#Saudi Arabia

Biggest Saudi IPO since Aramco draws strong investor interest

The $1.2bn IPO by ACWA Power International had initial demand amounting to several billion dollars

Saudi’s Unifonic closes $125m Series B round to drive expansion

This funding marks SoftBank’s first direct investment in a Saudi-based company

Saudi Arabia Airport

Saudi updates rules for airline passengers arriving from non red-list countries

Those who are not vaccinated or have received only one dose will need to undergo institutional quarantine for five days

Saudi Arabia

Dentsu expands Merkle MENA with its launch into Saudi Arabia

Merkle aims to tap into the fertile digital transformation landscape in the kingdom, while also being in a position to better serve its existing clients across the Middle East

UAE’s Air Arabia to resume flights to Saudi Arabia

All passengers traveling to the kingdom are required to download the Tawakkalna mobile app

Saudi Arabia visas

Saudi extends visa validity for stranded expats until November 30

The country will also extend the validity of visit as well as exit and re-entry visas at no extra fee

Dubai’s Emirates to resume services to Saudi Arabia, St Petersburg

The carrier has resumed passenger services to over 120 destinations

Saudi Aramco

Saudi Aramco and Aveva to partner to drive sustainability through digitalisation

Partnership would leverage digital transformation to support Saudi Arabia’s energy transition and expand its knowledge economy

Saudi King terminates country’s Public Security director on corruption charges

He is also accused of committing a number of crimes, including forgery, bribery and abuse of influence

Saudi Arabia Travel ban

Saudi Arabia lifts travel ban on UAE, Argentina and South Africa

The travel ban will be lifted at 11am on Wednesday, September 8

HPE and Alpha Data: Accelerating digital transformation

Saudi Arabia’s AlMalki Group digitally transforms luxury retail experiences for GCC customers

Salesforce solutions to provide personalised, omnichannel customer shopping journeys

Two children injured and 14 houses damaged in Saudi’s Dammam in latest Houthi attacks

The kingdom’s defence forces intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles and three bomb-laden drones on Saturday

Saudi Arabia’s Edarat Group adopts IBM cloud satellite to accelerate digital transformation

IBM cloud Satellite will help enable Edarat Group to deliver secure cloud capabilities to its customers while addressing data protection local requirements

Saudi forces intercept drone attack targeting Abha international airport

Shrapnel was scattered in the vicinity of the airport, but there were no reports of injuries or damage

Cisco has collaborated with the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), to develop the digital skills of 8,000 trainers in the fields of cybersecurity and programming via the Cisco Networking Academy (NetAcad). The Cisco NetAcad programme in Saudi Arabia has one of the highest female student participation rates in the world, at 32 per cent, a figure Cisco wants to keep expanding. Of the 8,000 participants being trained via Cisco and SAFCSP’s new initiative, through a combination of online and on-site courses, the duo will be training and upskilling more than 1,000 women. As part of the skills building agenda, Cisco will develop the competencies of SAFCSP’s trainers, looking to gain further expertise in digitisation and cybersecurity essentials, including Cisco DevNet and Python qualifications. The collaborative partnership will see Cisco and SAFCSP leverage their upskilling initiatives to enhance the digital capabilities of Tuwaiq Academy, Saudi Arabia's first advanced technology academy, and CyberHub, a platform for Saudi-based students interested in gaining cybersecurity skills, following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in 2018 to develop cybersecurity and programming skills. SAFCSP established Tuwaiq Academy and CyberHub under the auspices of the Saudi Olympic Committee, which strives to build local professional capabilities in digital transformation – specifically in the fields of cybersecurity and programming. The programme is built on the pillars of inspiration, empowerment, and long-term sustainability, with the objective of having one programmer for every 100 Saudis by 2030. Commenting on the partnership, Salman Abdulghani Faqeeh, managing director, Saudi Arabia at Cisco said, “With a tech-savvy population and the national agenda putting investments in infrastructure and talent development at the forefront, Saudi Arabia is ensuring that digital transformation and upskilling remains a vital contributor towards the growth and success of several industries.”

Cisco partners with the Saudi cybersecurity institution to enhance digital skills in the kingdom

Cisco’s networking academy will now upskill 8,000 SAFCSP trainers, accelerating Saudi Arabia’s digitisation agenda

Dubai’s Emirates announces changes in leadership roles across GCC, Africa, other regions

All of the new appointments are effective September 1, 2021

Saudi announces $1.2bn tech initiatives, including all-new LEAP and @Hack events

The country aims to improve the digital skills of 100,000 Saudi youngsters by 2030, with a focus on cybersecurity, programming, AI and gaming

LG telemedicine

LG’s video conferencing platform delivers real-time cloud-based telemedicine solution

The platform is designed to meet the growing demand of the healthcare sector for effective tools for non-face-to-face diagnosis and medical consultation

Saudi Arabia airport

Saudi permits fully vaccinated expats to return from countries facing travel ban including UAE, India

Only expats who received two doses of the vaccine in Saudi Arabia before they departed for their home country will be permitted to return

Nexans opens office in Saudi Arabia to provide local on-ground support

In addition to Nexans hub in Dubai, this move increases its presence in the Middle East

Video: Massive fire on Makkah-Jeddah highway after tanker accident

The blaze did not cause any injuries and was brought under control on Tuesday morning

Saudi forces intercept armed drone from Yemen targeting civilians in Khamis Mushait

The incident took place on Sunday

Saudi approves Moderna vaccine for 12-17 age group

Saudi’s education ministry has said that students over the age of 12 will require to be vaccinated to be admitted back to school

Saudi says students who are not vaccinated will be considered absent

Students above the age of 12 will require to be vaccinated with both shots to return to schools

Saudi wealth fund buys a stake in Italian supercar maker Pagani

The Pagani family will keep full control of the company

Dubai’s Invygo raises $1.9m in pre-series A funding round

Invygo will build new partnerships with dealers and car rental companies, while also expanding its engineering talent

Saudi Arabia’s Sirar by STC blocks 14m catfishing emails during 2020

The kingdom ranks 37th among the countries most targeted by cyber-attacks

Saudi’s Mabaat secures SAR9m in seed funding round

Funds will be used to market and enhance the platform

Saudi Arabia to extend residency permits for expats stranded outside the kingdom

It will be extended automatically and at no additional cost

Ntechlab

NtechLab expands into GCC with its face recognition tool

The company has announced the opening of its Gulf representative office in Abu Dhabi