live presentation dubbed “Humans can have a better future with the use of AI,” which included several scenes that tell the story of humans with AI, including the ethics of AI, the story of machine learning, how humans teach machines that become smart through understanding their instructions, in addition to how to become independent and operate without the need of human incomes until humans can accord with the machine again towards realizing harmony in the future.

Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha delivered a speech in the opening ceremony of the summit, during which he shed light on the support and empowerment of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to all tools that can help seize future opportunities through focusing on AI and its role in serving humanity and drawing the future of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through building prosperous digital communities, smart cities and digital economies.

The minister referred to the results of the support and empowerment of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and their impacts on the community of entrepreneurs and companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which resulted in adopting AI solutions that serve vital fields in the health, energy and digital economy sectors, going over some entrepreneur experiments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, mainly Aramco’s adoption of AI solutions in digging and excavation that enabled the company to top energy companies in applying solutions that ensure environmental sustainability.

AL-Swaha also stressed the importance of The Line project, saying: “It is a gift from His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, to humanity on how to plan smart cities over the 150 coming years and how the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia managed to adapt with AI solutions and data to build sustainable communities.”

SDAIA President Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi also delivered a speech starting with welcoming guests in Riyadh, the home of AI, referring to the first edition of the summit that was held between the virtual and real worlds in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that the time between then and now the summit was not just a transition from one version to another, especially that this period was a defining moment in the history of mankind that went through a lot of challenges and lessons over the past two years.

Al-Ghamdi pointed out that technology has developed, mainly those related to AI, in a remarkable way and has become an integral part of every aspect of our lives, noting that the world, in previous centuries, spent 200 years to discover the first vaccine of smallpox before the disease is controlled, while this period was reduced to a few months since the spread of the first variant of the COVID-19 thanks to technologies of AI.

He noted that this was not the only change, especially that AI and virtual assistance in millions of houses, smart phones and autonomous vehicles are no longer dreams anymore, where AI and robots have conducted millions of surgeries in the present.

Al-Ghamdi also noted that AI is present today, saying: We are about to reach the inherent capabilities of AI, where early signs are very promising, where vertical farms that work today through AI tools can produce food with a production capacity of more than 400 folds of what conventional farms can produce, where AI has proven its ability to reduce carbon emission by 40% and that it can predict some cancer types in a better way than humans.

The SDAIA president said that the most important subjects include: exploring the relation between humans and machines: where to stop? Where shall machines start? He noted that three years ago we started seeking answers to these questions through launching the AI Artathon that represented a global experience that gathered hundreds of AI experts and artists to explore the closest aspects to mankind: creativity.

He also warned against the digital gap between countries in light of the technological development, especially that such gaps are found within the same nation, noting that the gap between the two genders, according to a recent study, is huge, where only 12% of AI researchers are women, which cannot be true! We have to do something about this in the summit. Stay in touch.

Such divisions always take us back to the main and most urgent question: What is considered a responsible AI? If AI today was developed in certain geographical locations and was controlled by a certain race and targeted certain markets, how can we trust it? So, we welcome the recent UNESCO agreement that included recommendations regarding AI ethics and was endorsed by 193 countries, and we believe that all nations bear the responsibility of implanting these recommendations to enhance the credibility of AI. You will hear some good news about this in our summit.

Al-Ghamdi also called for participating in developing AI within joint efforts and to share our best practices, expertise, resources and challenges to guarantee that all are included, expressing aspiration to announce several pioneering initiatives with our global partners to honor the pledge that this summit has adopted ““Artificial Intelligence for the Good of Humanity”.

Saudi Aramco CEO and President Eng. Amin Al-Nasser said that the company is proud of being one of the main sponsors of the summit, during which it announced a new strategic project dubbed “Global AI Corridor”.

He said that this ambitious project is in its first steps and its design includes several aspects to play four main roles: Establishing an excellence center to develop AI solutions for Saudi Aramco and interested institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in this technology with immense aspects; enhancing efforts to develop the high-influence intellectual property system connected to AI; and marketing intellectual property products commercially.

He added that this project also seeks to train young Saudi efficiencies and develop them in AI fields, and support a new generation of entrepreneur Saudi startups that rely on AI in their activities, noting that the scheme was called a global path to help efforts in transferring knowledge, exchanging ideas and offering solutions between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world.

AL-Nasser referred to three themes of the summit: AI Now, AI Next and AI Never, and will be discussing the impact of AI on some important issues, such as economic mobility, healthcare, developing human resources and smart cities, noting that the summit includes goals to establish a modern global platform that brings together leaders and entrepreneurs of AI from across the world.

The opening ceremony and the main session were attended by several heads of government authorities, a slew of CEOs of major technological companies in the world, AI specialists from local and international research centers, and interested people in ICT.

The summit will also include several initiatives and signing ceremonies of agreements and memorandums of understanding for Saudi and international companies that are envisioned to contribute to developing the use and influence of AI over the few coming years to serve humanity.

NEOM is one of the most important projects within the Saudi Vision 2030 that invest in AI to help serve humanity and utilize it in building cognitive smart cities through offering a unique global model that realizes sustainability and perfect living in harmony with the nature depending on advanced digital technologies.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) has taken a significant step forward by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with leading global payment services provider UnionPay International. The agreement will support the development and strengthening of Saudi’s positioning as a tourism destination for UnionPay cardholders from China and around the world as Saudi drives forward its ambition to welcome even more Chinese visitors to the authentic home of Arabia.

The MoU aims to enhance Saudi’s comparative advantage in attracting Chinese travellers to the country with STA and UnionPay International promoting Saudi as a UnionPay-friendly destination for the global Chinese community. UnionPay already has extensive partnerships with banks in Saudi, including Al Rajhi, SNB, Al Inma, Riyad, and are actively expanding with the acceptance rate of UnionPay cards in Saudi expected to increase to more than 70% by the end of 2022.

Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board at Saudi Tourism Authority, said, “Today’s announcement is another significant step in our journey to position Saudi as a leading global tourism destination for the Chinese traveller. As Saudi accelerates its China-readiness program across the different visitor touchpoints, this exceptional partnership will ensure Saudi is top-of mind for Chinese travellers and UnionPay cardholders wanting to explore and experience the authentic home of Arabia.”

James Yang, Head of UnionPay International Middle East, said, “This signing is an important part of UnionPay’s internationalization strategy, and we hope that through continuous and in-depth cooperation, we can drive the development of tourism in Saudi. Together with Saudi Tourism Authority, we are creating opportunities for growth and creating greater convenience for our Chinese and global UnionPay cardholders.”

UnionPay has accelerated its regional business in recent years, to better meet the needs between China and the Middle East. At present, 11 countries and regions in the Middle East accept UnionPay cards.

Saudi has ambitious plans for the tourism sector and aims to be a top-5 global tourism destination by 2030. China is a key source market for Saudi Tourism and one of 49 countries eligible for tourist eVisas. By 2030, China is forecast to be Saudi’s largest source market for international visits from Asia Pacific.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– In implementation of directives by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) Monday launched a popular fund-raising campaign in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through Sahem platform to help flood-affected people in Pakistan as heavy rain continues.

Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of KSrelief Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah, during a speech at the launching ceremony, said that Pakistan is going through the worst natural disasters over decades, where floodwater covered one third of the Pakistani lands and affected more than 33 million people, claimed the lives of over 1,300 people and injured at least 13,000 others, in addition to destroying more than 550,000 houses completely, one million houses were partially destroyed and roads, bridges and shops were affected.

The supervisor general added that based on the generous directive of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and a close follow-up from His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister, KSrelief launched the Saudi popular fund-raising to collect donations through the center’s platform “Sahem” to help affected brothers in Pakistan, stressing that these generous directives reflect the role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in helping the needy and affected people across the world and are part of the brotherly relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and the two peoples.

Dr. Al Rabeeah also urged people of benevolence to participate in the campaign through donating via Sahem platform through Sahem application available on all smart phone systems, through the platform website or through KSrelief’s bank accounts in several Saudi banks, stressing that all donations fully reach beneficiaries and that the center does not deduct any administrative expenses from them.

He also reiterated that the center is the sole institution authorized to receive donations directed to outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, adding that to ensure that assistance arrives to beneficiaries, the center is subject to close monitoring and follow-up on all its works in all countries it operates in.

The supervisor general also conveyed his gratitude and appreciation to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, for their keenness on offering all means to alleviate the suffering of the needy and affected people.

Donations can be delivered through Sahem platform on https://sahem.ksrelief.org, through SMS on 5565, and through sending money transfers directly to the center’s following bank accounts: Banque Saudi Fransi: SA5655000000099088000563, Al Bilad Bank: SA8315000999126644880015, Alinma Bank: SA5705000068222222207001, Arab Bank: SA4630400108095307050033, and Riyad Bank: SA 5120000002283448399942.

The Sahem application can be downloaded on smart phones through Apple Store and Google Play.

In case of inquiries and more information, please call: 966920008554.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

5 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes South Sandwich Islands in Atlantic Ocean

Geneva, Sep. 12, 2022, SPA — In its speech on the sidelines of an official debate on human rights in Geneva, the Permanent Delegate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations in Geneva Abdulmohsen bin Khuthaila, who is also representative of Riyadh-based Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), said that the GCC member states encourage every effort being exerted by the Sri Lankan government for national reconciliation aiming to defuse tension and bring political life back to normal.

Addressing the 51st session of the Human Rights Council which submitted for discussion a report on human rights in Sri Lanka, Khuthaila said the GCC underscores the importance of enforcing humanitarian law and international law for human rights and supports all open and effective dialogue that enhances cooperation with the concerned countries to reach the best ways and practices to guarantee human rights.

The GCC countries also stressed the concept that enhancing human rights is a collective responsibility that requires intesive work, concerted dialogue and constructive cooperation according to the international humanitarian law for human rights in addition to living up to the principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity and cooperation aiming to enhance the abilities of countries of the world to meet their commitments in the field of human rights.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Khartoum– The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has distributed 10 tons and 890 Kg of food baskets to several residential areas in the Red Sea State, Sudan, benefiting 1,200 people.

This comes within the KSrelief initiative to contribute to bridging the food shortage for needy families in Sudan for the year 2022.

Source: Saudi Press Agency