
Saudi Arabia's Diriyah Co., Kakao Mobility sign deal to boost smart mobility
Announced in a post on X, the agreement is designed to develop integrated transportation solutions to accommodate the 50 million annual visitors projected during the first phase of the Diriyah project.
The partnership will see Kakao Mobility contribute to the implementation of digital transport systems, seamless transit services, and smart parking infrastructure. The initiative aligns with Saudi Arabia's broader push to diversify its economy and reduce its dependence on oil, as outlined in Vision 2030.
'Mobility to shape the future of urban mobility. This collaboration brings smart, sustainable solutions to life, enhancing the digital movement experience for over 50 million annual visits by 2030,' Diriyah Co. stated in its post on X.
The agreement marks the beginning of a phased rollout, starting with a smart parking pilot. The project also includes plans for a fully integrated prototype for smart parking and the deployment of advanced digital systems to streamline urban movement within Diriyah.
In addition to enhancing visitor mobility, the collaboration supports Saudi Arabia's National Tourism Strategy, which aims to attract 150 million visitors annually by 2030.
The company emphasized that the digital platform under development will connect key destinations within Diriyah, contributing to sustainable urban mobility and reinforcing the Kingdom's commitment to innovation and smart city solutions.
Once completed, the Diriyah development is expected to contribute SR18.6 billion ($4.96 billion) to the Kingdom's gross domestic product and create approximately 178,000 jobs.
In April, Diriyah Co. awarded a contract worth SR5.1 billion for the construction of the Royal Diriyah Opera House — a major cultural project. The contract was granted to El-Seif Engineering Contracting, Midmac Contracting Co. W.L.L., and China State Construction Engineering Corp.
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Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
WPP Media's MENA CEO on multinational group's AI-centric approach
Multinational advertising network WPP's media-investment business GroupM at the end of May announced its rebranding to WPP Media, signaling a new era for the network and its clients. WPP Media manages more than $60 billion in annual media investment and works with more than 75 percent of the world's leading advertisers in more than 80 markets, the company said. Arab News spoke with Amer El Hajj, Middle East and North Africa CEO of WPP Media, to understand how the rebrand is being implemented and what its implications are for the group and its clients, particularly in the MENA region. The rebrand represents 'a fundamental shift from GroupM to WPP Media, reflecting our evolution into a fully integrated, AI-powered media company,' he said. Along with a new visual identity, the key change 'is deeper integration across our agencies through WPP Open, enabling seamless collaboration between media, data, production, and creative teams to deliver personalized solutions at scale,' he added. GroupM comprised three agencies: Mindshare, Wavemaker, and Essence Mediacom. These agencies will now serve as 'homes for dedicated client teams' representing a shift from 'separate agency P&Ls (profit and loss statements) … to integrated client service teams that share technology, data, and operational functions while maintaining brand names and identities for client relationships,' El Hajj explained. Commenting on the timing of the rebrand, he said: 'GroupM was built for an era when media scale mattered most. 'Today's reality is different — we're in the AI era where media is everywhere and in everything.' Clients, too, demand integrated capabilities covering media, production, and technology, and so, the rebrand aims to reflect this new landscape, 'emphasizing our AI-driven approach' and integration with WPP's 'creative and technology ecosystem.' Organizations in many industries are adopting AI at an accelerating pace and the advertising and media industry is no exception. One report found that in the US alone, 91 percent of advertising agencies are either currently using (61 percent) generative AI or exploring use cases (30 percent) for the technology. For WPP Media, being 'AI-driven' means embedding AI throughout its operations, El Hajj said. These include tasks such as analyzing vast data sets for deeper consumer understanding, automating media buying for greater efficiency, personalizing creative content in large volumes, and predicting campaign performance, he said. The role of AI in planning, buying and optimizing media campaigns enables 'real-time bidding, audience prediction, and creative personalization at unprecedented scale,' he said. Moreover, generative AI helps write advertising copy and even create multiple content variations, in addition to generating insights from complex data. AI is undoubtedly a powerful tool, but ultimately, it remains just that: a tool. 'It's not about replacing human creativity but amplifying it,' El Hajj said. 'AI enhances rather than threatens human talent' by handling monotonous tasks that free up people for strategic thinking, relationship building, and creative problem-solving, he added. The core tenet of the rebrand — widespread AI adoption — is made possible by WPP Open, the network's AI-enabled marketing operating system that connects all capabilities through one platform. The platform features real-time data and is available to employees of all agencies. This means that data about the performance of adverts can be used to optimize creative production of those ads in real time. Similarly, media targeting decisions by one agency can be made instantly based on creative insights from another agency within the company. 'This integration eliminates traditional silos, accelerates campaign development, and ensures all client touchpoints are coordinated and data-driven rather than operating independently,' El Hajj said. The move comes at a time when clients in the MENA region are 'increasingly sophisticated in AI adoption, particularly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, where Vision 2030 and digital transformation initiatives drive innovation.' Contrary to what some believe, El Hajj said, 'many regional clients are actually ahead of some global counterparts in embracing AI for customer experience and operational efficiency.' In Saudi Arabia specifically, he said, the rebrand 'positions us perfectly to capitalize on the Kingdom's unprecedented AI investment landscape,' building on Saudi's $100 billion AI initiative announced late last year. When it comes to dealing with clients in the region, the group has a 'globally powered, locally rooted' approach, as regional clients 'want AI capabilities but implemented with deep understanding of local markets, languages, and cultural nuances,' he said. The restructure is expected to affect 40 percent to 45 percent of GroupM's workforce, which does not necessarily imply layoffs, but rather changes to team structures, according to media reports. El Hajj said that the company is 'heavily investing' in upskilling talent for 'AI-powered marketing' while recruiting specialists in areas like data science and integrated commerce. The company has developed internal training programs targeting different organizational levels. It also provides AI literacy sessions and hands-on training with WPP Open tools for all employees. In the MENA region, WPP Media is creating region-specific modules that address 'local market dynamics and cultural considerations' for employees at all seniority levels, he said. El Hajj added: 'The focus is on evolution, not revolution,' and the future belongs to those 'who can leverage AI tools while bringing uniquely human skills like cultural intelligence and strategic creativity.'


Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Startup Wrap: Saudi firms surge as AI, food tech, and fintech deals highlight ecosystem's rapid ascent
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's startup ecosystem continues to gain momentum, with a surge of early- and growth-stage investments across technology-driven sectors including AI, food tech, logistics, and sports. Kamco Invest has announced it acquired a stake in Foodics, a fast-growing restaurant technology and payments platform based in Saudi Arabia. The transaction, completed in the fourth quarter of 2024 but only now made public, aligns with Kamco Invest's strategy to back high-growth, tech-enabled businesses in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly those with initial public offering potential. Founded in 2014, Foodics serves over 33,000 restaurants with an annual gross merchandise value of over $10 billion in 2024. The cloud-based platform offers an integrated solution for restaurant operators to manage orders, operations, finances, and access to capital through a single interface. Kamco Invest Director of Private Equity Dalal Al-Shaya said: 'We are proud to back a regional tech champion like Foodics. Its scale, innovation, and strong investor base signal an exciting growth trajectory.' The company is targeting a public listing on Tadawul within the next two to three years. Foodics' most recent $170 million funding round was led by Prosus and Sanabil Investments, a fund owned by the Public Investment Fund, with participation from Sequoia Capital India, STV, Raed Ventures, and Endeavor Catalyst. Calo raises $39m in series B extension to fuel global growth Saudi food tech startup Calo has secured a $39 million series B extension led by AlJazira Capital, bringing its total series B funding to $64 million. The latest round follows a $25 million tranche closed in December 2024 and was oversubscribed beyond the originally targeted $50 million due to strong investor interest. Proceeds from the round will support Calo's international expansion, continued product development, and integration of recently acquired UK-based meal subscription companies. Calo, which delivered more than 10 million meals in 2024, reports high-growth, nine-figure annualized revenue and claims to be the world's fastest-growing meal subscription service. CEO Ahmed Al-Rawi said: 'We're living in an interesting time where AI is transforming our lives, and we're excited to be investing in cutting-edge innovation to explore how Calo can use AI to influence the future of how we discover and eat healthy food.' The company acquired Fresh Fitness Food and Detox Kitchen to enter the European market and has since integrated both into its operations and technology stack. Calo says it operates more than 10 physical locations across the GCC, including hospital-based outlets, and has launched operations in the UK and Oman. Its customer base spans Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, as well as Qatar, and Kuwait, with over 5,000 customers already on the waiting list in Oman, the company claimed. In the first half of 2025, Calo said it achieved over 50 percent year-on-year growth, bolstered by a localization strategy that included the appointment of General Managers in each regional market. Calo recently partnered with Armah Sports Co. to explore co-located retail outlets and wellness collaborations. Armah's founder, Fahad Al-Hagbani, has joined Calo's board as an independent member. Calo remains headquartered in Riyadh and is planning for an IPO in Saudi Arabia. Flex League closes seed round to build unified racquet sports platform Flex League, a Saudi sports-tech company focused on padel and tennis, has raised a six-digit dollar seed round led by the Professional Tennis Academy and PAD-L Group. The new capital will be used to develop a court booking system, support expansion into new Saudi cities and across the MENA region, and grow its team across engineering, product, and operations. The platform currently serves nearly 10,000 players and allows users to join competitive leagues, book courts, and track match results. It also offers court operators tools to manage tournaments and engage local sports communities. CEO Ibrahim Akeel said: 'With this investment, we're creating a unified platform where players can compete, connect, and now book courts – all in one app.' The company aims to drive deeper engagement in the region's growing racquet sports ecosystem by blending digital matchmaking with physical play. Sawt secures $1m to advance Arabic voice AI customer support Sawt, a Saudi startup focused on Arabic-native voice AI systems, has closed a $1 million pre-seed round led by T2 and STV. The funding will be used to enhance its proprietary models, scale its technical infrastructure, and grow its team as it prepares to serve millions of voice interactions. The platform enables businesses to conduct customer support, bookings, and sales through AI voice agents that operate 24/7 with natural and intelligent responses. In just two months since its launch, Sawt claims it served dozens of businesses and processed hundreds of thousands of calls. Co-founder and CEO Abdulmalik Al-Saeed said: 'We're proud to contribute to this movement by building Arabic voice technology from the ground up, right here in the Kingdom.' STV General Partner Ahmad Al-Naimi added: 'Sawt exemplifies a new wave of Saudi AI-native ventures. With a strong tech edge and commercial momentum, they're poised to lead the $800 million to $1.2 billion GCC AI call center automation market.' Abdulkarim Al-Jarba, CEO of T2, noted that the investment supports T2's strategy to deliver advanced technology solutions across its network. OmniOps unveils platform to deliver sovereign AI inference services OmniOps has launched Bunyan, the Kingdom's first sovereign Inference-as-a-Service platform. The announcement follows a strategic meeting with the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Abdullah Al-Swaha. The platform supports AI applications in text, vision, and speech, with a focus on data sovereignty and enterprise-grade compliance. CEO Mohammed Al-Tassan said: 'Bunyan delivers unprecedented performance improvements that revolutionize how organizations deploy and scale AI applications.' He added that the platform has demonstrated efficiency gains, including a doubling of inference speed, over 50 percent reduction in energy use, and at least 40 percent lower latency. Bunyan provides an end-to-end infrastructure stack with model deployment tools, support for NVIDIA and Groq hardware, and access to both public and private models. It enables organizations to build AI-driven applications such as natural language chatbots, document summarization tools, and systems for rapid insight extraction from unstructured data. Olivery secures seed funding from Ibtikar Fund and Flat6Labs Mashreq Olivery, a B2B Software-as-a-Service company focused on digitising logistics operations, has raised seed funding from Ibtikar Fund and Flat6Labs Mashreq Seed Fund. The platform allows logistics providers and merchants to manage order creation, routing, delivery, and customer engagement through a no-code/low-code interface. Since its founding in 2020, Olivery has scaled to serve over 200 active clients across nine countries. The company plans to use the new funding to expand regionally and roll out AI-driven features including predictive routing, automated data entry, and proactive customer support. CEO Ram Merei said: 'Together with Ibtikar and Flat6Labs, we're delivering technology that allows national couriers and independent merchants alike to operate with the speed, transparency, and reliability that modern commerce demands.' Ibtikar's Managing Partner Habib Hazzan stated: 'Their platform is not only scalable and robust — it's thoughtfully designed for the realities of local markets.' Rasha Manna, general manager of Flat6Labs Mashreq Seed Fund, noted that the firm has backed Olivery from its earliest stages and remains committed to supporting its expansion. Mataa closes seed round to expand Libya's e-commerce infrastructure Mataa, a Libya-based e-commerce platform, has completed its first seed investment round with backing from Libyan business angels. The funding will be used to strengthen Mataa's logistics network, expand its warehouse capacity, and onboard new suppliers and product categories. Founder and CEO Ibrahim Shuwehdi stated that the round reflects growing investor confidence in Libya's entrepreneurial potential and geographic advantage. The company supports merchants in reaching over 6 million internet users and offers Facebook integration for easier product listing and reduced advertising costs. 'This round is not just a financial boost but a signal to the wider ecosystem to encourage more venture investment in Libyan startups and SMEs,' Shuwehdi said. Mataa is also looking to recruit experienced regional talent to support its long-term strategy.


Asharq Al-Awsat
4 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Iran Condemns US Sanctions on 'Shadow Fleet' Controlled by Shamkhani's Son
Iran on Thursday as 'malicious' the new US sanctions targeting a fleet of oil tankers and container ships controlled by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani, a close political adviser to Iran's supreme leader. On Wednesday, the US Treasury Department announced fresh sanctions on over 115 Iran-linked individuals, entities and vessels, in a sign the Trump administration is doubling down on its 'maximum pressure' campaign after bombing Tehran's key nuclear sites in June. The sanctions broadly target the shipping interests of Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, widely known as 'Hector,' one of biggest oil traders in Iran, and he owns a group of companies active in the Iranian oil trade. He is also involved in the management of the network's illicit activities through various companies. Iran relies heavily on the so-called 'shadow fleet' to circumvent western oil sanctions. The US Treasury said the new sanctions were the most significant Iran-related action since 2018, during President Donald Trump's first administration. According to Treasury, Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani controls a vast network of container ships and tankers through a complex web of intermediaries that sell Iranian and Russian oil and other goods throughout the world. It accused him of using personal connections and corruption in Tehran to generate tens of billions of dollars in profits, much of which is used to prop up the Iranian regime. Overall, the new sanctions target 15 shipping firms, 52 vessels, 12 individuals and 53 entities involved in sanctions evasion in 17 countries, ranging from Panama to Italy to Hong Kong. A US official said the new sanctions would make it 'much more difficult' for Iran to sell its oil, but added that the administration did not anticipate any sustained disruption to global oil markets. The official said that Iran's oil exports had already declined to around 1.2 million barrels per day, from 1.8 million barrels per day at the start of the year, after the Trump administration imposed several smaller rounds of sanctions targeting Iran's oil business. 'We're still engaging further action to bring that number down even more,' the official said, noting that sanctions pressure during Trump's first term had cut Iran oil flows to a few hundred thousand barrels per day. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said: 'The Shamkhani family's shipping empire highlights how the Iranian regime elites leverage their positions to accrue massive wealth and fund the regime's dangerous behavior.' Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei called the sanctions 'a clear example of America's hostility towards the Iranian nation.' He condemned 'the new US sanctions against Iranian oil trade' as 'a malicious act aimed at sabotaging economic development and the well-being of the Iranian people.' He also pointed to what he described as recent US and Israeli 'military aggression' against Iranian territory, saying it was part of a broader campaign to destabilize the country and obstruct its development, according to AFP. He accused Washington of pursuing 'economic terrorism' through unilateral and coercive measures that he said violated international law and the basic rights of Iranians. A US official said that Wednesday's action would impact both Russia and Iran, but the action was focused on Iran. 'From our perspective, given where this individual fits, given his connection to the Supreme Leader and his father's previous sanctions activities, given the Iran-related authorities, it's critically important to emphasize that this is an Iran action that is meaningful and very impactful,' the official said. European sanctions Earlier in July, the European Union sanctioned Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, citing his role in the Russian oil trade. He was added to the bloc's sanctions list for his role in the Russian oil trade and as 'a central player' in the country's so-called 'shadow fleet,' the EU said, reported Bloomberg. Iran's oil exports reached around $35 billion in the 12 months to end-March 2024. A Bloomberg News investigation last year showed how the Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani network had become a major player in the export of Russian and Iranian oil, and established a hedge fund with offices in London, Dubai and Geneva to help manage the proceeds. He has consistently contested Bloomberg's reporting on his business affairs. Ali Shamkhani, Mohammad Hossein's father, was sanctioned by the United States in 2020. The latest sanctions announcement came as prospects for renewed US-Iran diplomacy remained dim in the aftermath of the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites in June.