Latest news with #AbdullahAsiri


Saudi Gazette
14 hours ago
- Health
- Saudi Gazette
Health official warns against unsupervised use of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Saudi Deputy Minister of Health for Population Health, Dr. Abdullah Asiri, has issued a public warning against the unsupervised use of anti-obesity medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, emphasizing the serious health risks associated with misuse. In a post on his official X account, Dr. Asiri cautioned that reckless reliance on these drugs or drastic dietary changes — such as extreme calorie restriction or rigid vegan diets — can result in nutritional imbalances that negatively affect overall health. He noted that dietary supplements are generally unnecessary when one follows a well-balanced and complete diet. He also advised the public to avoid foods high in fat and irritating spices, and to incorporate regular physical activity, such as walking and exercise, into their daily routines to maintain a healthy lifestyle without resorting to quick fixes or risky solutions. His remarks come amid growing concern from medical professionals about the increasing popularity of weight-loss drugs being used without prescriptions, raising red flags over long-term safety and potential side effects.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
AI-powered CXM platform Lucidya raises $30m
Lucidya, a software as a service (SaaS) provider specialising in AI-driven customer experience management (CXM), has completed a $30m Series B funding round. According to the company, this is the largest AI investment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to date. The funding round was led by Saudi venture capital firm Impact46. Aramco's investment arm Wa'ed Ventures, Takamol Ventures, and SparkLabs joined as new investors, while previous backers Rua Growth Fund and ARG also participated. Lucidya was established in 2016 and has been supported by venture capital since 2019. It currently operates in 11 countries, serving industries such as telecommunications, BFSI, hospitality, healthcare, and the public sector. The platform's core feature is an Arabic-language AI engine boasting more than 92% accuracy, providing insights and automating customer interactions. Lucidya aims to capture a portion of the MENA CRM/CX software market, which is projected to reach $9bn by 2030. Lucidya founder and CEO Abdullah Asiri said: 'We bet on AI back in 2016, long before it became a boardroom buzzword. That early conviction is now paying off as we become the trusted, regional AI partner for CX. 'We chose Impact46 to lead this round because they are one of the most proven VCs, with two IPOs in their portfolio. They are the perfect partner to scale Lucidya to a global AI force.' The company plans to use the new investment to expand its AI Agent offering, focusing on automating and personalising customer interactions in support, marketing, sales, and CX, while ensuring compliance with regulations such as PDPL. Impact46 partner Basmah Alsinaidi commented, 'Lucidya is exactly the kind of company we look to back—founders solving real regional challenges with defensible tech and bold ambition. Their mastery of Arabic-first AI and traction with top-tier enterprises mark them as a future category leader.' "AI-powered CXM platform Lucidya raises $30m" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
AI-powered CXM platform Lucidya raises $30m
Lucidya, a software as a service (SaaS) provider specialising in AI-driven customer experience management (CXM), has completed a $30m Series B funding round. According to the company, this is the largest AI investment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to date. The funding round was led by Saudi venture capital firm Impact46. Aramco's investment arm Wa'ed Ventures, Takamol Ventures, and SparkLabs joined as new investors, while previous backers Rua Growth Fund and ARG also participated. Lucidya was established in 2016 and has been supported by venture capital since 2019. It currently operates in 11 countries, serving industries such as telecommunications, BFSI, hospitality, healthcare, and the public sector. The platform's core feature is an Arabic-language AI engine boasting more than 92% accuracy, providing insights and automating customer interactions. Lucidya aims to capture a portion of the MENA CRM/CX software market, which is projected to reach $9bn by 2030. Lucidya founder and CEO Abdullah Asiri said: 'We bet on AI back in 2016, long before it became a boardroom buzzword. That early conviction is now paying off as we become the trusted, regional AI partner for CX. 'We chose Impact46 to lead this round because they are one of the most proven VCs, with two IPOs in their portfolio. They are the perfect partner to scale Lucidya to a global AI force.' The company plans to use the new investment to expand its AI Agent offering, focusing on automating and personalising customer interactions in support, marketing, sales, and CX, while ensuring compliance with regulations such as PDPL. Impact46 partner Basmah Alsinaidi commented, 'Lucidya is exactly the kind of company we look to back—founders solving real regional challenges with defensible tech and bold ambition. Their mastery of Arabic-first AI and traction with top-tier enterprises mark them as a future category leader.' "AI-powered CXM platform Lucidya raises $30m" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio


Wamda
2 days ago
- Business
- Wamda
Lucidya secures $30 million in Series B, setting a MENA AI funding record
Saudi Arabia-based SaaS platform Lucidya has raised $30 million in a Series B round. The round was led by Impact46, with participation from Wa'ed Ventures (Aramco), Takamol Ventures, SparkLabs, Rua Growth Fund, and ARG. Founded in 2016 by Abdullah Asiri, Lucidya serves clients across 11 MENA countries spanning telecom, BFSI, healthcare, hospitality, and the public sector—covering over 75 million users. Its Arabic-native AI engine delivers >92% accuracy, enabling smarter CX automation, sentiment analysis, and omnichannel engagement. The investment will accelerate the development of Lucidya's AI Agent platform, automating customer-facing roles in sales, support, and marketing. In 2022, Lucidya raised a funding round at $6 million, led by Rua Growth Fund with participation from M.A.L Ventures and AlRashed Group, along with other investors. Press release: Lucidya, MENA's leading AI-Powered customer experience management (CXM) platform, has announced the close of its $30 million Series B round—the largest AI investment ever raised in the region. The round was led by Impact46, the Saudi VC behind IPOs Jahez and Rasan. New participants included Aramco's investment arm Wa'ed Ventures, government-backed, digital-innovation catalyst Takamol Ventures, and SparkLabs. Existing investors Rua Growth Fund and ARG also returned, doubling down on their long-term conviction in Lucidya's trajectory. Congratulations were delivered by H.E. Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, during his visit to Lucidya's Riyadh headquarters. Founded in 2016 and backed by VCs since 2019, Lucidya is one of MENA's AI pioneers. Operating in 11 countries, it serves telecom, BFSI, hospitality, healthcare, and public sector clients with a combined market cap over USD250 billion—enhancing experiences for their 75 million+ customers and citizens across the region. Abdullah Asiri, Lucidya's CEO and Founder, commented on the round, explaining, 'We bet on AI back in 2016, long before it became a boardroom buzzword. That early conviction is now paying off as we become the trusted, regional AI partner for CX.' At the core of Lucidya's platform is a proprietary Arabic-language AI engine with +92% accuracy—an industry benchmark that powers deep insights, intelligent engagement, and automation across customer touchpoints where others fall short. Lucidya is targeting MENA's rapidly growing CRM/CX software market, projected to reach $9 billion by 2030. Commenting on the milestone, Asiri shared, 'We chose Impact46 to lead this round because they are one of the most proven VCs, with two IPOs in their portfolio. They are the perfect partner to scale Lucidya to a global AI force.' 'Lucidya is exactly the kind of company we look to back—founders solving real regional challenges with defensible tech and bold ambition,' said Impact46 Partner, Basmah Alsinaidi. 'Their mastery of Arabic-first AI and traction with top-tier enterprises mark them as a future category leader.' With this investment, Lucidya will scale its AI Agent offering, positioning itself as a digital workforce platform for customer-facing roles; automating and personalising engagement across support, marketing, sales, and CX while cutting costs and ensuring compliance like PDPL. Asiri highlighted the expansion's impact: 'By expanding into AI Agents, we're tapping into the region's labour economy, turning workforce costs into scalable, compliant AI capacity.'


Observer
04-06-2025
- General
- Observer
Saudi readies for 'worst case scenario' in sweltering haj
MINA: Near a sprawling tent city outside Mecca, Saudi hospital staff are preparing for a flood of heat-related cases as Muslim pilgrims begin haj this week in sweltering summer temperatures. The Mina Emergency Hospital is one of 15 such facilities operating just a few weeks a year around the annual pilgrimage to Islam's holiest sites, which in 2024 saw more than 1,300 people die in the desert heat. Saudi authorities hope to head off a fatal repeat of last year's pilgrimage, when temperatures reached 51.8 degrees Celsius. Temperatures this year are forecast to exceed 40 degrees Celsius as one of the world's largest annual religious gatherings, bringing together devotees from around the globe, officially commences on Wednesday. So far, authorities have recorded 44 cases of heat exhaustion. Abdullah Asiri, Saudi Arabia's deputy minister for population health, said that at the Mina hospital that "the focus is on heat-related conditions because the haj coincides with extreme heat". Brimming with staff but no patients just yet, the hospital is part of the kingdom's efforts to prepare for "the worst case scenario" after pilgrims descend on Mina, Asiri said. Defying the scorching heat, pilgrims have already started to flock to Mecca. As of Sunday, more than 1.4 million pilgrims had arrived in Saudi Arabia for the multi-day pilgrimage, according to officials. Mecca's Grand Mosque is serviced by the largest cooling system in the world, according to Saudi state television, with enormous fans and cooled pavements dotting the massive complex. But outside, hiding from the heat can prove challenging. Some pilgrims wear caps or carry umbrellas, but others walk on foot without any protection from the sun, like Palestinian Rabah Mansour, 70, who said that after a lifetime of working outside as a farmer, "heat doesn't bother me". "I have been working in the fields since I was a child," he said, as sweat trickled down his face. While many pilgrims may be overcome with religious fervour, Asiri warned devotees against unnecessarily exposing themselves to harsh conditions. Badr Shreiteh, another Palestinian pilgrim, said that he believed such hardships on the haj trail would increase the blessings he reaps. "As you can see, we're dripping with sweat," he said, adding: "The more hardship we endure, the more reward we gain." According to Asiri, of the health ministry, a total of 50,000 healthcare workers and administrative staff have been mobilised for the haj, far exceeding previous years' numbers. More than 700 hospital beds are ready, equipped with fans to treat severe cases of heat illnesses. "Capacity this year has been expanded by more than 60 percent compared to last year," Asiri said, expecting greater numbers of patients. "That's why we are doing all of these measures," he said. Last year, medical staff treated 2,764 pilgrims for heat exhaustion and other heat-related conditions, according to the health ministry. To prevent people from needing hospitalisation in the first place, 71 emergency medical points have been set up around Mecca's holy sites with a focus on "treating patients on the ground before their case deteriorates", said Asiri. On the second day of haj, pilgrims will head to Mount Arafat, climbing it and reciting prayers for the whole day. Asiri said pilgrims can stay in the shade. "Most of the heat-related illnesses that happen in Arafat is because people think that they must be under the sun," he said. "You don't have to be outside your tent during Arafat. You don't have to climb the mountain," he added, citing no religious obligation to do so, "and it's very risky from a health point of view". Haj Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah said earlier that thousands of misting fans and more than 400 water cooling units have been deployed. Authorities built cooled walkways, including a newly completed four-kilometre pathway leading to Arafat. — AFP