Saudi Arabia wins multiple awards for innovative projects at WSIS 2023 – Arab News

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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has won multiple awards and recognitions for its innovative projects at the World Summit on the Information Society Forum being held in Geneva.  
The Kingdom claimed the Summit Prize and the first rank globally in Digital Environment and Electronic Services Category, a new global award at the World Summit, reported the Saudi Press Agency.  
Organized by the International Telecommunication Union, WSIS Forum is a global multistakeholder platform facilitating the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines for advancing sustainable development. 
Saudi Arabia’s Early Warning System Development Project, submitted by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, passed three qualifying phases and competed with global innovations participating from over 109 countries, stated Abdulhameed Al-Olaiwi, the director general for Information Technology and Digital Transformation.   
The Summit Prize reveals the ability of Saudi Arabia’s telecommunications sector to compete globally, as well as the sector’s efforts in accelerating digital transformation and technology activation schemes in numerous sectors like government services, healthcare, education and entertainment, the SPA report added.  
The achievement resulted from the endless support of the Kingdom’s leadership towards the ministry’s systems in line with the goals of its digital transformation strategy 2030 under Vision 2030, noted Deputy Minister Mansour bin Hilal Al-Mishaiti.   
Saudi Arabia also obtained certificates of excellence on the projects of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs — Balady Platform and Digital City Platform.   
The Kingdom bagged the National Databank by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, the Innovative e-learning Platform of the University of Hail, and Habkeh Project submitted by the private sector.  
Saudi Arabia’s success in these distinct innovative projects brings the Kingdom’s total certificates of excellence to 35, reported the agency. 
RIYADH: The Saudi Geological Survey will announce the findings of various geological survey projects at the upcoming Third Future Mining Forum, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.
The forum is scheduled to be held on Jan. 10, 2024 in Riyadh. The statement said as part of the General Geological Survey Program initiative, findings of several surveys undertaken in the Kingdom will be presented at the event. Prominent among them include an aerial geophysical survey and findings of  a geochemical exploration in the Kingdom.
Findings of these surveys will also be made accessible on the National Geological Database on the same day, the statement added.
The event comes as the Kingdom’s mining sector is witnessing a rapid transformation and attracting big investors from various parts of the globe, thanks in part to the government’s launch earlier this year of a new mining law which removed unnecessary formalities and hassles involved in obtaining exploration licenses in Saudi Arabia.
Apart from providing licenses in a very short time, Saudi Arabia is also ensuring that the mining sector in the Kingdom operates in a sustainable manner, especially considering the nation has set the target of net-zero emissions by 2060.
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has stepped up its commitment toward climate change by launching a carbon capture and utilization facility in Rabigh.
The facility, a collaborative project between Petro Rabigh and Dubai-based gas firm Gulf Cryo, was officially opened on Thursday.
This project is the first of its kind in the western region of Saudi Arabia dedicated to the merchant market and the second overall in the Kingdom, according to a press note.
The carbon capture plant resulted from a long-term strategic partnership inked in March 2022 between the two companies to develop Petro Rabigh’s monoethylene glycol facility in the Red Sea town of Rabigh.
“Through this pioneering initiative under our strategic partnership, we are demonstrating an unwavering commitment to significantly reducing emissions over the long term. This directly supports the Kingdom’s ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060,” said Othman Al-Ghamdi, president and CEO of Petro Rabigh Co., in a statement.
The newly launched facility can directly capture 300 metric tons of carbon dioxide per day from the MEG plant.  
It is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 100,000 metric tons annually, achieving an 85 percent reduction in its total annual carbon footprint.  
According to the release, the plant will process the captured carbon dioxide to a high-purity food-grade level and transport it in liquid form for reuse.  
“This landmark project anchors our leading position in CCUS solutions in the region and marks our first carbon capture project in the Kingdom,” said  Abdul Salam Al-Mazro, vice chairman of Gulf Cryo, in the statement. 
Al-Mazro added: “It underscores the importance of managing the full CO2 value chain. We reduce emissions at source while utilizing the recovered CO2 as a vital resource to help decarbonize supply chains of various industries.” 
Petro Rabigh will utilize a portion of this carbon dioxide stream internally, while Gulf Cryo will supply the remainder to various industries across the Kingdom.  
These industries include water desalination and mineralization, food preservation and transport cooling, agriculture, beverage carbonation and ready-mix concrete, demonstrating a wide-ranging impact on the region’s environmental and industrial landscape.
RIYADH: The Cairo to Jeddah sector has been ranked as the second busiest international route during 2023, with 4.8 million seats, according to a report.
Launched by global travel data provider firm the Official Airline Guide, the report indicated a 2 percent capacity difference between first and second place.
This comes as 2023’s busiest international airline route was Kuala Lumpur to Singapore with 4.9 million seats.
This falls in line with the Kingdom’s aim of developing and upgrading all aviation sectors, including Saudi airlines, logistics services, cargo assistance, and other support divisions to boost its tourism efforts and aviation strategy in line with Vision 2030.
“Saudi Arabia is leading globally through aviation, achieving the highest increase in connectivity out of any country and outperforming global aviation growth rates,” the Kingdom’s Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, Saleh Al-Jasser, said at the Saudi Aviation Strategy Steering Committee. 
“The aviation sector is making a significant contribution to the Kingdom’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy, connecting Saudi Arabia to the world in support of Vision 2030,” Al-Jasser added. 
During the same event, General Authority of Civil Aviation President Abdulaziz Al-Duailej said: “2023 has been a record-breaking year for Saudi aviation — with the Kingdom carrying more passengers and connecting with more destinations than ever before.”
Al-Duailej added that this transformation is being led through the Saudi Aviation Strategy, which aims to target 330 million passengers, establish connectivity with 250 destinations, and hold a cargo capacity of 4.5 million tons by 2030. 
“The achievements are a testament to the work of the entire aviation sector and to the alignment achieved through the steering committee,” Al-Duailej highlighted. 
The report by OAG also reveals that Hong Kong to Taipei is the third busiest international route in 2023, with 4.6 million seats. This same route was also the most active in 2019, and capacity has dropped by 43 percent since then.
In addition to this, most routes in the international top 10 for 2023 have a capacity ranging between 9 percent and 43 percent below their 2019 levels.
Moreover, half of the flight paths in the top 10 busiest international routes did not appear on the same list in 2019.
Localized aircraft production is projected to grow 126 percent in Saudi Arabia over the next 20 years, said the head of an international organization dedicated to women in aviation earlier this week. 
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund on Thursday announced the signing of an agreement to invest in Saudia Technic, a subsidiary of Saudia Group.
Formerly known as Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries, Saudia Technic  provides services across key aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul segments, including line, base, components and engines.
PIF and Saudia Group will transform Saudia Technic into a national MRO champion by investing in infrastructure, boosting efficiency and capturing market growth in Saudi Arabia over the next decade, said an official press release.
Raid Ismail, co-head of MENA Direct Investments at PIF, said: “PIF continues to invest in one of the world’s most dynamic and rapidly expanding sectors in an increasingly interconnected global economy. The investment in Saudia Technic is a significant milestone as we unlock capabilities, localize expertise and create a first-class, world-leading aviation sector in Saudi (Arabia).”
Saudia Technic’s ambition is to become the MRO of choice for domestic airlines and global partners seeking access to the Saudi market.
The investment will support the development of an approximately 1 million-square-meter MRO village in Jeddah, including a state-of-the-art jet propulsion center that will expand Saudia Technic into the leading MRO in the Middle East.
Commenting on the deal, Capt. Fahd Cynndy, CEO of Saudia Technic, said: “We are excited to work alongside PIF in shaping the future of aviation in Saudi Arabia and the region. Together, we aim to enhance our capabilities, drive innovation, and become the MRO of choice for airlines and partners worldwide.”
The new MRO village will significantly increase hangar capacity and the number of component shops, successfully positioning Saudia Technic to capture Saudi Arabia’s future market demand by unlocking scale and efficiency across line, base, engine, and component segments.
According to the release, the MRO village will entail the construction and operationalization of an engine test cell that will serve next generation wide-body and narrow-body aircraft engines, solidifying Saudi Arabia’s MRO ambitions through 2030.
 
 
RIYADH: Saudi-based online marketplace specializing in secondhand products Soum has announced the closure of an $18 million series A funding round.   
Led by Jahez, the financing deal saw participation from Isometry Capital, along with continued support from existing investors Khwarizmi Ventures, Alrajhi Partners, and Outliers Venture Capital.  
Founded by Fahad Al-Hassan, Bader Al-Mubarak, and Fahad Al-Bassam, Soum has experienced significant growth since its seed funding round last year.   
Al-Hassan said: “The success of this funding round is a testament to the dedication of our entire team. With the backing of the region’s leading investors, we are excited to kick-off our next stage of growth, while continuing on our mission to transform how customers buy and sell online.”  
The company claims that its sales have increased by 40 times, supported by strong unit economics and consistently high customer satisfaction scores.   
Having facilitated deliveries to and from over 150 cities across Saudi Arabia, Soum said it has established a national marketplace for buying, selling, and discovering products with trust and ease.  
Launched in 2021, the Soum app has already surpassed 4 million downloads in Saudi Arabia and is gaining momentum in the UAE, according to a press release.  
The funding is set to fuel Soum’s regional expansion and diversification beyond its primary focus on secondhand electronics.   
Soum plans to introduce a range of high-value categories for secondhand products, from collectibles to automobiles, aiming to tap into a combined market worth $40 billion. 

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