SALT New York returns to bring together world’s leading policymakers, investors

SALT is a global thought leadership forum focused on innovation and investing, founded in 2009 by Anthony Scaramucci. (Supplied)
SALT is a global thought leadership forum focused on innovation and investing, founded in 2009 by Anthony Scaramucci. (Supplied)
Short Url
Updated 07 September 2022

SALT New York returns to bring together world’s leading policymakers, investors

SALT is a global thought leadership forum focused on innovation and investing, founded in 2009 by Anthony Scaramucci. (Supplied)
  • This year’s event, which will run from Sept. 12-14, will focus on themes including alternative investments, financial technology, digital assets and more

NEW YORK: Global investors, leading entrepreneurs and influential policymakers are set to meet in Manhattan on Monday for the latest installment of the SALT New York conference, of which Arab News is a media partner.

This year’s event, which will run from Sept. 12-14, will focus on themes including alternative investments, financial technology, digital assets, healthcare, infrastructure, sustainability, environmental, social and governance criteria for companies and more. 

Among the speakers at the conference are UAE’s Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al-Marri and Mohammed Ali Al-Shorafa Al-Hammadi, a member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development. The full list of speakers can be found here.

Panel sessions include “The Future of Bitcoin: Growing the Network Sustainably,” “UAE Rising: Building a New Investment Ecosystem” and “The Democratization of Lending and ESG on the Blockchain,” among others found in the full agenda here.

With over 2,500 investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers and industry leaders set to flock to the Javits Center Expansion, the who’s who of the investment world will discuss the ever-changing global investment market with a focus on fintech.

“After hosting our flagship event for the first time ever in New York last year, we’re happy to be back and can’t wait to host some of the world’s foremost investors, creators and thinkers for discussions across a robust agenda, networking and experiences next week,” John Darsie, managing director of SALT, told Arab News.

Founded in 2009 by SkyBridge, a global alternative investments firm, SALT brings together 2,000 of the world’s foremost investors and thinkers for three days of high-level collaboration and networking. SALT has also hosted major events in Singapore, Tokyo and Abu Dhabi.  

Previous SALT speakers include US President Joe Biden, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Al Gore and UAE Minister of State Ahmed Ali Al-Sayegh.


‘ROAM’ to herald new era of luxury travel in Saudi Arabia

‘ROAM’ to herald new era of luxury travel in Saudi Arabia
Updated 21 March 2023

‘ROAM’ to herald new era of luxury travel in Saudi Arabia

‘ROAM’ to herald new era of luxury travel in Saudi Arabia

Saudi lifestyle company Cool Inc. and UK-based bespoke travel company Pelorus have launched ROAM, a new luxury destination management company in Saudi Arabia. The joint venture is built on an understanding of adventure, curation and awe, constantly striving to be bold in all its endeavors. The launch event, which was held on March 13, celebrated the beginning of ROAM’s journey, marking the start of a new era of luxury travel.

Pelorus is an ultra-luxury global travel company in the UK, providing bespoke travel and yachting experiences that aim to transform our perspective of the world and our impact on the planet. 

Sinan Al-Saady, group CEO of Cool Inc., said: “We are delighted to partner with Pelorus, a key tastemaker in ultra-luxury travel intelligence, to improve the infrastructure of Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry and contribute to Vision 2030. Through our partnership, we give local and international travelers the unprecedented opportunity to discover the hidden gems of Saudi Arabia, making it possible for them to experience the beauty and diversity of our country in a luxurious and comfortable way. ROAM brings together every experience within Cool Inc.’s ecosystem and builds it around all of the consumers’ travel and leisure needs including where to eat, where to stay, how to get there and what to do. Through its product offerings, ROAM has the capability to build temporary infrastructure so local and global travelers can visit and enjoy the best and most unexplored destinations within the Kingdom.”

Cool Inc. and Pelorus have collaborated to develop a unique strategy that incorporates the essence of Saudi culture and leverages each company’s strengths to create innovative and enduring DMC experiences. By combining Pelorus’ expertise in experiential travel with Cool Inc.’s local knowledge and market understanding, ROAM can now offer tailored DMC services specifically designed for the Kingdom. 

Geordie Mackay-Lewis, co-founder and CEO of Pelorus, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Cool Inc. to deliver our bespoke, life-changing travel experiences to local and international tourists in Saudi Arabia. Our team at Pelorus is committed to delivering unprecedented, sustainable DMC experiences that showcase the beauty and diversity of the Kingdom while preserving and protecting its unique environment. Environmental protection is at the heart of our mission, and we are excited to support the development of and take care of Saudi Arabia’s diverse environment through our partnership with Cool Inc. Together, we are determined to set a new standard for luxury travel in Saudi Arabia that is socially responsible and environmentally sustainable.”


Lulu all set for Ramadan with special treats and deals

Lulu all set for Ramadan with special treats and deals
Updated 21 March 2023

Lulu all set for Ramadan with special treats and deals

Lulu all set for Ramadan with special treats and deals

Lulu Hypermarket in Saudi Arabia is all geared up for the holy month with the launch of a number of special deals and products that fulfill the requirements of Ramadan shopping, when shoppers look for value and quality. 

From convenient pre-packed Ramadan kits with all the essentials in one box, ready-to-make foods like samosa, kibbeh, and more in the “Freezer to Fryer” section, the best cuts of meat and fresh fruit and vegetables, cold-pressed and fresh juices, desserts, delicatessen cheeses and cold cuts, to children’s treats and even special diet meals such as vegan, organic and keto, there is something for everybody at LuLu.

In addition, LuLu is offering Ramadan-themed gift cards for packed iftar and sahoor meals, available in denominations of SR15 ($4) and SR150. Shoppers can also pass on the happiness to their loved ones by gifting them the LuLu Gift Card, which comes in values of SR50-SR500.

As Ramadan is also a time when family and friends get together for sharing meals and good times, LuLu is offering attractive deals on home accessories, cleaning equipment, home linen and other goods. Party time also means a new wardrobe and LuLu makes it convenient and stylish with their “Everything Under SR30” deals.

The holy month also calls for lots of charity, which is why LuLu has announced the “Goodness of Giving” campaign in collaboration with the Saudi Food Bank. Deserving families will be served boxes of essential provisions, food baskets and hot meals to be had for iftar when the fast is broken. The economically priced boxes can be bought for SR99 each. Customers can also donate SR15 at the LuLu cash counters toward the scheme and LuLu will collaborate with the Saudi Food Bank to distribute iftar boxes to the needy and to charity groups who organize iftar distribution drives for the underprivileged.

Moreover, in association with Manafith Saudia and other charities, Lulu will distribute Zakat Al-Fitr to the deserving people before Eid Al-Fitr begins. Kids will enjoy special treats for Gergean, a Ramadan festival where children usually dress in traditional clothes and go around the neighborhood in groups holding small bags to collect sweets, toys and gifts. 

“We at LuLu know that the holy month of Ramadan is so important for our shoppers and we want them to get the best of everything at the best prices,” said Shehim Mohammed, director, LuLu Hypermarket, Saudi Arabia. “We wish all our shoppers ‘Ramadan Mubarak,’” he added.


stc digitally powers F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023

stc digitally powers F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023
Updated 20 March 2023

stc digitally powers F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023

stc digitally powers F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023

Leading digital champion stc Group provided the digital infrastructure for the 2023 edition of the stc Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, marking the group’s third consecutive year of partnering with Formula 1.

The partnership is in line with stc’s commitment to enriching people’s lives through providing world-class technology, demonstrated by its support of this globally renowned event.

Following the success of the 2022 edition, the group operated under an expanded scope for the event, delivering modern digital capabilities and the best 5G network speed, data capacity and 100 percent coverage. 

This ensured high-speed connectivity for contestants and attendees alike, whilst supporting seamless, real-time data exchange between the drivers and their engineering teams at exceptional speed and low latency rates.

Additionally, the stc network and its advanced technologies enabled the sensors and electric components of F1 cars to transmit data between one another through an integrated network. stc was also able to encode this data and send it to the teams over wireless frequency.

In celebration of the 2023 edition, the group released a special edition of the Formula 1 stc Saudi Arabian Grand Prix theme tune played by the Saudi Orchestra. The performance aims to highlight the Kingdom’s rich culture and local talents, inspiring national pride while uniting motorsports fans locally, regionally and internationally.

The race, considered to be one of the biggest global sporting events in motor racing, took place at Jeddah Corniche Circuit from March 17-19.


MIPIM 2023: ROSHN highlights green community revolution

MIPIM 2023: ROSHN highlights green community revolution
Updated 20 March 2023

MIPIM 2023: ROSHN highlights green community revolution

MIPIM 2023: ROSHN highlights green community revolution

Micromobility and local community infrastructure headlined the debate on the second day of Le Marché International des Professionnels de L’immobilier 2023. The world’s leading real estate market event, MIPIM 2023, was held in Cannes from March 14-17.

Driven by ROSHN Group CEO David Grover, Saudi Arabia’s leading real estate company and enabler of the Public Investment Fund’s giga-projects, the topic was included in debates across the conference, highlighting the importance of micro-communities within giga-developments in the Kingdom.

“We have a big role to play, not just as ROSHN, but as an enabler of jobs, GDP, value and growth,” said Grover, as he spoke during a discussion titled “Revolutionary infrastructure to help realize tomorrow’s cities.”

“The use of micromobility is important for us; we want to create a wider environment where people can live, work and play in the same zone, to give them an option to avoid getting into the traffic of the city every day.”

Joined by a panel of other high-profile real estate personnel, Grover discussed strategies to attract infrastructure investment, explored citizens’ expectations regarding infrastructure development, and discussed the role of infrastructure development in urban regeneration.

ROSHN also conducted two workshops and one panel session, during which it shared insights around the development of real estate giga-projects in a rapidly growing economy.

The Invest Saudi pavilion showcased Saudi Arabia’s extensive real estate investment opportunities and explored ROSHN and its national partners’ ambitions in developing new urban environments in the Kingdom. Demonstrating commitment toward innovation and technology, this year’s Invest Saudi pavilion also featured Saudi Arabia’s first humanoid robot, Sara.

Sara is an artificial intelligence-based robot capable of communicating with visitors to the pavilion in both Arabic and English. Sara contained a predefined model with general knowledge about Saudi Arabia, ROSHN and Vision 2030.

“Sara is the embodiment of technological progress within the Kingdom. While we feel it’s important to focus on our commitment to creating greener communities, the way to get there is through a combination of technology, design and passion for creating better spaces for our residents,” said Jason Margetts, group CSO, ROSHN.

He said Sara pushes the boundaries of the latest AI trends and enabled attendees to their stand to see for themselves how cutting-edge the Kingdom is in line with global trends.

MIPIM 2023 is the key global event to source capital for real estate’s core and emerging asset classes, hosting more than 23,000 delegates and 2,400 exhibiting businesses from over 90 nations. Some 6,000 international investors and financial institutions and 76 of the world’s top 100 investment management companies, which collectively advise on $4.3 trillion of assets, were also in attendance.


Software AG and IBTech join forces to develop mission-critical public safety system across region

Software AG and IBTech join forces to develop mission-critical public safety system across region
Updated 19 March 2023

Software AG and IBTech join forces to develop mission-critical public safety system across region

Software AG and IBTech join forces to develop mission-critical public safety system across region

Enterprise software company Software AG and Intelligent Business Technologies, an IT-focused subsidiary of Albara’ah Telecom Co. Ltd., have entered into a partnership to nurture the formation of advanced safe and smart cities in the region. The partnership will foster the creation of unified emergency services across the Middle East region, in addition to a unified “command control center” in Saudi Arabia. The unified emergency hotline for first responders will support the handling of emergencies, ensuring the safety of human life within the safe and smart city norms and requirements. 

The agreement was signed between Yasser Alhakbani, board member, IBTech, and Mamdouh Al-Olayan, country manager — Saudi Arabia, Software AG, at LEAP 2023. The collaboration will facilitate IBTech to leverage Software AG’s Cumulocity IoT and webMethods integration expertise to create novel and future-oriented use cases that align with safe and smart city goals within Saudi Vision 2030. The cutting-edge use cases will lay the foundation for smart cities, resulting in innovative services to benefit businesses and end users, based on an ecosystem of fully connected enterprises.

Al-Olayan said: “Saudi Arabia is leading the region’s creation of safe, smart cities with megacity projects such as NEOM and Red Sea to name a few. Multifaceted technologies such as IoT and integration are serving as the foundation of such rapid and fast-tracked development in the country. Software AG has pledged its solidarity to the nation and the region along with our partner IBTech to contribute to the development and advancement of safe, smart cities. We aim to expand the reach of the unified emergency public safety solution to provide speedy support and enhance safety of human life. With support from our reputed local partners, Software AG aims to upscale adoption of these versatile technologies across use cases and initiatives for application in the Kingdom and the region.”