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LEAP 2023
LEAP 2023

LEAP23 tech conference launches competitions with $1.6 million prize pool

Two LEAP 2023 competitions in Riyadh offer grand prizes creative and innovative startups and solutions. (AN Photo/Huda Bashatah)
Two LEAP 2023 competitions in Riyadh offer grand prizes creative and innovative startups and solutions. (AN Photo/Huda Bashatah)
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Updated 07 February 2023
Arab News

LEAP23 tech conference launches competitions with $1.6 million prize pool

LEAP23 tech conference launches competitions with $1.6 million prize pool
  • Cash prizes are on offer in the Rocket Fuel competition and Alibaba Cloud Hackathon
  • Both events aim to support startups and projects in addressing technical challenges 
Updated 07 February 2023
Arab News

RIYADH: The LEAP23 conference in Riyadh launched the Rocket Fuel competition and Alibaba Cloud hackathon, with more than SR6 million ($1.6 million) in cash prizes on offer.

Being held at the Front Expo Center until Thursday, both events aim to support startups and projects in addressing technical challenges through innovative solutions.

Supported by the National Technology Development Program and the Misk Foundation, the Rocket Fuel competition will see 90 global startups competing for a chance to be among 15 presented to a jury.

Divided into six categories, the competition offers cash prizes amounting to SR4 million, including the LEAP Award, which offers $250,000 to the strongest and most prominent company.

The Rising Star Award, worth $150,000, will go to the startup with the strongest start.

The Aviatrix Award and the Technology for Humanity Award — worth $150,000 each — will go to the best women-led creative startup company and the startup that best serves humanity, respectively.

Two “Towards new horizons and artificial intelligence” awards, with a value of $300,000, will also be given to winners of the best startup working in the field of metaverse and Web3, as well as the best emerging company that provides artificial intelligence solutions.

The Alibaba Cloud hackathon, sponsored by the Saudi Telecom Company, will enhance cloud technology in the Kingdom through several challenges and SR2 million in prize money.

The event targets amateurs as well as local and international professionals in sectors including education, health technology, government, logistics services, e-commerce and artificial intelligence.

Topics: LEAP 2023 LEAP conference Saudi Arabia

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Sri Lanka wants 5m tourists a year, envoy tells Riyadh event

Sri Lanka wants 5m tourists a year, envoy tells Riyadh event
Updated 18 sec ago
Haifa Alshammari

Sri Lanka wants 5m tourists a year, envoy tells Riyadh event

Sri Lanka wants 5m tourists a year, envoy tells Riyadh event
  • Sri Lankan embassy is hoping to encourage visitors from the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia, to visit
  • Tourism will contribute to the country’s economy, which has suffered because of the global pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: Ambassador
Updated 18 sec ago
Haifa Alshammari

RIYADH: Sri Lanka is planning to increase visitor numbers to 5 million a year in a bid to revive its tourism sector and struggling economy, according to the island’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Pakeer Mohideen Amza was speaking at an event organized by the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh on Monday to promote tourism to the South Asian country, which has faced an economic crisis and widespread social unrest since 2022.

The embassy is hoping to encourage visitors from the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia, to visit Sri Lanka.

In a presentation, the ambassador shared statistics on tourism, and highlighted the country’s heritage, architectural history and natural attractions.

Tourism will contribute to the country’s economy, which has suffered because of the global pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Amza said.

“This year has started very well. I can say we had some challenging times in 2019. 2020 was the pandemic year. Then, in 2021, the tourism sector started to crumble. I think, in 2022, we started getting back, but, still, we had a bad economic situation. So, that hampered our tourism development,” he said.

However, the country had more than 100,000 visitors in January and February this year, signalling a stronger tourism market.

“We think tourism is a very important sector for our economy,” he said.

As for what visitors can expect in Sri Lanka, the ambassador said: “We are small, but we are rich in resources. And that’s what we say, come and explore.”

Asked about future projects or plans to attract tourists, he replied: “We have a plan to develop the tourism sector. It will attract 5 million tourists a year. I’m sure we need to do a lot about that. At the moment, we are bouncing back. So, come and hold our hands. Work together with us. Tourism is one area where we can work together.”

Zafra Zafeen, an embassy official, talked about the culture, food, climate and sightseeing locations in Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital.

Attendees included diplomats and stakeholders from the tourism sector.

Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka on Tuesday signed a new agreement on the employment of workers, opening up more opportunities in the Kingdom for professionals from the crisis-hit island nation.

Topics: Saudi Arabia Sri Lanka tourists

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Local content will drive Saudi growth, AmCham forum told

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Updated 11 min 56 sec ago
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Local content will drive Saudi growth, AmCham forum told

Local content will drive Saudi growth, AmCham forum told
  • The panel discussion revolved around the industrial transformation taking place in the Kingdom as part of Vision 2030 reforms
  • Forrest Young, president of AmChamKSA Jeddah Chapter, welcomed representatives from Zahid Industries, Johnson Controls Arabia, SAWACO, and MARS Arabia
Updated 11 min 56 sec ago
Afshan Aziz

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s “Road to Localization” was the focus of an American Chamber of Commerce Jeddah Chapter event featuring industry experts and representatives of leading corporations.
The panel discussion revolved around the industrial transformation taking place in the Kingdom as part of Vision 2030 reforms.
Forrest Young, president of AmChamKSA Jeddah Chapter, welcomed representatives from Zahid Industries, Johnson Controls Arabia, SAWACO, and MARS Arabia.
“As a G20 member and the 18th-largest economy globally, Saudi Arabia is experiencing a significant industrial metamorphosis, with localization being one of the primary pillars of the Kingdom’s ambitious vision,” he said.
“It has spurred numerous initiatives to increase domestic value creation, adapt to a rapidly evolving economic landscape, foster future prosperity, and generate sustainable job opportunities for the nation’s growing workforce.”
Nizar Kammourie, CEO of SAWACO, said: “As part of our project Rabigh 3 IWP, we are proud to contribute to the local content effort in Saudi Arabia where the production and procurement of goods and services support the country’s economic growth and development.”
“We are also committed to supporting local content policy by sourcing goods and services from local suppliers wherever possible. We believe that this not only benefits the local economy but also helps to build strong partnerships with local businesses.”
Kammourie said that the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority is playing a vital role in evaluating the level of local content in various sectors.
“As a responsible project company, we are fully supportive of the LCGPA’s efforts, and are always looking for ways to increase the participation of local businesses and manufacturing in our projects.”
Mohanad Al-Shaikh, Johnson Controls CEO, outlined an initiative aligned with the National Industrial Strategy announced recently by the Ministry of Industrial Affairs.
“Through this initiative, we are ensuring Saudi students before they graduate from high school get familiar with the manufacturing process and be a part of the ecosystem. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Industrial Affairs and Jeddah Chamber of Commerce through the industrial council, around 3,000 students will be assigned to visit the York factory,” he said.
Zeina Alnouri, Jeddah Chapter coordinator, said that the AmCham Saudi Arabia event brought together key industry leaders “and allowed attendees to gain a deeper understanding of localization and embrace it.”

Topics: Saudi Arabia localization American Chamber of Commerce Jeddah Chapter

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Saudi foreign minister meets Kuwaiti counterpart in Riyadh

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Updated 13 min 12 sec ago
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Saudi foreign minister meets Kuwaiti counterpart in Riyadh

Saudi foreign minister meets Kuwaiti counterpart in Riyadh
  • The officials reviewed bilateral relations and discussed ways to boost cooperation and coordination
Updated 13 min 12 sec ago
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RIYADH: Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, met his Kuwaiti counterpart, Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 155th session of the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh.

The ministers reviewed bilateral relations and discussed ways in which cooperation might be enhanced and developed in all areas, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

They also talked about ways to boost Gulf coordination in service of common interests and to help achieve the aspirations of their countries, and shared their views on the latest regional and international developments.

 

Topics: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan

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Saudi fashion brand creates pigeon-house-inspired dress

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Updated 29 min 43 sec ago
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Saudi fashion brand creates pigeon-house-inspired dress

Saudi fashion brand creates pigeon-house-inspired dress
  • Modeled by Linda Qari, the dress was made of leather with holes of different sizes
  • The pigeon towers were commissioned to be constructed during the reign of King Abdulaziz
Updated 29 min 43 sec ago
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RIYADH: Saudi fashion brand Qormuz created a dress called Al-Dalam, inspired by pigeon houses, which received mixed reactions at the Saudi Cup 2023.
Modeled by Linda Qari, the dress was made of leather with holes of different sizes.
Owner of Qormuz, Abdulrahman Al-Abed, told Arab News: “We created the outfit as an inspiration from the pigeon tower in the Al-Dalam region, a neighborhood close to the Al-Kharj region, with the intention of causing this visual disturbance.”
The pigeon towers were commissioned to be constructed during the reign of King Abdulaziz who wanted a place for migratory pigeons to rest. But decades later, it became a source of inspiration for Al-Abed.
He said: “Those towers were left unoccupied for 60 years before being turned into a tourist destination. The towers served as the inspiration for Al-Dalam bag that we later created.
“We created a full line and participated in fashion shows in Paris, New York, Dubai, Milan, and the Saudi Cup.
“We wanted to draw attention to the towers and reshape it into clothing. We used engineering technology to do this ... our body was the pigeons emerging from the dress,” he added.
The dress received criticism online due to its peculiarity but made “a global impact.”
Al-Abed said: “Of course, the piece will receive criticism because it is unique. However, the numbers speak for themselves because Al-Dalam was one of the most searched terms then, and more than 15 million people viewed the dress (on social media and Google).”
Qormuz has been wowing the fashion world with its thought-provoking designs in jewelry, clothing, home accessories, silverware, leather, and fragrances since 2017.
“The piece I love the most is the oud bracelet because my family has been in the oud and incense trade for more than 35 years.
“Our products and fabrics come from Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Denmark, India, and many other countries. However, we have a whole collection called 1902, commemorating the battle for Riyadh’s conquest. We showcased the entire collection of Saudi fabrics, threads, and leather for this collection,” Al-Abed added.
The brand is committed to bringing the past to life in a way that is consistent with the present, the future, and Vision 2030.
He said: “Our keenness is one of the first building blocks in Qormuz to focus on building a solid identity capable of bringing heritage to today and tomorrow and attracting talents from the people of the country.
“Deep research and visits to historical sites and presence in the most important events that take place in the Kingdom, such as the events of the Ministry of Culture and the Saudi Cup, as well as our presence in Dubai Expo.”
Qormuz means crimson red color. The brand chose the name because in the past, it was one of the most challenging colors to make as it would have to be first extracted from prickly pear insects. The color was rare, hence expensive, and popular. Its discovery made a revolution in the world of colors.
“The color made a revolution, us as a brand we chose this color because we are making a revolution in the world of fashion,” he added.
Al-Abed majored in both law and business administration. He did not study design but grew up in a creative atmosphere because his father was a calligrapher and artist.
Inspired, Al-Abed entered the design field out of love and passion.

Topics: Saudi Arabia fashion Qormuz Saudi Cup 2023

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Updated 22 March 2023
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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman arrived in Jeddah on Wednesday ahead of Ramadan which will start on Thursday.

The king was received at King Abdulaziz International Airport by the deputy governor of Makkah region Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz and was accompanied by various officials. 

King Salman left Riyadh earlier on Wednesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.

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