Al-Nassr Club Company Redefines Fan Engagement with Hewlett Packard Enterprise - Middle East Business News and Information
Being at the forefront of Saudi Arabia's footballing ambitions, Al-Nassr Club Company, one of the leading football clubs in the Kingdom, is working with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to transform its stadium, training, medical, media, and fan facilities – and thereby the way fans engage with football. Key to this experience is a comprehensive end-to-end solution, built on HPE Aruba Networking, that establishes a coherent, performance-focused and secure network infrastructure.
Throughout the past few years, Al-Nassr has become the most-followed team by football fans outside Saudi Arabia. Aware that not everyone who watches an Al-Nassr match will be able to travel to Saudi Arabia to attend games, and that more than 60 million fans follow their games, Al-Nassr wants to redefine the fan experience with more content, more behind-the-scenes footage, and greater access to star players. To drive digital content, Al-Nassr is creating a digital sports campus, creating a wireless-first environment engaging both fans within and outside the stadium.
'We always have a minimum of 300–400 people connecting to the network on quiet days, however the number jumps to more than 10,000 on match days,' said Faisal Khan, director of IT at Al-Nassr. 'Simultaneously, we are filming throughout the week, across all parts of the organization. The fan engagement and content we provide goes beyond the match-day experience and with HPE Aruba Networking we are now able to scale and allocate different bandwidth, manage access rights for different user groups, and troubleshoot connectivity issues easily, all from the office.'
The solution deployed at the sports campus combines the capabilities of HPE Aruba Networking Central, HPE Aruba Networking CX switches, HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-WAN, and HPE Aruba Networking Wi-Fi 7 wireless access points. This allows the club's IT team to closely manage the various fan engagement points, keep sensitive biometric data of players secure, and quickly provide connectivity to new parts of the campus.
The club manages connectivity for 20 buildings, including warehousing and retail outlets, with more stores and branch offices expected as the club expands its operations. By using HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-WAN, the club can use multiple connections to provide high availability and resilience, even in times of high use. This increases performance by link-binding and maximizing the use of available bandwidth, making it particularly valuable to the football club for critical applications, such as video live streaming matches.
'As Al-Nassr continues to realise and enhance its vision for fan engagement and data commercialization, it needs a robust and performance-focused networking infrastructure', said Jamil Ahmad, Country Business lead for Saudi Arabia at HPE Aruba Networking. 'By building a smart sports campus upon HPE Aruba Networking, Al-Nassr has unified and streamlined its networking operations, maximizing opportunities for content generation and simplifying the deployment of game-changing IoT. This includes the club's media streaming capabilities, that allow fans to not only watch video streams of games and player interviews from different parts of the world but also stream exclusive content on their smartphone within the stadium – creating a one-of-a-kind experience.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Egypt Independent
3 hours ago
- Egypt Independent
Photos: A blaze at Cairo telecommunications building causes service disruptions
A fire at the Ramses switchboard of the Telecom Egypt company in downtown Cairo has impacted mobile telecommunication and internet services in the surrounding areas, Sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm. Damages to the telecommunications building are currently being assessed. Preliminary inspections indicate the fire originated on the seventh floor in the administrative offices, though the cause remains unknown, according to the sources. 'Besides phone calls, some digital banking services were also impacted including credit cards, ATM machines and online transactions,' Reuters reported. Civil defense dispatched several fire trucks to control the fire and prevent it from spreading to adjacent buildings. Officials confirmed that necessary measures are being taken to quickly restore mobile communication and internet services. Electricity was cut off in the immediate vicinity as a precautionary measure. Ambulances were on standby, and police regulated traffic and kept citizens away from the scene to facilitate firefighting efforts.
Daily News Egypt
9 hours ago
- Daily News Egypt
Egypt urges auto manufacturers to boost local value-added under revised industry programme
Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamel Al-Wazir, held on Monday an extensive meeting with automotive manufacturers operating in Egypt to review recent amendments to the National Automotive Industry Development Programme (AIDP). Attending the meeting were the Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, senior officials from the Ministry of Finance—including the Deputy Minister for Tax Policies—the heads of the Egyptian Tax and Customs Authorities, and members of the programme's technical committee, alongside representatives from the Ministries of Industry, Investment, Foreign Trade, and Finance. Opening the meeting, Al-Wazir stressed that the updated programme is designed to provide meaningful incentives to manufacturers and ensure long-term sustainability by adopting a practical and realistic approach. He emphasised the need to enhance local manufacturing to scale up production and fully utilise existing industrial capacities and resources. The amendments were approved by the Ministerial Group for Industrial Development and the Supreme Council for the Automotive Industry, chaired by the Prime Minister, and were subsequently ratified by the Cabinet. Al-Wazir affirmed the state's readiness to support automakers in developing this strategic sector for mutual benefit. He also announced the conclusion of the transitional period on 30 June and instructed the Ministry of Finance to start disbursing entitlements to companies registered under the programme. The revised AIDP officially took effect on 1 July. The meeting reviewed the criteria for joining the updated incentive scheme, including increasing local value-added, expanding production volumes, attracting new investments, meeting environmental standards, and supporting development in priority regions. To qualify, manufacturers must produce at least 10,000 fossil-fuel vehicles annually, with a minimum of 5,000 units per model and local content starting at 20%, subject to biennial review. For electric vehicles, initial production must be at least 1,000 units, increasing to 7,000 by the end of the programme, with a starting local content of 10%, reviewed annually. Electric vehicles will receive 50% of the incentives linked to value-added and production volume and full incentives for new investment and environmental compliance. The maximum eligible car price is EGP 1.25m, with an engine size limit of 1600cc. Incentives are capped at 30% of the ex-factory price, up to EGP 150,000 per vehicle. Gas-powered vehicles must receive environmental compliance certification from an entity affiliated with the Ministry of Petroleum. To count as local content, at least 25% of the value must derive from genuine manufacturing or locally sourced components—not mere assembly. Both production and local content targets will rise over the programme's seven-year span. Incentives will be partially reduced if targets are missed, while manufacturers exceeding 35% local content will receive an additional EGP 5,000 for every 1% increase, beyond the capped amount. In priority development zones, companies producing over 100,000 fossil-fuel vehicles or 10,000 electric vehicles will be eligible for land cost reimbursement. These benefits complement existing customs and tax incentives granted under multiple legislations, including those governing customs duties, special economic zones, SMEs, VAT, property tax, and investment. Exporting companies may also benefit, as incentives are calculated based on total production, regardless of market destination. Additional bonuses will be awarded to firms that exceed programme targets. The new incentive calculation methodology, including examples, was explained during the meeting. Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El-Khatib reiterated that the revised programme aims to establish a genuine automotive manufacturing base in Egypt. He pointed to the country's competitive advantages and said the amendments reflect the government's ambition to scale up both vehicle and component production. The Deputy Minister of Finance clarified that the incentives would be applied through a tax and customs offset mechanism, allowing manufacturers to use earned entitlements to settle dues, thereby streamlining the process. Some component producers called for strengthening the local supply chain—particularly for steel and panel materials used in car bodies—to reduce reliance on imports. In response, Al-Wazir directed that all producers of these materials be invited free of charge to a reverse exhibition to be held alongside the upcoming Industry and Transport Exhibition, which will link automakers with raw material suppliers to spur the growth of Egypt's automotive and electric vehicle sectors. Several vehicle manufacturers raised concerns about the need to ensure fair competition between locally assembled electric vehicles—which face import duties on components—and fully built electric vehicles that enter tariff-free. They also called for a reassessment of customs duties on production inputs. It was confirmed that these matters will be studied by the Ministries of Investment, Foreign Trade, and Finance to support local industry, particularly electric vehicle manufacturers.
See - Sada Elbalad
10 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
US Removes ‘Al-Nusra Front' from Terror List
Israa Farhan The United States has officially removed the al-Nusra Front, also known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), from its list of designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations, signaling a significant change in its approach to Syria policy. The decision comes as Washington continues easing sanctions on Damascus following years of diplomatic and economic isolation. A US State Department memorandum dated June 23 and signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the move, which follows consultations with the Department of Justice and the Treasury. The policy update is scheduled for formal publication in the Federal Register. This development follows a recent executive order signed by former President Donald Trump, which ended the US sanctions program targeting Syria. The shift aims to reintegrate Syria into the global financial system and support reconstruction efforts after more than a decade of civil war. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, previously known as the al-Nusra Front, had long been associated with al-Qaeda before severing ties and rebranding. Under the leadership of Ahmed al-Shara, now president of Syria, HTS repositioned itself as a major opposition force and participated in a coalition-led offensive that resulted in the removal of former President Bashar al-Assad. Since distancing itself from global jihadist networks, HTS has expressed goals aligned with national reform, including the establishment of a more inclusive political order in Syria. Despite its controversial history, the group has played a central role in shaping the country's new political landscape. The delisting is part of a broader recalibration of US policy in the Middle East. It follows a high-level meeting between President Trump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara in Riyadh in May, where the decision to lift sanctions was first announced. US officials believe that ending Syria's isolation and supporting pragmatic actors could create new avenues for stability and growth in the region. The delisting of HTS is expected to facilitate international dialogue, support humanitarian relief, and encourage further reconciliation in post-conflict Syria. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean
