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Arab News
2 hours ago
- Business
- Arab News
New Huawei-MCIT center to advance digital transformation
Huawei and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology reinforced their commitment to empowering national talent and advancing Saudi Arabia's digital transformation agenda with the opening of the Future Skills Center in Riyadh. The ceremony was attended by high-level dignitaries, including Vice Minister of Communications and Information Technology Haytham Al-Ohali, Ambassador of China to Saudi Arabia Chang Hua, Assistant Minister for Development and Transformation at the Ministry of Education Murhaf bin Mohammed Al-Madani, Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology for International Cooperation and Partnerships Mansour bin Saleh Al-Qurashi, Deputy Minister of Future Jobs and Capabilities Safa Al-Rashed, and Chairman of the Board for Huawei Saudi Arabia Liam Zhao. The Future Skills Center offers immersive learning experiences in next-generation technologies including AI, 5G, and smart applications across various industries and communities. The center stands as an evolution of the successful 'Future Space' exhibition that opened in 2022 by Huawei and in collaboration with the Saudi Space Commission. The largest of its kind outside China, the exhibition showcases advanced technologies such as autonomous driving, 3D printing and brainwave robot control. It has welcomed more than 35,000 visitors since opening its doors to the public and has offered more than 270 training sessions to over 10,000 participants in three years. With the launch of the Future Skills Center, we are deepening our commitment to creating more value and accelerating Saudi's digital future, says Liam Zhao, Chairman of Huawei Saudi Arabia Al-Ohali said: 'Enhancing digital capabilities is a pivotal element in developing human capital and a fundamental driver of growth in the technology and economic sectors. The Future Skills Center contributes by providing an advanced training environment focused on developing digital skills in modern technologies, keeping pace with the rapid technological advancements and achieving the objectives of Vision 2030.' The launch follows Huawei and MCIT's joint announcement at the 2025 LEAP Summit earlier this year to expand the Future Space exhibition into a broader Future Skills framework. Now, the Future Skills Center has been redesigned as a dynamic hub for skill-building, technological exploration, and hands-on innovation. It offers immersive learning experiences in next-generation technologies including artificial intelligence, 5G, and smart applications across various industries and communities. Speaking on the newly launched center, Ambassador Hua said: 'This initiative stands as a powerful example of the deepening cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia across the fields of innovation, education, and technology. The Future Skills Center reflects our shared belief in the importance of knowledge exchange and capacity building to drive sustainable growth. China and Saudi Arabia have a rich history of collaboration, and we will continue to partner to build a strong digital future here in Saudi Arabia.' Meanwhile Chairman Zhao said: 'When we first opened Future Space three years ago, our aim was to inspire a new generation of Saudi innovators. Since then, that inspiration has evolved into real momentum. We witness a remarkable drive here to learn about emerging tech, and this aligns fully with one of Huawei's core priorities — to develop local talent and expand access to digital skills.' With the launch of the Future Skills Center, we are deepening our commitment to creating more value and accelerating Saudi's digital future.' The newly inaugurated center is aligned with the national strategy to build a digitally enabled society and develop a competitive knowledge-based economy. It will provide training, certifications, and real-world application scenarios that strengthen local capabilities and inspire future innovators.
See - Sada Elbalad
a day ago
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Launches Egypt's First Online Training Platform in Tourism and Antiquities: EGTAP.com
Ali abo deshish Mr. Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, officially launched Egypt's first online training platform dedicated to the fields of tourism and antiquities, under the name The platform aims to offer accredited and diverse training programs to upskill and qualify human resources within the Ministry and across the tourism and antiquities sectors, in alignment with Egypt's national strategy to invest in human capital and advance digital transformation. In his opening remarks, Minister Fathy emphasized that this initiative is part of the Ministry's broader plan to build capable human resources who can adapt to rapid global changes by leveraging the latest technologies and digital tools to enhance governmental performance. He noted that the development of human capital is a cornerstone in improving service quality and enhancing Egypt's competitiveness as a leading global tourism destination. The Minister explained that the platform offers professional training content tailored to the needs of both public and private sector workers in tourism and antiquities, as well as researchers and students in the field. It provides a variety of training courses, workshops, and programs led by top academics and industry experts, with continuous performance evaluations for both trainers and trainees to ensure effective learning and maximum impact. He added that the platform introduces a flexible and advanced e-learning model that allows users to study from anywhere, at any time, and earn official digital certificates upon successful completion. In the future, the platform is also expected to connect outstanding trainees with job opportunities in the private tourism sector, further enhancing workforce quality. Moreover, the Minister noted that the platform's content will be continuously updated with new programs that reflect sector demands, including areas like sustainable tourism, food safety, marketing, management, hospitality, and more. Minister Fathy also expressed his gratitude to Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, and his team, as well as the executing company, for their support in completing the platform's technical infrastructure—highlighting the fruitful cooperation between the two ministries. He also thanked the dedicated team at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities for their efforts in finalizing all procedures needed for the platform's launch. The Minister praised the Chamber of Hotel Establishments for recently signing strategic cooperation agreements with two leading global companies in the field of digital hospitality training, noting that the Ministry is providing technical, moral, and financial support for this project. He concluded by stressing the importance of non-traditional training models aimed at enhancing the real capabilities of those working in the tourism and antiquities sectors, underlining that today's launch marks the beginning of a larger journey. In the coming years, the platform is envisioned to become one of the world's leading hubs for professional tourism and antiquities training. During the event, attendees witnessed a live demonstration of the platform, showcasing how to register, navigate the system, and access training materials. The presentation also highlighted featured trainers, major course topics, and the latest news related to the Ministry's training initiatives. Dr. Mohamed Shaaban, Assistant Minister for Digital Services, explained that the platform represents a pivotal step in leveraging technology to support and develop Egypt's tourism and antiquities sectors. He noted that users can register for free at create a personal profile with their basic, professional, and academic information, and enroll in available training courses. A selection of free live-streamed courses is already available, with pre-recorded courses to be added soon. Upon completing any course, users will receive a verified digital certificate. Dr. Soha Bahgat, Advisor to the Minister for Training, highlighted that the platform offers a modern training model tailored to the evolving needs of the sector. It aligns with Egypt's digital transformation goals and provides innovative content developed in collaboration with the Egyptian Tourism Federation and specialized tourism chambers. The content is designed to accommodate diverse professional and academic backgrounds, balancing theoretical knowledge with practical experience. In the same context, Dr. Ahmed Raheemah, Assistant Minister for Human Resources Development and General Supervisor of the Central Training Unit, stated that the platform not only delivers training but also contributes to building clear, structured career paths for sector workers. It ensures equal training opportunities and represents a qualitative leap in the training of Ministry employees and affiliated bodies, with specialized courses in archaeological sites and museums, human development, scientific research, arts and architecture, history and civilization, excavation sciences, and entrepreneurship. He added that this platform is aligned with Egypt's Vision 2030, which emphasizes building human capital and achieving sustainable development through investment in education and training. It supports national efforts to improve workforce efficiency and adaptability to technological changes through flexible, continuous learning opportunities tailored to practical, real-world needs. The event was attended by: • Yomna El-Bahhar, Deputy Minister • Dr. Mohamed Ismail, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities • Eng. Ahmed Youssef, Assistant Minister for Strategic Affairs and Acting CEO of the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority • Mr. Ahmed Obeid, Assistant Minister for Administrative Affairs and Permanent Undersecretary • Dr. Ahmed Ghoneim, CEO of the Grand Egyptian Museum Authority • Dr. Tayyeb Abbas, CEO of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization Authority • Eng. Mostafa Al-Din Imam, Assistant Minister for the Minister's Office Affairs • Mr. Mohamed Fahmy, Assistant Minister for Economic Affairs • Mr. Ehab Salem, Assistant Minister for Internal Audit and Governance • Ms. Samia Sami, Assistant Minister for Tourism Companies Affairs • Counselor Mohamed Kamel Abdel Zaher, Legal Advisor to the Ministry • Mr. Mohamed Amer, Head of the Central Department for Hotel Establishments and Tourism Activities • Dr. Soha Bahgat, Advisor to the Minister for Training • Ms. Riham Samir, Advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs • Dr. Mohamed Shaaban, Advisor to the Minister for Digital Services • Eng. Yomna Ismail, Advisor to the Minister for the Grand Egyptian Museum Affairs read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Arts & Culture Hawass Foundation Launches 1st Course to Teach Ancient Egyptian Language
Observer
3 days ago
- Business
- Observer
Oman's digital transformation performance up 80%
Muscat - The National Program for Digital Transformation (Tahawul) (2021-2025) has recorded an 80 percent increase in overall performance since its launch until the end of May 2025. The program achieved a 19 percent qualitative leap over its performance recorded at the end of the first half of last year, confirming the effectiveness of the implemented strategies and the levels of progress achieved in organizational and digital structures as an effective tool for leading the digital transformation in the Sultanate of Oman towards a digital government that applies the highest standards of efficiency, speed of implementation, and quality of services. The average readiness of government institutions for digital transformation rose to 81 percent, a seven percent increase over the rate recorded at the end of June 2024. Meanwhile, the readiness of the digital infrastructure in government institutions rose to 86 percent, and procedures for 96 percent of targeted and priority government services were simplified, including 381 services whose procedures were simplified in Manjam's laboratories for simplifying government procedures. 74 percent of targeted and priority government services were digitized. 48 government agencies completed 11,439,542 digital transactions between January and May 2025. 33 advisory and enabling sessions were held in the areas of digital transformation, and 4,100 services were documented and indexed in the digital guide for government services. Dr. Ali bin Amer Al-Shidhani, Undersecretary for Communications and Information Technology at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology and Chairman of the Technical Committee for the Government Digital Transformation Program, said that the results and performance indicators of the "Transformation" program reflect the extent of concerted national efforts and the commitment of government institutions to proceed with confident steps towards a promising digital government. He praised the level of institutional integration with the program's vision and objectives, which embodies the ability to keep pace with digital transformations with confident and deliberate steps. Al Shidhani affirmed that the "Transformation" program is moving forward to continue enhancing the efficiency of digital services, improving infrastructure, completing the digitization of more services, and empowering national competencies, in line with an ambitious national direction to build a more innovative future that meets the aspirations of the Sultanate of Oman's renewed renaissance. Among the most notable achievements of the National Government Digital Transformation Program (Tahweel) over the past period is the launch of the unified government services portal, which includes 23 government services for a number of government agencies. The number of portal users reached 35,746, while the number of service requests completed through the portal reached 3,905. The Visual Library section was activated in sign language to support the use of the portal by people with disabilities. The electronic payment gateway (OmanNet) has also been fully operational, contributing to an increase in the volume of electronic payment transactions and reducing the risk of fraudulent transactions. The total number of transactions executed through the platform reached 14.5 million digital transactions during the first quarter of this year. The number of active users of the electronic document and records management system "Wusool" has reached more than 17,000, and the total number of documents created through the system has exceeded 1.5 million, providing services to 20 government entities using the system. The number of digital transactions signed via electronic authentication during the first half of 2025 reached approximately 1,572,638 digital transactions. The number of data records exchanged via the National Electronic Integration Platform during the same period reached 163 million records. More than 90 digital community consultations were conducted to enhance the government's efforts to activate the digital participation approach across various government institutions and governorates in the Sultanate of Oman. It may be noted that the National Government Digital Transformation Program falls under the umbrella of the National Digital Economy Program. The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, in coordination with all government agencies, has drawn up a roadmap and an implementation plan for the program spanning the period (2021-2025) to transition to a digital government based on governance principles and the use of emerging technologies to create a future-oriented government agency that provides an integrated digital experience.
Muscat Daily
3 days ago
- Business
- Muscat Daily
Digital services surge as Oman advances towards e-govt goals
Muscat – The National Programme for Digital Transformation – Tahawul – has achieved an 80% overall performance rate since its launch in 2021, marking a 19% increase over the results recorded in mid-2024. The figures, released at the end of May 2025, highlight progress made across government institutions in digital infrastructure readiness, simplified public services and increased adoption of e-services. According to Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, the average readiness of government bodies for digital transformation reached 81%, while infrastructure readiness stood at 86%. Procedures for 96% of targeted government services were simplified, including 381 services revised under Manjam Labs – a collaborative initiative to improve government service efficiency. Additionally, 74% of priority services have been digitised, and between January and May this year, 48 government agencies processed more than 11.4mn digital transactions. A total of 4,100 services were indexed in the government's digital services guide, and 33 advisory sessions were held to support public sector digitalisation. H E Dr Ali bin Amer al Shidhani, Undersecretary for Communications and Information Technology and Chairman of Tahawul's technical committee, said the results reflect national efforts and institutional commitment to the programme's objectives. He noted that the direction of the transformation aligns with Oman's broader digital economy goals and aims to enhance service delivery and empower local talent. H E Dr Ali bin Amer al Shidhani, Undersecretary for Communications and Information Technology Among key achievements is the launch of a unified government services portal, now offering 23 services from various agencies. The platform has recorded 35,746 users and processed 3,905 service requests. A library in sign language has also been activated to support users with disabilities. The OmanNet electronic payment gateway is now fully operational, handling 14.5mn digital transactions in the first quarter alone. The system is designed to reduce fraud risk and encourage electronic payment adoption. The Wusool system for electronic document and records management has registered over 17,000 active users and processed more than 1.5mn documents across 20 government entities. In the first half of 2025, over 1.57mn digital transactions were signed using electronic authentication. The National Electronic Integration Platform exchanged 163mn records, while more than 90 digital public consultations were held to enhance citizen participation in policymaking. Tahawul is a core initiative under Oman's National Digital Economy Programme. It runs from 2021 to 2025, targeting a shift to a fully digital government based on principles of good governance and adoption of emerging technologies.
Broadcast Pro
22-07-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Saudi Arabia and UK explore collaboration on LEO satellite connectivity
Saudi tech delegation in UK explored high-speed connectivity and partnerships to advance communication in key sectors like transport, energy, industry and education. A high-level Saudi Arabian delegation, led by Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha, visited leading British technology companies and research centres during an official tour of the United Kingdom, focusing on advancing deep tech, digital innovation and satellite communications, according to a report by Saudi Press Agency. The delegation began its tour at Wayve, a company focused on AI-driven autonomous driving technologies, where they were introduced to AV2.0, the companys latest generation of smart mobility solutions. They later visited Automata Technologies, a company specialising in laboratory automation through robotics. Here, they explored the LINQ platform, which integrates AI to accelerate diagnostics and biomedical research, highlighting new collaboration opportunities in digital health and life sciences. To support tech entrepreneurship and deep technology adoption, the Saudi representatives held talks with leaders from Catapult, a UK organisation focused on scaling innovative businesses. Discussions centred around potential partnerships to help foster startup ecosystems and facilitate the integration of cutting-edge technologies across sectors. The delegation also engaged with executives from OneWeb, a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite company, to explore joint initiatives for high-speed connectivity solutions. Conversations focused on deploying advanced communications infrastructure across key sectors such as transport, energy, industry and education, aiming to bolster innovation and support the Kingdoms growing space and satellite ecosystem. This visit is part of Saudi Arabias broader strategy to localise future technologies, strengthen global partnerships, and position itself as a major center for innovation, in line with the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030.
