Tech giants from around the world take center-stage at Saudi Arabia’s LEAP conference 

Tech giants from around the world take center-stage at Saudi Arabia’s LEAP conference 
The four-day conference will shed light on artificial intelligence, the digital transformation and advancements in the field of technical and innovative entrepreneurship through immersive learning, storytelling sessions and lectures. (Supplied)
Short Url
Updated 06 February 2023

Tech giants from around the world take center-stage at Saudi Arabia’s LEAP conference 

Tech giants from around the world take center-stage at Saudi Arabia’s LEAP conference 
  • Second edition of the event, being held over Feb. 6-9, to have more than 700 leaders in technology and tech investment in attendance
  • LEAP’s inaugural conference broke the record for largest tech event ever held, with this year looking to be even larger

RIYADH: More than 700 leading experts in technology investment from 50 countries are set to speak during the second edition of the LEAP technology conference, which will take place at Riyadh Front Expo Center from Monday to Thursday.

The conference is organized by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, and UAE-based IT services and consulting firm Tahaluf.

It aims to spark discussions on artificial intelligence, the digital transformation and advancements in the field of technical and innovative entrepreneurship through immersive learning, storytelling sessions and lectures.




LEAP will shed light on artificial intelligence, digital transformation and advances in the field of technical and innovative entrepreneurship. (Supplied)

“The first edition of LEAP was surprisingly more than I expected from a debut event. I am excited to see how this edition will make an even greater impact on our industry and the creative economy,” Sujoy Cherian, group CEO of Option 1 Events, an event technology and content company, told Arab News.

“Besides speaking on the panel for future live events, I am honored with the opportunity for a solo session to share my insight on some of the latest in tech for hybrid events and content creation,” he added.

Cherian, a creative technologist and serial entrepreneur, is just one of the hundreds of speakers from more than 400 global and local technology companies speaking at the event.

HIGHLIGHTS

Executives from Saudi Aramco, NEOM, Microsoft, Oracle, Huawei, Zoom, Ericsson and Hewlett Packard Enterprise are among the roster of speakers.

International tech figures include G.V. Ravishankar, managing partner of Sequoia Capital India; Tim Ringel, an investor and advisory board member at Adit Ventures; and William Bao Bean, general partner of venture capital firm SOSV.

Former world boxing champion Anthony Joshua, astronaut Susan Kilrain and West Ham United Football Club vice-chairman Karren Brady to also speak at LEAP.

Executives from leading firms such as Saudi Aramco, NEOM, Microsoft, Oracle, Huawei, Zoom, Ericsson and Hewlett Packard Enterprise are set to deliver speeches during the conference.

Some of the world’s leading tech figures will take to the Investor Stage, including G.V. Ravishankar, the managing partner of Sequoia Capital India, Tim Ringel, an investor and advisory board member at Adit Ventures, and William Bao Bean, general partner of venture capital firm SOSV.




The tech conference will be held in Riyadh. (Supplied/LEAP)

Former world boxing champion Anthony Joshua, astronaut Susan Kilrain and West Ham United Football Club vice-chairman Karren Brady will also speak at the conference.

Some of the talks set to take place at LEAP will shed light on the creative economy, education, retail, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, future energy, smart cities, and health tech.

One of the companies that will discuss the creative economy during one of the many orbital talks is Sparkup, a real-time engagement platform for live streams and hybrid events. “Our experience combines virtual audience technology and interactive live streaming to offer attendees a front-row seat on an event and allow them to react in real-time,” Vincent Bruneau, founder and CEO of Sparkup, told Arab News.

The company is working toward scaling and integrating its real-time engagement platform, bringing the concept into different environments. “It’s quite exciting because virtual and hybrid events are becoming very popular, people are now used to it and it forces you to innovate, to level up your game and imagine what should the next experience be like,” Bruneau said.

The investors’ platform is expected to witness multiple investment deals with global tech industries.

 


13th Saudi relief plane lands in Sudan

13th Saudi relief plane lands in Sudan
Updated 25 sec ago

13th Saudi relief plane lands in Sudan

13th Saudi relief plane lands in Sudan
  • Plane was carrying 30 tons of food baskets and medical supplies

RIYADH: A 13th Saudi relief plane on Wednesday landed at Port Sudan New International Airport carrying 30 tons of food baskets and medical supplies, Saudi Press Agency reported. 

The latest aid flight is part of the Kingdom’s air bridge initiative, operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, to help the people of Sudan.
 


Saudi authorities foil drug-smuggling attempts

Saudi authorities foil drug-smuggling attempts
Updated 39 sec ago

Saudi authorities foil drug-smuggling attempts

Saudi authorities foil drug-smuggling attempts
  • A number of people were arrested in connection with the smuggling bids

RIYADH: Saudi border patrols in the Najran, Jazan, and Asir regions have thwarted attempts to smuggle 62.5 tons of qat, 1.842 tons of hashish, and 692,106 tablets of a controlled drug into the Kingdom.

Col. Misfer Al-Quraini, spokesperson for the General Directorate of Border Guard, said a number of people had been arrested in connection with the smuggling bids and their cases referred to the Public Prosecution, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
Earlier on Wednesday, authorities arrested three nationals in two separate attempts to smuggle and sell illegal drugs in the Kingdom.


Saudi envoy to Bangladesh visits Makkah Route airport hall in Dhaka

Saudi envoy to Bangladesh visits Makkah Route airport hall in Dhaka
Updated 33 min 9 sec ago

Saudi envoy to Bangladesh visits Makkah Route airport hall in Dhaka

Saudi envoy to Bangladesh visits Makkah Route airport hall in Dhaka
  • Al-Dahilan was briefed on the airport hall, procedures in Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia to facilitate the pilgrimage

RIYADH: Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Issa bin Youssef Al-Dahilan recently visited a hall dedicated to the Kingdom’s Makkah Route initiative at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The scheme allows pilgrims to pass seamlessly through immigration facilities at airports in their respective countries.

Al-Dahilan was briefed on the progress of work at the airport hall as well procedures implemented in Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia to facilitate the pilgrimage.

The envoy said the initiative, launched by the Interior Ministry, was aimed at streamlining the whole pilgrim travel experience, enabling Hajj visitors from seven countries to complete immigration, cargo, and travel procedures prior to departing for the Kingdom.

Al-Dahilan lauded Bangladesh, Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkiye, and the Ivory Coast for their participation in the initiative.


UK announces new £10 visa for GCC and Jordanian nationals

UK announces new £10 visa for GCC and Jordanian nationals
Updated 07 June 2023

UK announces new £10 visa for GCC and Jordanian nationals

UK announces new £10 visa for GCC and Jordanian nationals
  • “In February 2024, we will go one step further and introduce a new ETA scheme,” the ambassador said
  • This ETA will allow visa holders to enter the UK multiple times over a two-year period and aims to make “travel to Britain cheaper and easier for visitors from the Gulf and Jordan,”

RIYADH: The UK has announced a new Electronic Travel Authorization scheme that will cost £10 ($12.44) for nationals of Jordan and Gulf Cooperation Council states.
“In June 2022, the UK introduced an Electronic Visa Waiver scheme, which allowed any Saudi citizen to apply for authorization to travel to Britain online,” British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Neil Crompton told Arab News.
“This reflected the desire of both governments to strengthen people-to-people links between the two countries,” he added.
Also in June of 2022, the UK announced that under its new ETA scheme, rolling out in 2023, nationals from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE will join Americans and Canadians in benefiting from visa-free travel through an electronic visa waiver.
“In February 2024, we will go one step further and introduce a new ETA scheme,” the ambassador said.
“Under this, applicants will be able to apply for a visa online that covers multiple visits over a two-year period. The cost will be just £10 per applicant. This will make it much easier and cheaper to travel.”
This ETA will allow visa holders to enter the UK multiple times over a two-year period and aims to make “travel to Britain cheaper and easier for visitors from the Gulf and Jordan,” as stated on gov.uk.
Previously under the EVW scheme, Gulf nationals had to pay £30 per visit to the UK and Jordanian nationals £100 for a visit visa.
The newly announced ETA aims to strengthen relations between the countries and contribute to Britain’s economy.
The scheme will be implemented for Qatari nationals later this year in October 2023 and for the rest of the GCC and Jordan in February 2024.
According to gov.uk, Gulf visitors are highly valuable to the UK economy, with over 790,000 of them spending £2 billion during their stays in the UK last year.
The process to apply is all-digital and requires applicants to upload a photograph of themselves and answer a set of suitability questions.
Earlier in 2023, the UK government announced plans to introduce a new ETA scheme as part of a digitization initiative for the UK border to further enhance security and customer experience.
In a statement, the UK Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia Lord Tariq Ahmad said: “I’m delighted that our partners across the Gulf and Jordan will be the first to benefit from the UK’s new Electronic Travel Authorization scheme. This scheme is further proof of the strong partnership between the UK and countries across the region.
“By cutting costs and visa requirements, the ETA scheme will ensure visitors from the Gulf states and Jordan can enjoy traveling with ease to the UK, boosting business and tourism links between our countries,” he added.


Construction work gets underway on ambitious AlUla mountain resort

Construction work gets underway on ambitious AlUla mountain resort
Updated 07 June 2023

Construction work gets underway on ambitious AlUla mountain resort

Construction work gets underway on ambitious AlUla mountain resort
  • Sharaan hotel concept and International Summit Center aims to meet sustainability goals

RIYADH: Construction work on an ambitious Saudi mountain resort has got underway in AlUla.

Making the announcement, Royal Commission for AlUla officials said the Sharaan hotel concept and International Summit Center, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, would aim to meet sustainability goals for the building phase and resort operations.

The development will be built directly into the rock formations of Sharaan Nature Reserve and has been inspired by AlUla’s ancient Nabataean architecture and dramatic desertscape.

During a ceremony at the reserve, an agreement was inked between officials from the RCU and Bouygues Construction, a French engineering group which will manage construction of the resort through a joint venture with Almabani, a leading Saudi engineering firm.

The commission’s development and construction sector is spearheading the project with consultation from Canadian firm WSP and program management support from Saudi company Jasara.

Together they will deliver a destination designed to immerse guests in the natural and cultural heritage of the Sharaan reserve.

Just as the Nabataean civilization carved structures into nearby sandstone more than 2,000 years ago, project chiefs hope the Sharaan resort will carve a new chapter in stone for AlUla’s living museum while preserving the natural scenery and native flora and fauna at the heart of the RCU’s vision.

The new resort will offer 38 suites, a spa and wellness center, kids club, sports complex, an all-day dining restaurant, and business center.

In addition, a signature fine-dining restaurant will sit atop the mountain with panoramic views of Sharaan. A glass elevator will connect the resort with a geologic and artistic experience, offering views of ancient sedimentary layers and niches filled with art and engravings.

Inside an adjacent mountain, the Sharaan International Summit Center will host events and leaders from around the world.

With a completely secure and private environment, its design will enable chance encounters and private interaction for guests with shared leisure activities in an informal setting.

Facilities will include an auditorium, meeting rooms, majlis (sitting room), library, and a sports and leisure area.

Mohammed Altheeb, RCU chief development and construction officer, said: “Sharaan resort is our most ambitious project currently under construction.

“The resort was designed with complete reverence for the human and natural history of AlUla, and we are committed to sustainable building practices in line with this same philosophy.

“The RCU and its partners are excited to unveil a new chapter in the story of these ancient mountains, where guests will experience the wonders of Sharaan Nature Reserve,” he added.