Snapchat releases mental health support tool for Saudi users

Snapchat releases mental health support tool for Saudi users
Short Url
Updated 11 October 2022

Snapchat releases mental health support tool for Saudi users

Snapchat releases mental health support tool for Saudi users
  • Here For You in-app portal launched in partnership with IT ministry
  • Service provides resources to help users deal with emotional crises

RIYADH: Snapchat has partnered with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to make its mental health support service available to users in the Kingdom.

The Here For You in-app portal was launched in some regions of the world in 2020 and in the UAE last year. Its release in Saudi Arabia coincides with World Mental Health Day.

The portal provides support to Snapchat users experiencing mental health or emotional crises, as well as those who want to learn more about the issues and how they can help their friends deal with them.

The portal is activated by user searches for terms associated with mental health, such as bullying, stress, anxiety and depression, and provides vetted resources from mental health partners.

It also features six animated videos from the MCIT bullying prevention squad on related issues.

Nasser Al-Nasser, assistant deputy minister at the MCIT, said: “At MCIT, we have strived to create engaging platforms that enhance the digital well-being of KSA citizens and educate them about the purposeful use of technology.

“With this partnership, we are giving Snapchatters access to an innovative tool, which will enable them to address mental health challenges and subsequently encourages Snapchatters to have a positive lifestyle.”

The resources and tools provided by the ministry through the portal are designed to be shareable in order to build a supportive environment.

Abdulla Alhammadi, regional business lead at Snap Inc., said the portal would reach over 90 percent of 13- to 34-year-olds in the Kingdom, “providing support and education for young people through an in-app experience.”

The company said it had collaborated with leading nonprofit and safety organizations to provide users with in-app mental health and well-being resources.


EU envoy to Gulf has Twitter account suspended within 24 hours

EU envoy to Gulf has Twitter account suspended within 24 hours
Updated 14 sec ago

EU envoy to Gulf has Twitter account suspended within 24 hours

EU envoy to Gulf has Twitter account suspended within 24 hours
  • Luigi Di Maio’s official feed said to have violated platform rules

LONDON: The new EU Special Representative for the Gulf had his official Twitter account suspended within 24 hours of its creation for what the platform said was a violation of its rules.

It remains unclear what rules Luigi Di Maio’s profile broke, just a day after it was created by the former Italian Foreign Minister created to share updates on his new role.

The suspension was lifted within hours.

Di Maio launched the institutional account — @EUSR_Gulf — on June 1, coinciding with his official start. He shared his enthusiasm for the new role in a tweet published in Arabic, Persian, English and Italian.

“First day in office as the EU Special Representative for the Gulf. Ready and fully committed to engaging with the member states and institutions of the EU, as well as each of our partners in the region,” he said in the post.

“There is so much at stake and so much to be done through genuine dialogue and mutual respect. For our common security and prosperity.”

However, before a second tweet could be shared, Twitter suspended the account. 

Di Maio’s new role represents a fresh start after he left Five Star following setbacks in last year’s Italian elections.

His appointment was however criticized at home and in Europe due to a series of faux pas he made while foreign minister.

In 2019, he caused the first diplomatic crisis between Italy and France since World War Two, leading to the withdrawal of the French ambassador from Rome, after he publicly supported the Yellow vests movement as members were demolishing the entrance of a government building in Paris.

He had previously stated that Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was Venezuelan and that Russia was a country in the Mediterranean.


Ben Roberts-Smith resigns from Seven after losing war crimes defamation case

Ben Roberts-Smith resigns from Seven after losing war crimes defamation case
Updated 02 June 2023

Ben Roberts-Smith resigns from Seven after losing war crimes defamation case

Ben Roberts-Smith resigns from Seven after losing war crimes defamation case
  • Judge found that allegations against Australian top soldier who committed war crimes in Afghanistan were ‘substantially true’
  • Roberts-Smith was appointed general manager of network in 2015

LONDON: Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith resigned as vice president of Seven West Media a day after losing a defamation court battle related to war crimes during his service in Afghanistan, The Guardian reported.

The ruling came about in a civil case where multiple newspapers defended a defamation lawsuit brought by Roberts-Smith, asserting that their reporting on the former soldier was accurate.

On Friday, Seven’s Managing Director and CEO James Warburton informed staff that Roberts-Smith had submitted his resignation.

In an email seen by Guardian Australia, Warburton stated: “As you’re all aware, the judgment in the defamation case was handed down yesterday.

“Ben has been on leave whilst the case was running, and today has offered his resignation, which we have accepted. We thank Ben for his commitment to Seven and wish him all the best.”

Roberts-Smith took a leave of absence from his Queensland position in 2021 to concentrate on the high-profile trial, backed financially and publicly by Kerry Stokes, the billionaire chairman of Seven who appointed Roberts-Smith general manager of Seven Queensland in 2015.

“The judgment does not accord with the man I know,” Stokes said after the verdict.

“I know this will be particularly hard for Ben, who has always maintained his innocence.”

In a groundbreaking civil trial that marked the first time a court examined allegations of war crimes by Australian forces, the judge found four out of six murder accusations were “substantially true,” despite Roberts-Smith’s denial.

The allegations consist of handcuffing and torturing civilians, ordering initiation murders for new soldiers, and shooting a Taliban fighter over 10 times in the back, taking his prosthetic leg as a trophy, and repurposing it as a drinking vessel.

The court also determined that allegations against the most decorated living Australian soldier, including the unlawful assault of captives and bullying of fellow soldiers, were true.

Roberts-Smith, who left the Australian Defence Force in 2013, has not been charged with any of the alleged war crimes in a criminal court, where the burden of proof is higher.

After the decision, a Taliban spokesman pointed to the case as evidence of the “uncountable crimes” committed by foreign forces in Afghanistan. However, they expressed skepticism about the global justice system’s ability to address these issues.

Australian troops were deployed to Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021, spanning two decades of conflict. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles declined to comment on the case, saying it was a civil matter.


MIT Sloan Management Review to launch MidEast edition

MIT Sloan Management Review to launch MidEast edition
Updated 02 June 2023

MIT Sloan Management Review to launch MidEast edition

MIT Sloan Management Review to launch MidEast edition
  • The regional edition will be published by Vibe Media Group

DUBAI: MIT Sloan Management Review has announced the regional edition of the online and print magazine in partnership with local media company Vibe Media Group, which publishes titles like Fast Company.

“ICT investments in the Middle East are projected to grow almost 4 percent annually to surpass $230 billion in 2023,” Ravi Raman, publisher of Vibe Media Group, told Arab News.

“We see MIT Sloan Management with its authoritative content on managing technology to aid leaders understand and harness the potential,” he added.

Published in English only, the regional edition will cover business and tech strategy topics, organizational culture, innovation, and digital transformation, continued Raman.

Many publications around the world have cut down their print issues as the medium struggles to survive in a digital-led world. MIT Sloan Management Review will, therefore, be digital-first with quarterly print editions, which Raman believes will have “relevance” since the magazine is a “tech journal with excellent reference value.”

Major economies in the region, like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are heavily investing in technology and related fields, which is having “a strong trickle-down effect,” he said.

“Investments in technology are no longer departmental decisions; they are now strategic, impacting the business’ very existence and survival,” he added.

As technology pervades all areas of life and business, leaders need to be well adept at “understanding how technology fits in with their overall goals, and one of the unique features of MIT Sloan Management Review is its focus on bridging the gap between theory and practice,” Raman said.

In addition to digital and print content, the new magazine will hold its NextTech summit this September focused on new technologies such as generative artificial intelligence, digital currencies and the virtual world.

The editorial team is led by Raman and Pamella Ann De Leon, based in Dubai, UAE, who will serve as the editor, and will include correspondents who are based in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt.

The launch will be celebrated at a thought leadership event on MIT’s campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts on June 6.


Inaugural Saudi Festival of Creativity to be held in Riyadh

Inaugural Saudi Festival of Creativity to be held in Riyadh
Updated 01 June 2023

Inaugural Saudi Festival of Creativity to be held in Riyadh

Inaugural Saudi Festival of Creativity to be held in Riyadh
  • Event to be hosted by Motivate Media Group, TRACCS

DUBAI: UAE-based Motivate Media Group, and communications consultancy TRACCS — which started in and is headquartered in Saudi Arabia — have announced the launch of the inaugural Athar — Saudi Festival of Creativity, in Riyadh in November.

The festival aims to bring together the creative and marketing industries in Saudi Arabia to recognize and celebrate them.

Mohamed Al-Ayed, vice chairman of Athar Festival and CEO of TRACCS, said that the event would “enable and empower a new generation of creative-first Saudi marketers and inspire the sustainable development of the country.” 

The festival — which is being held over four days — will include a variety of training courses, roundtables, C-suite sessions, young talent competitions, and an awards ceremony.

It will also boast exclusive programs for women and executive marketers.

The awards will be presented to agencies, networks, and brands, and will be verified by Cannes Lions and Dubai Lynx.

Ian Fairservice, chairman of Athar Festival and managing partner and group editor-in-chief of Motivate Media Group, said: “The festival will be a dynamic and vibrant meeting place in Saudi Arabia where culture, creativity, talent, and technology will collide.

“It is a celebration of the power of creativity in an environment that inspires cultural exchange, collaborative innovation, tangible learning, and training and development.”
 


Report: AI technology integration can contribute $150bn to GCC economies

Report: AI technology integration can contribute $150bn to GCC economies
Updated 01 June 2023

Report: AI technology integration can contribute $150bn to GCC economies

Report: AI technology integration can contribute $150bn to GCC economies
  • Even though uptake in MENA remains low, it is still higher than in other regions, research suggests
  • Companies should focus on building capabilities in 4 crucial areas to tap into full potential,

LONDON: Embracing artificial intelligence technology could boost Gulf economies by $150 billion, equivalent to about 9 percent of their combined GDP, according to a recent report by Global consultancy McKinsey.

The research indicates that this estimate might be quickly surpassed, given the rapid advancements in technologies like generative AI.

Vinay Chandran, partner at McKinsey, underlined the transformative power of AI, saying: “With the rapid pace of technological innovation, AI has emerged as a transformative force, reshaping industries and societies.

“We believe it has the potential to deliver huge value in the Middle East’s GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries.”

The consultancy firm conducted an online survey in collaboration with the GCC Board Directors Institute, involving 119 senior executives and board directors from six Gulf countries across various industries.

These industries included retail, professional services, energy, capital projects, and financial services.

While results show that AI uptake remains relatively low in the Gulf, it is still higher than in other regions.

In fact, 62 percent of respondents reported their organizations utilized AI in at least one business function, outpacing North America (59 percent), Europe (48 percent), and the Asia-Pacific region (55 percent).

As the Fourth Industrial Revolution unfolds, governments and businesses in the Middle East are becoming increasingly aware of the global shift toward AI and advanced technology.

However, the survey suggests that companies that are currently using AI have only just begun to explore the full potential of the technology.

Global consultancy PwC estimates that by 2030, AI could contribute $320 billion to economies in the Middle East, or 2 percent of the total global benefits of AI.

Annual AI contribution growth in the region is expected to range between 20 percent and 34 percent, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia leading the way.

Chandran noted that over the past five years, McKinsey’s research had revealed a striking difference between high-performing companies and their competitors, with the former deriving 20 percent or more of their earnings from AI.

He argued that for GCC companies to follow suit, they should focus on building AI capabilities in four crucial areas: strategy, organization and talent, data and technology, and adoption and scaling.

However, several respondents emphasized the significant challenges they face in developing AI capabilities due to various concerns.

To overcome the hurdles, the report advises companies to align their AI strategy with enterprise goals, cultivate AI talent, treat data as a product, and implement effective change management programs.

The UAE, for instance, has been making significant investments in AI and has even launched the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence to support the development of its AI ecosystem and promote research.

But while AI adoption in the GCC is “relatively encouraging,” McKinsey’s research suggests there is still a “significant” untapped value that companies can access.

Different sectors in the GCC are adopting AI at varying speeds, with retail leading the pack, as 75 percent of respondents in this sector reported implementing AI in at least one business function.