AI regulations are still in their infancy but need to catch up, says technology futurist – Arab News

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DUBAI: It is sometimes said that the desire for innovation often outweighs the urgency to establish robust regulations, allowing artificial intelligence technologies to evolve unchecked. As a result, society may face unforeseen challenges and unintended consequences.
On the sidelines of the World Governments Summit, Ian Khan — a technology futurist, author, and documentary filmmaker — told Arab News that regulations surrounding AI are still in their infancy.
Khan said: “Saudi Arabia is definitely one of the countries that is leading the region in its AI enablement and regulation, with an entire government department dedicated to doing that.
“The SADAIA (Saudi Data and AI Authority), the agency in charge of AI within Saudi Arabia, has done an incredible amount of work, and we captured it in our documentary called ‘The Digital Kingdom,’ which focuses on the fast-paced evolution of technology in the country.”
Governments, tech companies, and researchers must collaborate and prioritize the development of comprehensive regulations that can keep pace with the rapid growth of AI technologies.
Khan added: “Not every government in the world has an AI authority that manages its aid decisions. So, definitely, Saudi is at the forefront of making that happen.
“If you look at the Western countries, I don’t see an AI department or an AI side of government, so you really have to give kudos to Saudi as a pioneer and leader in what it does.”
Khan said that the Kingdom is playing a big part regarding development, such as using AI to enhance the future of government services and reduce bureaucracy.
He said that “AI can help automate many decision-making processes, simplifying the complexity behind citizens benefiting from government services.”
And in countries where government services are future-focused, and they have really developed, it is all about reducing that friction and making daily life easier for the citizens, he said.
Khan added that “government services are complex because they work with the private sector, and the government’s responsibility is to reduce the friction between governments and people regarding service delivery.”
The COVID-19 pandemic played a huge role by being a big accelerator for many governments worldwide to enable digital services, automation and AI, said Khan.
He added: “We need to keep people’s information safe and maintain their privacy, and for that reason Saudi is at the forefront of leading this whole idea of how we create regulations around AI, how we create a whole regulatory framework.”
Khan said that all countries have to collaborate to share talent, know-how, and leadership.
JEDDAH: The urge to explore and reconnect with nature is at the heart of Jeddah Go Outdoors, a Saudi organization unlocking adventures in the Kingdom.
Founded by Ahmed Shatta, Maher Indijani, and Mohammed Jafrawi, Jeddah Go Outdoors regularly organizes trips inspired by their own passion for hiking.
Shatta fell in love with walking and spending time in nature with his friends and fellow students while he was studying in the US. He then wanted to put his newfound hiking skills into practice when he returned to Saudi Arabia.
• Founded by Ahmed Shatta, Maher Indijani, and Mohammed Jafrawi, Jeddah Go Outdoors regularly organizes trips inspired by their own passion for hiking.
• As experienced hikers, their forays outside the Kingdom are learning experiences that they use to their advantage.
• With a workforce composed entirely of women, Jeddah Go Outdoors has also been able to cater to women who desire privacy during these adventures.
In Jeddah, Shatta began hiking with his friends in 2014. At the time, hiking was not particularly common, and the only people who joined him on these expeditions were foreigners. Now, Shatta and his friends are making the activity more accessible and organized for locals and tourists, and creating opportunities to appreciate the wonders of the Kingdom’s diverse landscape.
“The idea to start a tour group and get people out of their houses to explore the countryside came about because I felt that everyone should be able to observe and appreciate the beauty and wealth of our nature between mountains, lands, and weather,” Shatta told Arab News.
With the inception of that idea, along with Jafrawi and Indijani, Shatta created the tourism foundation that is now approved and licensed by the Ministry of Tourism.
They started by traveling domestically throughout the Kingdom, and later expanded to international trips to explore places like Georgia, Oman, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and more.
As experienced hikers, their forays outside the Kingdom are learning experiences that they use to their advantage. “Our overseas travels have given us a wealth of knowledge from our hiking experiences outside of the Kingdom. For instance, while in Oman, we discovered they had a 20 km walking tour. We learned how to do it and used it to organize and prepare an adventure here on our visits,” he said.
Their trips are not limited to hiking as they also organize zipline adventures and biking trips: “What sets us apart are our affordable rates and our array of packages, which include hiking meditation, challenging hiking, and even a fantastic bike ride in Jeddah’s Al-Balad area, where we all ride our bikes and take in the breathtaking views of the UNESCO World Heritage Site,” Shatta added.
People should venture outside of their comfort zone and explore that nature, rather than being enmeshed in mundane occupations and everyday responsibilities.
Ahmed Shatta, Jeddah Go Outdoors co-founder
Shatta and his companions take trips frequently and have added a lot of exciting elements to the experiences, like Egyptian Night, Levant Night, Kuwaiti Night, and more.
His purpose is to link humans with the natural world around them, and thus far they have served over 70,000 people.
“We fulfilled several government contracts, such as the one from the Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation to map out a path through Al-Baha. We created the route after winning the bid,” he said.
With a workforce composed entirely of women, Jeddah Go Outdoors has also been able to cater to women who desire privacy during these adventures.
Being an IT specialist, Shatta was also able to develop the website with a simple booking system. He is currently working on a platform that unites all travel agencies in the Kingdom and their operating systems, enabling them to showcase their deals and tickets for their experiences: “Since we have a large client database, we have decided to assist other Saudi tourism businesses in joining this platform so they can advertise their services there and generate income.”
His job necessitates him spending a lot of time in front of a computer, much like most people these days working corporate jobs.
“People should venture outside of their comfort zone and explore that nature, rather than being enmeshed in mundane occupations and everyday responsibilities,” he says.
 
 
JEDDAH: The Saudi Heritage Commission has revealed what it described as groundbreaking archaeological findings at the Jerash dig sit in Asir region, southeast of Khamis Mushayt.
The commission said the discoveries, which came to light during its 15th season of excavations, underscore the archaeological importance of the site as a key location in the southern part of the Kingdom.
Experts working at the location found the remains of dwellings built from stone and mud with novel architectural features that, building on previous discoveries, provide further insights into the site.
In addition, the teams found evidence of what at the time would have been an ingenious and revolutionary irrigation technique, in which a well meticulously crafted from stacked stones was intricately linked to a central channel that distributed water to basins adjacent to residences. They also unearthed numerous hearths and platforms, again crafted from stone and mud.
Regarding specific artifacts, one particularly significant find was a granite stone with a three-line Islamic inscription, which was the second discovery of its kind at the site. Other items included stone tools used for daily tasks, decorations, pottery pieces and inscriptions.
The wide variety of tools included pestles, mills, and an assortment of querns, hand tools used for grinding grain, of various shapes and sizes. The pottery fragments included glazed pieces, glass artifacts, and soapstone embellishments used on the body, edges and handles of pots. A treasure trove of beads crafted from precious stones was also cataloged.
The commission said its archaeological projects aim to explore, document, preserve and champion archaeological sites as invaluable cultural and economic national assets, in keeping with its wider mandate to safeguard and celebrate the Kingdom’s rich cultural heritage and promote its legacy on a global stage.
This month the Historic Jeddah Program, in collaboration with the Heritage Commission, announced 25,000 discoveries at four archaeological sites, the oldest of which dates back to the 1st and 2nd centuries of the Hijri calendar (the 7th and 8th centuries A.D.).
 
 
RIYADH: The Saudi Film Commission has announced it is going to take part in the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, which runs from Feb. 15-25, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
Its participation underscores the Kingdom’s efforts to enhance its film industry, foster film production, and promote local talents by encouraging their involvement in global festivals.
In partnership with Film AlUla, the Cultural Development Fund, NEOM, Invest Saudi, the Red Sea International Film Festival, and the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, the commission is to host a pavilion at the festival.
SFC’s CEO Abdullah Al-Eyaf said the pavilion would encourage global producers to explore Saudi Arabia’s inspiring filming locations.
He said: “Our participation goes beyond marketing film production in the Kingdom, as it aims to present local talent on the global stage, to create opportunities for cultural exchange of knowledge, and present the outstanding local efforts and stories of the Saudi film industry.”
 
Noor Alzayer is the experience partnership management director at King Abdullah Financial District, a role she has held since July 2023.
Alzayer has played a pivotal role in establishing partnerships that serve marketing, corporate communications, and experience objectives, creating value, generating leads, and increasing brand awareness.
Her responsibilities extend to establishing and activating partnerships and memorandum of understanding agreements, handling key asset portfolios, monetizing key events and experiences through sponsorships, and managing commercial rights roll-outs.
Prior to her current role, Alzayer joined stc in 2019 where she played a major role in establishing the partnerships and sponsorships function as a senior consultant, creating and implementing partnerships strategy, in addition to managing mega projects such as LEAP, GITEX Dubai, MWC Barcelona, Saudi Cup, Future Investment Initiative, Riyadh Season, Formula 1, and others.
Alzayer was also a member of a specialist development program for in-house consultants where she provided consultancy services in sponsorships, partnerships, branding, public relations, events, and marketing communications across the stc group.
In 2017, Alzayer led marketing and events at Lincoln International, where she worked on developing and implementing marketing and communication strategies, planning and managing external and internal marketing campaigns, events and CSR initiatives.
From 2013 to 2017 she served as a corporate relationship manager at Banque Saudi Fransi after successful completion of its professional development program, having also spent time in 2013 working at the Gulf International Bank in Bahrain as an assistant relationship manager.
In 2012, Alzayer worked at OILWELL7 marketing agency showcasing her early commitment to the field of marketing where she managed her first international event that took place in Ottawa, Canada.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a specialization in finance from Portland State University, US.
Alzayer has certifications from the Project Management Institute in PMP, PMI-ACP, and PMI-PBA. She also holds executive certifications from prestigious institutions such as INSEAD, Oxford University, and the London Business School covering areas such as brand and marketing, executing strategies for results, and building digital partnerships and ecosystems.
 
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is playing a key role in promoting international efforts to counter the growing threat posed by space debris, a global forum in Riyadh has been told.
More than 260 leaders, experts, and speakers from more than 50 countries took part in the Space Debris Conference, themed “Securing the Future of the Global Space Economy,” which concluded on Monday.
The conference and its activities highlight efforts by the Kingdom to understand the challenges and risks associated with space debris, and to adopt policies to protect the economic future of the space sector.
Participants emphasized the importance of finding technological solutions to the threat, and called for the protection of space for future generations. They stressed the need to address the debris challenge and develop an intergenerational charter leading to space sustainability.
Organized by the Saudi Space Agency in collaboration with the Communications, Space and Technology Commission, the International Telecommunication Union, and the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, the conference included four discussion sessions and four keynote speeches addressing legislation and future trends in confronting the problem of space debris.
Participants emphasized the importance of finding technological solutions to the threat, and called for the protection of space for future generations. They stressed the need to address the debris challenge and develop an intergenerational charter leading to space sustainability.
A set of ideas for future solutions aimed at eliminating risks and securing Earth was presented, reflecting the Kingdom’s commitment to strengthening cooperation to achieve space sustainability and progress. This effort is focused on developing the space economy and stimulating space innovations to serve both the Kingdom and humanity as a whole.
The Kingdom, represented by the Saudi Space Agency, aims to strengthen its position among the leading countries in the field of space through this conference, the first of its kind in the region. It seeks to achieve this by conducting numerous scientific research and explorations to serve humanity. Through these endeavors, the Kingdom is working to affirm its commitment to protecting the planet and shaping new horizons in the space field.
The first keynote speech of the conference’s second day, titled “Mission to Remove Space Debris from Earth’s Orbit,” was delivered by Luc Piguet, CEO of ClearSpace, a company specializing in space debris removal.
He touched on efforts to remove space debris, which poses an increasing threat to Earth’s orbit and space systems, revealing that the first request for space debris removal was made to his company in 2019 by NASA, adding that the cost of removing a single piece can reach more than $100 million, and calling for global solutions and deepening international cooperation to confront this challenge.
Regarding “Space Debris Mitigation and Removal,” the session discussed efforts made by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, including developing satellite technologies and their remote sensing feature and making improvements on robots to ensure their future employment in space debris removal.
Session participants explained that the increase in space debris is directly linked to increased risks that may affect important terrestrial services such as the Internet and scientific research, in addition to their impact on the climate and the economy. Speakers called on countries and government to enact binding laws that hold operators responsible and obligate them to find solutions.
Marshall Kaplan, chief operating officer at Launchspace Services, highlighted the latest innovations and developments in the field of effective debris removal technologies that offer solutions to the problem according to many experts in the sector.
Kaplan suggested that the Saudi Space Agency lead a global initiative to launch brainstorming meetings with the world’s leading minds and innovative entrepreneurs to find new technologies to deal with the problem of space debris, given the Kingdom’s leadership in this important file.”
Kevin O’Connell, founder and CEO of Space Economy Rising, praised the Kingdom for taking the lead in seeking to unify global efforts to address the issue of space debris.
O’Connell said that international agreements, such as the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, seek to restrict the militarization of space and maximize its peaceful uses.
“We are now witnessing a great deal of investment activity around the world with the flourishing of the space sector, robotics and space technologies for the peaceful use of outer space,” he added.
On the opening day, the conference began its first session with a panel discussion titled “Beyond Borders, Beyond Debris: Space Agencies Unite for a Sustainable Space Future.”
The second panel, hosted by the UNOOSA and titled “Translating Policy into Progress,” shed light on the roles the office seeks to undertake, including the development of new technologies to contribute to mitigating the issue of space debris. Participants noted that space is equally accessible to all, making cooperation imperative for the benefit of all humanity.
The third panel discussion, titled “Role of Licensing Bodies,” explored the Kingdom’s role as a key player in addressing the challenge of space debris.
 

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