E-commerce creates more opportunities for Saudi women

E-commerce creates more opportunities for Saudi women
Updated 17 January 2016

E-commerce creates more opportunities for Saudi women

E-commerce creates more opportunities for Saudi women

ABHA: Many economists stress the importance of electronic markets in Saudi Arabia, their financial mega-returns and the availability of jobs for young businesswomen.
A number of economists and businesswomen believe these markets still need organization and codification of their work. They have also revealed that Saudi women are strongly present in these markets, and have achieved success, stressing the need to support the work of Saudi women in this electronic sector.
Chairperson of Fashion Design in the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Oumayma Azzouz, revealed that the use of electronic technology is a clear indication of the economic success, considering that women's work in this context is one of the most important opportunities that enhances women’s income sources.
Azzouz said: "My interest in the practical aspects and my continuous travels between Arab and European capitals to display my new lines have contributed to the delay in my joining the online marketplace or marketing via social media, but I learned in the last two years the importance of e-marketing, and have established my website to showcases my latest lines and all my news.”
Azzouz suggested that the electronic market will witness major developments in the coming years, and will have great returns.
Businesswoman and member of the young businesswomen’s council, Reem Al-Rowaisan, confirmed that there is an increasingly high turnout of Saudi businesswomen engaging in electronic markets.
She pointed out that they encourage the employment of women in electronic markets through the Executive Council of the Young Businesswomen, where they work on motivating young women to create jobs rather than request them, in addition to the adoption, encouragement and support of projects with new and innovative ideas, such as smartphone applications or electronic marketing in general.
Lina Al-Amoudi, a businesswoman and human resources specialist, stressed that Saudi businesswomen have given themselves a strong and stable imprint in the world of social networking sites and electronic markets, and have become pioneers for their counterparts in the Arabian Gulf in spreading commercial culture in smart ways that attract the recipient to understand the desired message.
"Saudi women are open and receptive to everything new, so it was not difficult for them to go into the trade experience through electronic markets, where the electronic technology and modern means facilitated their way to market themselves as businesswomen, and also opened international doors for them where they excelled through presenting services and products in which they invest."
Writer and businesswoman Sahar Zain Al-Deen emphasized the importance of the role of chambers of commerce in supporting young businesswomen, and the role of chambers in supporting the e-commerce market and women’s business, and training them to hone their experiences, saying that the chamber creates trained and qualified women to work in the electronic market.
Reem Asaad, an economic writer, argues that trade through electronic markets economically benefits the parties of infrastructure, such the merchant who benefits through the sale of his goods, and the young people who work on process of transporting goods from the electronic market dealers to buyers.


Saudi Arabia’s birthday paradox, one day, millions of celebrations

Saudi Arabia’s birthday paradox, one day, millions of celebrations
When identification cards became mandatory in the Kingdom more than 60 years ago many of those who came forward to register had no idea of their precise date of birth. (Supplied)
Updated 15 February 2021

Saudi Arabia’s birthday paradox, one day, millions of celebrations

Saudi Arabia’s birthday paradox, one day, millions of celebrations
  • The first of Rajab 1/7 is the official fictitious birthday to millions of Saudis who came to this world in the last Hijri century

JEDDAH: Feb. 14 this year is a curious day in Saudi Arabia, the day on which more than 3.5 million Saudis — about a tenth of the population — celebrate their birthday.

When identification cards became mandatory in the Kingdom more than 60 years ago many of those who came forward to register had no idea of their precise date of birth. The older generation of Saudis marked their birthdays by the year of their birth, neglecting the day and month — only a very few knew their exact date of birth, either by a memento such as newspaper clipping or from official birth certificates.
To resolve this headache, about 45 years ago the Ministerial Agency of Civil Affairs chose to register the first of Rajab, the seventh month in the Hijri calendar — 1/7 — as the date of birth for millions of Saudis, even though some of them did know which day they were born on in the Gregorian calendar. The Hijri is the Islamic calendar that is used for official dates.
“If you’re a 1/7 baby, then you’re definitely from jeel al-tayebeen (the good generation),” said Jamal Al-Ibrahim, a former banker and business owner. “I’m the eldest of 5 and all five of us share the same birthday. My mother would throw us separate birthday parties spread across the year, as we disliked shared birthdays. But now, as we’re all older and have our own families, we celebrate it together. We have one shared birthday, and then our own separate Gregorian birthdays. It’s a big family affair and an inside joke that millions of Saudis share.”
This year marks an extra special day for Muneera Al-Ghamdi and her husband Gassem Al-Ghamdi with the first of Rajab falling on Valentine’s Day. Their 45th wedding anniversary falls on Feb. 17, so with both parents sharing the same birthday, their children decided to throw them an extra special celebration on Feb. 14.
“My siblings and I decided to move up their anniversary date to coincide with the other occasions and get the whole family to join in on the celebrations,” their daughter Samira told Arab News. “We decided to fill the house with balloons and decorations and have the family join in via Zoom to mark the occasion,” she said.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The older generation of Saudis marked their birthdays by the year of their birth, neglecting the day and month — only a very few knew their exact date of birth, either by a memento such as newspaper clipping or from official birth certificates.

• To resolve this headache, about 45 years ago the Ministerial Agency of Civil Affairs chose to register the first of Rajab, the seventh month in the Hijri calendar — 1/7 — as the date of birth for millions of Saudis, even though some of them did know which day they were born on in the Gregorian calendar.

After a rough year with her mother getting sick with COVID-19, it was good to celebrate the occasion in a special way.
“My father would always joke and poke fun at my mother saying that though they share a birthday, he’ll always be the young and handsome one and her reply is always: ‘Your receding hairline says otherwise’.”
“It’s what makes us Saudis feel even more special,” joked Eng. Zain Mahmoud, “though it’s not easily to explain when traveling,” he said.
“Almost 15 years ago, I was flying to Washington, DC with my sister, wife and kids. When I gave all the passports to the officer at passport control at Dulles Airport, they found that my wife, sister and I all shared the same birthdays but different years. It took an hour to convince them that it’s an old and odd system but they found it funny and let us go. It could have been worse, so I vowed not to stand in the same line as them again.”
To mark the occasion, one Riyadh coffee shop is joining in the fun. “The first of Rajab 1/7 is the official fictitious birthday to millions of Saudis who came to this world in the last Hijri century. The family of #Omar_Coffee welcomes them on their birthdays and offers them coffee for SR 7 only today,” @Omr_Coffee tweeted.


Haql, the perfect beach getaway at northern end of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline

Haql, the perfect beach getaway at northern end of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline
Sparsely populated, the area is prime location for adventurers and those wanting to camp out on one of the charming beaches of the area. (SPA)
Updated 15 February 2021

Haql, the perfect beach getaway at northern end of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline

Haql, the perfect beach getaway at northern end of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline
  • Residents of Haql like to head to the Palm Garden, a park area that offers wonderful views of the Gulf of Aqaba and its surroundings

JEDDAH: With more than 1,000 miles of Red Sea coastline, one of Saudi Arabia’s northern-most towns has the potential to be a diving hotspot for residents of the Kingdom and beyond.

Haql, a city at the northern end of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline, offers many natural destinations, from tumbling cliffs and clear waters brimming with a thriving marine ecosystem to colorful coral reefs and white sandy beaches surrounded by mountains such as Jabal Al-Tayeb.
Sparsely populated, the area is prime location for adventurers and those wanting to camp out on one of the charming beaches of the area.
Near the city lies Ras Al-Mashee bay, a little known area that has attracted divers who swim round the half-submerged Georgios G shipwreck, known as the “Saudi Titanic,” and enjoy the array of fish and coral. The British-made cargo ship, which ran aground on the coral reef in 1978, is home to moray eels, lion fish, barracudas, sand tiger sharks and garden eels.

HIGHLIGHT

Haql, a city at the northern end of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline, offers many natural destinations, from tumbling cliffs and clear waters brimming with a thriving marine ecosystem to colorful coral reefs and white sandy beaches surrounded by mountains such as Jabal Al-Tayeb.

Waleed Bakhraibah, 43, an advanced-level diver, has visited the site more than 20 times in the past decade, bringing along his wife and eldest son just a few months ago. Bakhraibah, a government sector worker, often thought his young children would enjoy the many pristine beaches of the area.
“I’m still in awe of the quiet beauty that surrounds the inside of the ship,” he told Arab News. “The last time I visited, I tried to stay still and take it all in and everything around me, from fish to eels, just swam freely. I was merely an observer.”
Al-Sultaniyyah beach, 42 km south of Haql, has attracted a small but steady flow of tourists over the past few months with its crystal-clear and pristine waters.
Residents of Haql like to head to the Palm Garden, a park area that offers wonderful views of the Gulf of Aqaba and its surroundings. The garden abounds with palm trees, and has many areas for families and children.


Riyadh governor reviews Diriyah development projects

Riyadh governor reviews Diriyah development projects
Riyadh governor reviews Diriyah development projects. (SPA)
Updated 15 February 2021

Riyadh governor reviews Diriyah development projects

Riyadh governor reviews Diriyah development projects
  • The governor of Riyadh highlighted the support Diriyah receives from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

RIYADH: Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar highlighted the historical importance of Diriyah during his visit on Sunday to the headquarters of the Gate Development Authority (DGDA), where he was received by the authority’s CEO, Jerry Inzerillo.

In a press statement Prince Faisal spoke of Diriyah as the place where this country was born and he said it was a reflection of the great importance attached to heritage in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

The governor of Riyadh highlighted the support Diriyah receives from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

He also expressed his pride in the integrated heritage projects and the great value they add to the Riyadh region, thanking everyone for their contribution and hailing their efforts.

Inzerillo briefed the governor on the Diriyah development plans, which include markets, museums, galleries and academies that serve the cultural goals of the Kingdom, in addition to a world-class Formula E race track and world-class restaurants, cafes, and hotels.

He pointed out that the projects focus on Al-Turaif and Al-Bujairi neighborhoods, emphasizing their historical features as global tourist destinations.

 


Ahmed Jaber Al-Faifi, senior vice president of SAP MENA region

Ahmed Jaber Al-Faifi, senior vice president of SAP MENA region
Updated 14 February 2021

Ahmed Jaber Al-Faifi, senior vice president of SAP MENA region

Ahmed Jaber Al-Faifi, senior vice president of SAP MENA region

Ahmed Jaber Al-Faifi is the senior vice president of SAP Middle East and North Africa region.

Al-Faifi is responsible for SAP’s presence and growth strategy, and his duties include sales, marketing and overall operations for the region.

As senior vice president and managing director, Al-Faifi successfully positioned SAP as an innovation business leader while leading a growth plan for Saudi Arabia, one of SAP’s most important strategic markets.

Among his many achievements, Al-Faifi led the opening of SAP’s first public cloud data centers in the Kingdom, in a bid to accelerate digital transformation across various government entities.

Under his leadership, talent expanded significantly to meet market demands, and SAP was consequently awarded the Top Employer Institute prize three years running for its excellence in 24 countries and four regions.

Prior to joining SAP, Al-Faifi worked at Zain KSA, where first held the position of chief technology officer, and later of chief operating officer, with the responsibility of supervising the functioning of networks, IT, sales, marketing, customer care, among other operational functions.

Al-Faifi also has multinational technological experience, having spent more than six years with Ericsson, including a stint as the head of new accounts and business development.

Additionally, he worked as the mobile licensing manager of Saudi Arabia’s Communication and Information Technology Commission. Before that, Al-Faifi began his career at the Saudi Ministry of Defense and Aviation, where he spent almost six years.

Al-Faifi holds a master’s degree in telecommunication engineering from King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah. He also obtained a mobile technology diploma from Ericsson, and a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering from King Saud University in Riyadh.


Saudi rights chief meets EU ambassadors

Saudi rights chief meets EU ambassadors
Updated 15 February 2021

Saudi rights chief meets EU ambassadors

Saudi rights chief meets EU ambassadors
RIYADH: The president of the Saudi Human Rights Commission has highlighted the Kingdom’s human rights work in a virtual meeting with EU ambassadors. During the meeting on Sunday, Dr. Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad discussed topics of mutual interest and cooperation in the field of human rights, and praised the work of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in advancing the Kingdom’s human rights efforts. Al-Awwad mentioned developments in the Kingdom and new steps towards achieving sustainable development in accordance with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reform plan.