Latest news with #Al-Jeraisy
Arab News
11-02-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Orange Business to offer subscription-based Smart City services in Saudi Arabia
RIYADH: Digital system integrator Orange Business is set to roll out 'Smart City-as-a-Service' in Saudi Arabia, aiming to drive significant financial and time savings, a senior company official said. Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of LEAP 2025 in Riyadh, Mohammed Al-Jeraisy, managing director for Saudi Arabia and Africa, said the service will develop Smart City applications for cloud deployment, capitalizing on the sector's rapid growth. The Saudi Smart Cities market is projected to expand considerably, with revenue expected to hit $560 million by 2025, according to data firm Statista. Globally, the US is forecasted to generate the highest revenue in the segment at $27.06 billion in the same year. 'This is something that is known — it's a challenge. When you implement a Smart City solution, deployment is costly and time-consuming. These projects typically take years to develop and build. What a Smart City-as-a-Service solution does today is help customers adopt the solution quickly, saving both time and costs,' Al-Jeraisy said. He added that the new model could cut costs by 40 to 60 percent and reduce adoption time by up to 80 percent. Al-Jeraisy also highlighted the flexibility of the subscription-based model, which allows customers to choose specific Smart City services as needed. 'When it comes to Smart City services, there are many — plenty of them. You can think of major services like a city's command and control center, which is essential. You also need solutions for the environment and applications for traffic management. Today, you can start using these services immediately and access them through the platform,' Al-Jeraisy said. The model enables customers to opt in and out of services as required. 'You can subscribe to the service today, use it for as long as you need, and stop whenever you decide. You can then go for another service. I think that's one of the key benefits we offer to customers,' he added. Despite the name, Smart City-as-a-Service is not limited to cities, Al-Jeraisy said. 'It can be used for campuses, stadiums, events, and even universities because what truly matters are the applications and use cases we build on the platform,' Al-Jeraisy said, noting that both small and large cities, as well as airports and schools, can benefit from these services. Saudi Arabia is emerging as a leader in Smart City and AI adoption, he noted, adding that the global adoption rate for Smart City-as-a-Service currently stands at 33 percent and is expected to rise as more customers recognize its benefits. Orange Business has been involved in large-scale Smart City projects in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East for more than a decade. It is engaged in major regional developments, including projects in Egypt and the Arabian Gulf states, and contributes to the SMART Africa initiative to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development across the continent. The company signed a deal in September 2023 with the King Abdullah Financial District Development & Management Company to design, build, and operate a Smart City platform integrating existing digital technologies at Saudi Arabia's prime business district, KAFD. The platform leverages AI and data analytics while providing Digital Master Systems Integration services. Orange Business is also orchestrating a partner ecosystem to drive new use cases and seamless integration.
Arab News
04-02-2025
- Health
- Arab News
Officials highlight importance of research ecosystems to develop Saudi health policy
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is building a robust health research ecosystem to inform policy development and promote sustainable growth, three Saudi health officials said on Tuesday. The comments were made during a panel discussion at the Global Healthspan Summit 2025 in Riyadh, which has Arab News as a media partner. Speaking during the panel discussion titled 'GCC Exchange,' Dr. Nouf Al-Numair, secretary general of the Saudi Ministerial Committee for Health in All Policies (HiAP), highlighted how the Kingdom is embedding health considerations into all sectors to tackle age-related diseases and foster collaboration across the Gulf Cooperation Council. 'In Saudi Arabia, we are governing HiAP at a higher level — it's embedded within the central government,' said Dr. Al-Numair. She added that through a ministerial committee exercising this topic, HiAP is supported by 11 ministries working together to activate health in all policies across the Kingdom. Dr. Al-Numair highlighted Saudi Arabia's focus on developing a strong research ecosystem as a foundation for addressing national challenges. 'This ecosystem is crucial because it informs policy development and research allows us to set priorities, understand challenges and proactively solve them through policies — not just isolated initiatives or programs,' she said. Dr. Al-Numair outlined five key pillars essential for building a strong research ecosystem: Strong governance and alignment, building capabilities, clear funding mechanisms, data and digital infrastructure, and collaborative platforms. 'We need a robust governance structure to align research with national strategies,' she said, highlighting the importance of central coordination to ensure that research addresses priority areas. Dr. Al-Numair said that investing in the workforce and preparing for futuristic jobs within the research environment is key to creating a sustainable ecosystem. 'A defined funding mechanism ensures that researchers, scientists and innovators are adequately supported to contribute to the ecosystem,' she added. Digitalizing data and creating a comprehensive digital infrastructure is critical for enabling research and collaboration, she said. Dr. Majed Al-Jeraisy, executive director of research and education at the Saudi NIH, further highlighted the challenges of building research infrastructure from scratch and highlighted the need to first change cultural mindsets. 'This is the most important element to start with,' said Dr. Al-Jeraisy. 'We need to shift the mindset and culture around research before focusing on other key elements such as setting clear milestones and measurable goals within the strategy.' Dr. Al-Jeraisy also highlighted the importance of recruiting high-caliber scientists to support the collaborative nature of research into extending the healthy human lifespan. He said that this research requires a collaborative approach between scientists and clinicians. 'This integration doesn't exist yet, so we need to foster more collaboration and even recruit experienced scientists from abroad to embed this culture within the system.' Leveraging artificial intelligence and big data is another critical priority, Dr. Al-Jeraisy added. 'Without a robust database for our community, we cannot develop a strategy, road map, or even efficient planning and funding,' he said. Dr. Al-Jeraisy added that having sustainable funding is crucial. 'Setting up infrastructure requires securing resources to support long-term healthspan and longevity research.' He added that the field demands sustained momentum and stakeholder engagement over time. Adding to the discussion, Dr. Walid Al-Keridy, director, home health care administration at the Ministry of Health, highlighted how the ministry is taking a holistic approach to address healthy longevity and lifespan in alignment with Vision 2030. 'In the Ministry of Health, our North Star and vision are to ensure that every individual in our society is not only living longer, but also healthier, supported by a resilient healthcare system,' Dr. Al-Keridy said. He outlined the ministry's guiding principles, which prioritize prevention, health and digital transformation, private-sector partnerships and program sustainability. Dr. Al-Keridy highlighted the importance of designing programs that meet people where they are, linking them to Vision 2030 priorities and ensuring sustainability. 'We address this at multiple levels within the ministry through resilient programs that ensure value in the healthcare system. These principles are embedded in our initiatives, such as the value-based program and even in our contractual agreements with new therapies,' he said. The 'GCC Exchange' panel explored how Gulf countries are fostering collaboration to tackle age-related diseases and promote sustainable growth in healthspan research. Dr. Al-Numair concluded by highlighting Saudi Arabia's leadership in health policy and research innovation within the region. 'By focusing on governance, capabilities, funding, infrastructure and collaboration, we can build a health ecosystem that not only addresses current challenges, but also prepares us for the future,' she said.
