Saudis make electronic chips at KACST
The chips are distinguished by their potential applications in various fields, such as electronics, wireless and high-frequency communications, integrated circuits, energy-efficient lighting, and miniaturized sensing systems, in addition to industrial and research applications in measurement and testing.
The design of the chips involved researchers from the national laboratory, along with a number of students from four Saudi universities. It formed part of the initiatives integral to the Saudi Semiconductors Program, which aims to qualify national talents in this vital field.
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Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
How Saudi Arabia is helping the developing world cook clean and breathe easy
RIYADH: In many parts of the world, the simple act of cooking dinner can be deadly. Across sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, millions of families rely on open fires and traditional stoves that burn wood, charcoal, or kerosene — methods that fill homes with toxic smoke, worsen environmental degradation, and contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. While such practices are rare in Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom is taking a leading role in tackling this silent crisis abroad. With nearly 4 million premature deaths each year linked to indoor air pollution from cooking, the stakes could not be higher. According to the World Bank, traditional cooking fuels contribute 2 percent of all global carbon dioxide emissions and a staggering 58 percent of black carbon emissions — pollutants known to accelerate climate change and damage human health. The problem is particularly acute in sub-Saharan Africa, where the International Energy Agency says 960 million people — nearly three-quarters of the population — lack access to clean cooking alternatives. Globally, more than 2 billion people still cook using polluting methods, exposing themselves and their families to harmful smoke on a daily basis. 'A third of people on the planet lack access to clean fuels, instead cooking on polluting open fires or simple stoves fuelled by kerosene, biomass (wood, animal dung and crop waste) and coal,' according to the World Economic Forum. 'Inhaling these toxic fumes kills more people than malaria — and women are disproportionately affected.' • In many developing countries, women and children spend around 10 hours each week gathering firewood for household cooking. • Efficient stoves can cut fuel consumption by up to 60 percent, significantly lowering indoor pollution and carbon emissions. • The Clean Cooking Alliance says cleaner cooking technology reduces the risk and severity of respiratory illness in young children. The health risks are severe. The World Health Organization estimates that household air pollution from cooking causes respiratory infections, heart disease, stroke, and cancer — all leading to early mortality. 'Millions of people are dying of heart disease, stroke, cancer, pneumonia, because they still rely on dirty fuels and cooking technologies,' Dr. Maria Neira, director of the environment, climate change and health department at the WHO, told Equal Times. 'Women and children are particularly at risk. They spend most of their time in and around the home.' Beyond the human cost, the environmental toll is immense. Firewood and charcoal harvesting drive deforestation, while incomplete combustion releases methane and other potent greenhouse gases. The IEA estimates that expanding access to clean cooking solutions could eliminate up to 1.5 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions in just five years — and 900 million tons of that could come from sub-Saharan Africa alone. 'Provision of clean cooking for all is recognized as a critical cross-sectoral development issue,' Dr. Yabei Zhang of the World Bank Clean Cooking Fund said in a report for the World Bank's Energy Sector Management Assistance Program. 'The potential societal benefits are enormous, particularly for public health, women's productivity and empowerment, and the environment.' To help bridge this gap, Saudi Arabia has stepped up. At the 2021 Future Investment Initiative, held shortly after the launch of the Middle East Green Initiative, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman unveiled plans for a $2 billion fund to provide clean cooking fuel to over 750 million people worldwide. 'This stems from the idea of creating a fund where we aim to mitigate health issues of people who use biomass to cook food,' he said, according to Saudi financial news outlet Argaam. This section contains relevant reference points, placed in (Opinion field) That vision has since taken shape through various international projects to promote cooperation on sustainable fuel solutions. One of these is the Empowering Africa initiative, a Saudi program, announced during the MENA Climate Week conference in Riyadh in 2023, focused on providing clean energy, connectivity, e-health, and e-education solutions to communities across Africa. Launched by Saudi Arabia's Oil Sustainability Program with the support of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Ministry of Health, the initiative builds on the Middle East Green Initiative's Clean Fuel Solutions for Cooking Program. It aims to improve lives and promote sustainable development in Africa by addressing energy access, digital inclusion, and healthcare challenges, and includes the provision of electric stoves to rural communities. The initiative reflects the Kingdom's commitment to tackling global environmental and social challenges, while fostering public engagement and strengthening international regulatory cooperation in the pursuit of a more sustainable future. While the road ahead is long, the message from Riyadh is clear: Clean cooking is not just a matter of convenience — it is a public health imperative, a climate solution, and a human right. And Saudi Arabia is determined to help light that fire.
Saudi Gazette
2 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
HUMAIN deploys OpenAI's latest open-source models on Groq platform inside Saudi Arabia
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's HUMAIN has fully deployed OpenAI's new open-source models — gpt-oss-120B and gpt-oss-20B — on Groq's ultra-high-speed inference platform. The models are hosted within HUMAIN's sovereign AI data centers inside the Kingdom, ensuring full compliance with local regulatory and data sovereignty frameworks. The deployment delivers OpenAI's most advanced open-source capabilities to Saudi developers, enterprises, and public institutions, offering high-speed, low-latency inference while maintaining alignment with the Kingdom's legal and privacy standards. The gpt-oss-120B and gpt-oss-20B models offer unprecedented scale, 128K context windows, and built-in tools for real-time code execution and semantic search. Running at over 500 and 1,000 tokens per second respectively on Groq's infrastructure, they enable advanced reasoning and dialogue at previously unmatched speeds. 'This is a defining moment for Saudi Arabia,' said Tareq Amin, CEO of HUMAIN. 'By hosting the world's most powerful open models locally, we are enabling Saudi innovators to access frontier AI with full sovereignty. This is what AI leadership looks like.' Jonathan Ross, CEO of Groq, added: 'Groq was built to run models like this fast, affordably, and at scale. Our partnership with HUMAIN puts us at the center of one of the most ambitious AI ecosystems globally.' The announcement marks a new phase in the strategic collaboration between HUMAIN and Groq, first revealed in May 2025. It positions Saudi Arabia as a vital global corridor for AI innovation, linking compute, compliance, and capability across the GCC, the Levant, Africa, Asia, and beyond. By ensuring that all data and inference operations occur within national borders, the deployment empowers local institutions to adopt world-class AI without compromising on privacy, compliance, or latency.
Saudi Gazette
3 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi Arabia enables free Nusuk app access without data usage
Saudi Gazette report MAKKAH — The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has activated full access to the Nusuk application without consuming mobile data, in collaboration with Saudi telecom operators STC, Mobily, and Zain, in a move aimed at easing pilgrims' journeys and enhancing the digital experience for Hajj and Umrah services. Ministry spokesperson Dr. Ghassan Al-Nouaimi said the initiative allows SIM card users in the Kingdom — citizens, residents, and visitors — to use all Nusuk services without an active data plan or internet connection. This includes issuing permits, making reservations, and accessing other digital services offered by the app, marking a significant step in enabling pilgrims and visitors to move between services seamlessly. Core services available without data usage include issuing permits for Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah, booking Haramain High-Speed Railway tickets, navigating with Nusuk Maps, using the AI-powered 'Nusuk AI' assistant, and submitting inquiries or reports. Nusuk CEO Eng. Ahmed Al-Maiman said the collaboration is a major boost to the digital experience for pilgrims and visitors, facilitating their journey for Hajj, Umrah, or visits to Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah. He noted that the initiative also enhances crowd management, enables instant access to essential information, reduces the number of lost visitors, and speeds up permit verification processes. The Ministry said the move is part of its commitment to advancing digital transformation in Hajj and Umrah services, building a fully integrated technical infrastructure that caters to diverse user needs and ensures easy, barrier-free access to services.
