International Media Delegations Visit Hajj Command and Control Center in Holy Sites
The visit provided them with an in-depth look at the integrated security and technical efforts dedicated to managing the Hajj season.
They were received by Director General of Public Security and Chairman of the Hajj Security Committee Lt. Gen. Mohammed Al-Bassami.
During their visit, the delegations were briefed on the coordination mechanisms that operate under a unified operational umbrella, bringing together various security and technical agencies.
This robust system is supported by the latest monitoring, analysis, and live surveillance technologies, all of which significantly enhance the national system's readiness to serve pilgrims.
The media representatives also learned about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in supporting efficient crowd management and the proactive dispatch of pilgrims.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Argaam
6 hours ago
- Argaam
SAMA expects new payment interface to support entry of e-stores
The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) expects the newly launched payment interface to facilitate the entry of new e-commerce stores, particularly local businesses that have previously faced technical and regulatory challenges. The initiative is part of efforts to unify integration standards with the Mada system, with the goal of enhancing the competitiveness of the Saudi market and expanding the base of payment service providers. According to Al Eqtisadiah newspaper, SAMA stated that the interface targets five key beneficiary groups: payment gateways, technical payment service providers, hosting banks and financial institutions, relevant government and private entities within the e-commerce ecosystem, and individual consumers—who will benefit from a more seamless and secure payment experience. The central bank explained that the interface will allow banks and financial institutions, in their role as hosting entities, to establish direct financing relationships with e-commerce merchants. This will enable financing based on actual sales generated through e-payments, allowing financial institutions to provide funding solutions backed by merchants' transaction data. According to data available with Argaam, SAMA launched the new e-payment interface earlier this month as part of a strategic initiative to improve payment system efficiency and accelerate the Kingdom's digital transformation in line with the rapid growth of the e-commerce sector.
Arab News
17 hours ago
- Arab News
Startup Wrap: Saudi Arabia leads MENA startup funding in H1 with $1.34 billion raised
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia emerged as the Middle East and North Africa's top-funded startup market in the first half of 2025, securing approximately 64 percent of the region's total capital. Investments in the Kingdom surged to $1.34 billion, representing a 342 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to a report by Wamda and Digital Digest. This performance, supported by sovereign wealth backing, targeted government incentives, and strong domestic venture activity, solidified Saudi Arabia's dominance amid a broader regional funding rebound. The Kingdom's fintech sector accounted for the bulk of capital, raising $969 million across 20 transactions. Construction tech and property tech followed with $48 million and $39 million, respectively. Activity was led by local firms such as STV, Wa'ed Ventures, and Raed Ventures, with international participation also emerging — most notably JPMorgan's involvement in a debt round raised by Saudi fintech Lendo. Across the broader region, MENA startups raised $2.1 billion through 334 deals in the first half of 2025, up 134 percent from the same period in 2024. Debt financing played a critical role in this growth, contributing $930 million — about 44 percent of the total. Excluding debt, the year-on-year growth stood at 53 percent, indicating improved but more tempered equity market conditions. The second quarter closed with $583.4 million invested across 149 deals, outperforming the same period of 2024 despite a slower June. Fintech remained the region's top-funded sector, securing $170 million in the second quarter, followed by property tech with $77 million and travel tech with $40 million. The UAE recorded $541 million in investments across 114 deals in the first half, reflecting an 18 percent increase over the previous year. Fintech led with $265.8 million, followed by insurance tech with $55 million, and Web3 and AI with $44.7 million each. Debt made up 19 percent of total UAE deal volume, suggesting a comparatively robust equity environment. Eight female-led startups in the UAE raised $17.6 million, while mixed-gender teams attracted $91.7 million. In Egypt, startup funding climbed 106 percent to reach $179 million across 52 deals, despite sustained macroeconomic pressure and rising external debt. Property tech led with $75 million, followed by fintech with $85.3 million and e-commerce with $24.8 million. Female-founded startups raised $425,000, while mixed-gender teams secured $23 million. Mid-stage investments dominated by capital volume, with $161 million allocated across 10 Series A rounds in the second quarter. However, early-stage startups — defined as pre-seed to Series A — continued to account for the majority of transactions, capturing $568 million in the first half. Later-stage companies secured $431.7 million. Fintech sustained its leadership across MENA in the first half, attracting 62 percent of total capital through 77 deals. Venture studios ranked second, driven by a major investment in iMena Group, while property tech came third with $119 million raised across 16 startups. Business-to-business models accounted for 70 percent of total first half funding, securing $1.5 billion across 197 transactions. Business-to-consumer and hybrid models attracted the remainder. Despite record-breaking funding levels, gender disparities persisted. Startups led solely by men received nearly 89 percent of first half capital. Female-founded ventures raised $84.5 million across 27 deals, while mixed-gender teams garnered $150 million through 48 deals. ZabonEx raises $100k to optimize food supply chains in Oman Oman-based predictive analytics startup ZabonEx has raised $100,000 in pre-seed funding, led by Future Fund Oman and ITHCA Group. Founded in 2023 by Hatim Moosa and Almuhannad Al-Balushi, ZabonEx offers a B2B Software-as-a-Service platform that delivers real-time, customer-level demand forecasting for the food and beverage sector. The funding will support enhancements to ZabonEx's predictive engine, the expansion of its tech team, and the development of strategic partnerships within Oman's food supply chain. The startup is also building onboarding tools tailored to the local market as it prepares for regional expansion. Qlub raises $30m to drive international growth UAE-based fintech Qlub has raised $30 million in a new funding round to support its global expansion efforts. The round was co-led by Shorooq Partners and Cherry Ventures, with participation from e&, Mubadala Investments, and Legend Capital. Qlub, founded in 2021 by Eyad Al-Kassar and Mahmoud Fouz, offers a contactless dining payment platform allowing diners to view menus, order, and pay via smartphone. The new funds will be used to expand into additional markets, enhance analytics capabilities, and improve integration with hospitality systems. According to the company, clients have reported 300 percent more tips, 80 percent faster checkouts, and substantial labor cost savings. Lime launches in Egypt to address education finance needs Lime Consumer Finance, a subsidiary of First Abu Dhabi Bank Group, has launched operations in Egypt with a focus on education financing. Licensed by the Financial Regulatory Authority, Lime aims to provide accessible and transparent financial solutions for Egyptian families. The platform supports payments across a network of nurseries, schools, and universities and offers installment plans of up to 12 months for amounts up to 1 million Egyptian pounds. With over 30 percent of Egypt's population under 15, the company positions education as a strategic entry point for broader financial services. Flend secures $3m to bridge SME funding gap in Egypt Egyptian fintech Flend has raised $3 million in seed funding through a mix of equity and debt. The equity round was led by Egypt Ventures, with participation from Camel Ventures, Sukna Ventures, Plus VC, Banque Misr, and prominent family offices. Debt financing was provided by MSMEDA and local banks. Founded by Ahmed Zaki, Nehal Helmy, and Saif Edeen El-Bendari, Flend provides fully digital short-term working capital loans to SMEs, with direct integration into over 20 supply chain platforms. The company plans to deploy 1 billion Egyptian pounds in loans over the next year while expanding its team, partnerships, and technical infrastructure. Journify doubles valuation following strategic investment UAE-based Journify has secured new strategic investment from Shorooq Partners, Bunat Ventures, and Plug and Play, doubling its valuation and achieving fivefold revenue growth within six months. The startup was founded in 2023 by Taoufik El-Jamali, Amine Chouki, and Omar Al-Shoubaki. Journify provides an AI-powered data activation platform that helps Gulf Cooperation Council brands leverage first-party data across major ad platforms. The company plans to use the funding to advance its AI roadmap, scale hiring across key departments, and expand further into the GCC market. SafaQat secures investment to advance AI-driven procurement in Oman Oman-based digital procurement platform SafaQat has received funding from the Oman Future Fund and Idrak Group. Founded in 2020 by four brothers, the startup digitises the tendering process and is supported by the SME Development Authority. SafaQat intends to enhance its AI infrastructure, improve the user experience, and expand into government procurement and new markets with the latest investment.
Arab News
21 hours ago
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia accelerates AI push with HUMAIN at the helm
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia is ramping up its artificial intelligence ambitions with the launch of HUMAIN, a flagship initiative backed by the Public Investment Fund, as part of its broader drive to become a global AI powerhouse. With more than $40 billion earmarked for AI-related investments under Vision 2030, the Kingdom is scaling up infrastructure, forging global tech partnerships, and positioning itself as a hub for advanced AI applications across the Middle East and beyond. 'Artificial intelligence has become a strategic priority for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as it aligns strongly with the country's economic transformation goals and enhances governance,' Youssef Saidi, an economic expert and research fellow at the Economic Research Forum, told Arab News. He added that the Kingdom's AI strategy aims to position the country as a global AI leader by the end of the decade. 'Saudi Arabia is leveraging AI to drive innovation and economic growth across various sectors, including healthcare, finance, and logistics, helping the country's transition into a knowledge-based economy. Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in AI research and development to become a regional leader in this field,' he added. HUMAIN launch Wholly owned by PIF, HUMAIN was launched in May by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to develop advanced Arabic language models and establish Saudi Arabia as a global leader in AI infrastructure and innovation. The initiative is expected to support local innovation, develop intellectual property, and attract top global AI talent and investment. 'HUMAIN is due to offer one of the world's most powerful multimodal Arabic language models, advanced AI tools, and next-generation data centers,' said Saidi. He added: 'HUMAIN is expected to contribute to Saudi Arabia's AI ecosystem by fostering human-centered AI innovation, encouraging the design of AI systems that are ethical, inclusive, transparent, and accountable.' The company aims to enhance human capabilities, improve quality of life, and address real-world challenges relevant to Saudi society. Its focus spans strategic sectors including energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services. Building talent To ensure long-term sustainability of its AI sector, Saudi Arabia is also prioritizing talent development and creating an attractive environment for global expertise. Speaking to Arab News, Yaseen Ghulam, associate professor of economics and director of research at Riyadh-based Al-Yamamah University, said the Kingdom aims to train 20,000 data and AI experts by 2030 through investor-friendly regulations and public-private partnerships. He cited initiatives such as the ATHKA AI Olympiad and Elevate AI training program as key contributors to public education and skills development. 'Microsoft, Huawei, Accenture, Atomcamp, and Oracle are also establishing AI academy programs,' Ghulam added. He added that the Kingdom is gaining global traction as a destination for skilled professionals, noting that it ranks third globally in AI hiring growth, with women leading in skills penetration. 'The country pays AI experts 20 percent more than the world average, along with additional incentives,' said Ghulam. Tech partnerships Saudi Arabia's AI ambitions are being bolstered by collaborations with global tech giants, particularly in semiconductors and advanced computing. 'NVIDIA and AMD, two major players in the graphics processing unit market, are playing a key role in Saudi Arabia's AI infrastructure development,' said Saidi. He noted that NVIDIA is partnering with the Kingdom to build AI factories powered by its Grace Blackwell supercomputers, with a projected capacity of 500 megawatts. 'The partnership between Saudi Arabia and NVIDIA aims to establish hyperscale AI data centers, enabling Saudi Arabia to train and deploy sovereign AI models at scale,' the research fellow added. NVIDIA is also working with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority to train thousands of developers in accelerated computing and AI. Saidi highlighted the key role of global tech giants like California-based semiconductor firm Advanced Micro Devices in supporting Saudi Arabia's AI ecosystem and driving its digital transformation agenda. 'AMD is investing up to $10 billion to deploy 500 megawatts of AI compute capacity over the next five years and collaborating with Saudi organizations to develop AI enterprise platforms, supporting digital transformation across industries,' he said, adding that the NVIDIA and AMD investments will have a great benefit in developing human capital and shaping the future of AI-driven activities in Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Strategic edge Ghulam pointed to several factors that position the Kingdom as a strong global AI contender, including its recognition as the world leader in government strategy in the sector in the 2024 Global AI Index. 'The country has a significant advantage in hosting data centers and training AI models due to its strategic location, financial might, excess energy, expanding private sector, and digitization push,' he said. The Kingdom is home to over 240 AI-focused businesses and has seen a fivefold increase in its AI patent portfolio since 2019. Heavy investment in digital infrastructure is also enhancing global connectivity and AI dataset capabilities. Ghulam added that Saudi Arabia has one of the strongest AI-related physical infrastructure footprints in the region, with 10 supercomputers and the highest number of colocation data centers in the Middle East. 'The Arabic language AI models that are to be developed by HUMAIN are expected to serve more than 450 million people worldwide who speak Arabic around the world,' said Ghulam. With foundational work well underway, Ghulam said the Kingdom has set an ambitious benchmark for the years ahead. 'Saudi Arabia aims to become one of the top 15 AI prepared countries by 2030, investing heavily in energy, data centers, semiconductors, and connectivity,' he said. He added that the Kingdom's public AI spending commitments — both current and projected — surpass those of the US and China. 'HUMAIN plans to build 1.9 gigawatts of data center capacity by 2030 and collaborate with NVIDIA to ship cutting-edge GPUs to Saudi Arabia,' he concluded.
