Latest news with #BGIGroup
Arab News
16-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Center's agreement aims at combating desertification
JEDDAH: The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification has signed an agreement with the Gansu Desert Control Research Institute to enhance cooperation in combating desertification. The deal was signed by Khaled bin Abdullah Al-Abdulkader, the CEO of the center, during the visit of Abdulrahman Al-Fadli, the Saudi minister of environment, water and agriculture, to China. The signing followed a decision by the Council of Ministers in December 2024. The agreement aims to foster collaboration in combating desertification, sand encroachment, drought, land degradation, and the impact of drought in arid areas, while promoting the sustainable management of drylands. Al-Abdulkader also held strategic meetings with several prominent Chinese companies to explore potential collaborations with a view to attracting investment to Saudi Arabia. Discussions took place on initiatives such as natural asset management, rangeland rehabilitation, desert resort development, and the transfer of greening and desertification control technologies, supporting Saudi Arabia's vision for a green economy and sustainable land use. Al-Abdulkader met BGI Group representatives in Beijing to explore cutting-edge technologies for mangrove cultivation, which plays a key role in coastal protection, vegetation expansion, and environmental sustainability. He also held discussions at Shanghai Mengfu Environmental Protection Technology Company, focusing on innovative solutions for converting invasive plant species into marketable, eco-friendly products. In the field of environmental design, Al-Abdulkader met representatives from LWK Engineering and Landscape to oversee the company's portfolio of ecological design projects and examine opportunities for collaboration in the planning and development of national parks, botanical gardens, and wetland areas. These engagements reflect the center's commitment to strengthening international partnerships, promoting green investment, and adopting forward-looking solutions that contribute to sustainable environmental development, in line with Saudi Arabia's strategic objectives.
South China Morning Post
10-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Microsoft abruptly cuts services to Chinese university, genomics firm
US technology giant Microsoft has abruptly suspended some services for a number of clients in mainland China, fuelling speculation about accelerating technological decoupling between the world's two largest economies. Advertisement Guangzhou-based Sun Yat-sen University sent a notice to faculty and students on Tuesday night stating that Microsoft 365 services – including OneDrive, OneNote, and SharePoint – will cease operations on Thursday afternoon. 'Please log in to Microsoft 365 as soon as possible to retrieve personal data and files,' the university's network and information centre said in its email, which was seen by the South China Morning Post. A staff member on the university's IT help desk said it was Microsoft's choice to terminate the school's business account. The move comes just days after BGI Group, a leading Chinese genomics company, suddenly lost access to its own Microsoft services, including the Outlook email system and OneDrive cloud storage platform. Two employees of the company noted that the company was caught off guard by the sudden service suspension, which forced it to scramble for alternatives, including the emergency use of the WPS Office suite, from Beijing-based Kingsoft. The termination of service was first reported by Nikkei Asia. Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. It has not made any public statements explaining the reason for the suspensions. Advertisement BGI Group has been a target of US authorities. Several of its subsidiaries have been added to the US Commerce Department's trade blacklist in recent years.
Express Tribune
27-01-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
WB offers environmental support
LAHORE: World Bank Vice President for South Asia Martin Raiser has declared Punjab a regional champion in taking effective measures for environmental improvement. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and a delegation led by the World Bank regional VP agreed during a meeting to take joint measures for poverty alleviation, improvements in the information technology and infrastructure sectors, solving environmental problems and social development. VP Martin Raiser said, "The World Bank wants to strengthen its partnership with Pakistan, especially Punjab. The Punjab government has taken exemplary steps in education and IT along with coping with hazards of climate change in the province." Matters pertaining to accelerating the pace of ongoing World Bank projects in Punjab along with launching new projects were also discussed. WB Vice President Martin Raiser appreciated the CM's public welfare projects. He said Punjab's projects were in conformity with the World Bank's 'country partnership'. The delegation offered its complete cooperation for environmental improvement along with improving the sanitation system in the province. The World Bank delegation appreciated an initiative to merge population welfare with the health department. WB Vice President Martin Raiser expressed hope that the merger would provide better services to the people. The chief minister appreciated the World Bank's collaboration for the uplift and prosperity of Punjab. She said, "We seek further assistance by the World Bank in education, health, tourism and environment projects. Special training programmes have been introduced to enable the youth in Punjab to link with the global IT market." She said the Punjab Clean Air Programme was being launched with the support of the World Bank. She added, "Electric buses, rickshaws and bikes will be introduced under the Punjab Clean Air Programme. Vehicle Inspection Stations are being established with the support of the World Bank. Eliminating environmental pollution is a matter of survival and support of the World Bank being provided is valuable in this regard. We will continue to collaborate with the World Bank to accelerate the journey of development." Chinese investment A Chinese company, BGI Group, has offered a pilot project for rice and corn cultivation in Punjab along with planting GMO cotton to yield more production. The group will also collaborate for cancer treatment and genetic testing in Punjab. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz met BGI Group Chairman Wang Jian and discussed the progress being made on an MoU for cancer treatment and advanced genetic research signed during her recent visit to China. The Chinese delegation offered the pilot project for rice and corn cultivation in the desert area of Bahawalpur. The CM welcomed the offer and appointed the provincial agriculture minister as a focal person in this regard. It was agreed to cultivate GMO cotton with the cooperation of the Chinese group to increase production by 15 per cent. The chief minister sought a workable plan from the health secretary on the offer of complete collaboration by the Chinese group with regard to cancer treatment and genetic testing in Punjab. The CM said, "Collaboration between BGI Group and the Punjab government will prove to be a game changer in the health sector. The Punjab government strives to establish the region's most advanced genetic testing laboratory in the province. Modern genetic technology for cancer diagnosis and treatment will be used in Punjab."
