beIN SPORTS, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)’s leading broadcaster, will champion the growing equality and diversity in global football by airing live and exclusive all 64 matches of this summer’s much-anticipated FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 – the first of the tournament’s nine editions to feature 32 teams.Through its beINSPIRED initiative, beIN is committed to elevating the profile of under-represented sports globally and recognizes the value that all sports, and particularly women’s sports, play in advancing equality across the international sports ecosystem.beIN will broadcast the opening and closing ceremonies and matches, semi-finals and final across the MENA region on its free-to-air channel, beIN SPORTS.The remaining matches will air over a non-stop one-month programming schedule on beIN SPORTS 1 PREMIUM in Arabic, and in English on beIN SPORTS 1 ENGLISH, from 20 July to 20 August.Match timings vary between 04:00 MECCA – 15:30 MECCA with most games between 08:00 MECCA – 13:00 MECCA.Arabic coverage on beIN SPORTS 1 PREMIUM will feature in-studio commentary of the tournament’s opening ceremony and match between co-hosts New Zealand and Norway live from the Football Ferns’ national stadium in Auckland’s Eden Park, as well as all the games featuring the Moroccan national team, the semi-finals and the final.The in-studio coverage will be presented by Areej Sleem, the first female Arab presenter to cover a slew of the world’s most prestigious global sporting events.beIN SPORTS will also provide in-depth analysis hosted by two of the Arab world’s most high-profile women footballers in former Jordanian team captain Ala’a Othman, who led her national side to West Asian Championship victories in 2005 and 2007, as well as winning the 2010 First Arab Cup Championship in Bahrain. Othman also steered her Shabab al-Ordon team to four consecutive Women’s League Championship wins.Joining Othman is Fatima Zohra, the former Moroccan player and referee, and the current coach of both the women and men’s teams at Olympique club de Khouribga (OCK) in her home country.Over on beIN SPORTS 1 ENGLISH all 64 matches will be available live and exclusive. There will also be a nightly studio “World Cup Today” on air at 18:00 MECCA, that will show the best of the day’s action.The best analysis will be provided by Jodie Taylor, the current Arsenal FC player and a 51 international cap holder, who was part of the England team that finished third at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Taylor will be joined by Claire Rafferty the former England international and regular UK TV pundit.beIN SPORTS NEWS will also dedicate a 26-minute nightly bulletin to the tournament at 18:00 MECCA to review all the day’s action, preview upcoming games, and air exclusive feature stories and interviews.The bulletins will be presented by a female team of a beIN SPORTS news presenter and guests, and will include reactions from participating nations, including Morocco.“This will be an historic FIFA Women’s World Cup with the tournament’s biggest ever line-up of competing national sides reflecting women’s soccer growing global status,” commented Duncan Walkinshaw, Director of Programs at beIN MENA.“We anticipate strong consumer demand across the region, with Arab fans expected to support the Moroccan side’s fortunes. We will also extend our offering to a ‘free TV channel’ in each MENA territory for the opening ceremony and match, the semi-finals, final and the closing ceremony.“We look forward to providing outstanding coverage of this exceptional tournament and wish all the competing sides the best of luck.”

Du and Alliance Networks (Alliance) have reached a Teaming Agreement aimed at providing seamless intra-regional high-capacity connectivity to potential third-party customers in the region.Du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunication Company (EITC), is a leading provider of telecommunications services in the UAE, with a robust network infrastructure, data centres, and international cables. Alliance, on the other hand, is an established player in the region, with a regional network and commercial partnerships with various operators as part of the Alliance Networks.Under this agreement, the parties have identified significant Service Collaboration Opportunities to work together and leverage their respective strengths to deliver exceptional connectivity solutions to customers in the GCC region and beyond. The collaboration will combine du's extensive network infrastructure and Alliance's regional presence and commercial partnerships, enabling the provision of high-capacity connectivity services to meet the growing demands of customers.Reliable serviceAdel Al Daylami, CEO of Alliance Networks, said: "This strategic alliance combines our regional expertise and network capabilities with du's extensive infrastructure, allowing us to provide comprehensive and reliable services to meet the evolving needs of businesses in the region."Both du and Alliance are committed to delivering exceptional connectivity solutions, and this Teaming Agreement represents a significant step towards that goal. By combining their expertise and resources, they aim to provide seamless intra-regional connectivity to customers in the region, strengthening the telecommunications infrastructure and supporting regional growth and development.-- TradeArabia News Service

Dubai: Emirates is celebrating 30 years of operations to Muscat, Oman, during which the airline carried 4.8 million passengers to and from the Sultanate on more than 37,200 flights, connecting travellers to and from 140 global destinations.Emirates first began operations to Oman in 1993 with a Boeing 777-200 aircraft with a four weekly services. In 2019, Emirates launched the world’s shortest scheduled A380 flight, flying a distance of 340 kilometres each way from Dubai to Muscat, offering travelers the chance to experience Emirates’ iconic products and services, defined by comfort, luxury and flexibility.Over the years, Emirates SkyCargo has served as a facilitator for global trade, transporting over 155,000 tonnes of cargo to international markets. Emirates SkyCargo is supporting Omani businesses by exporting key local goods such as threads for garments to Amman, Nairobi and Pakistan as well as fresh produce such as fish, beans and vegetables to various destinations across Europe and US, in addition to the seasonal fresh beans to Japan.Creating further career opportunities within Oman, the Emirates Group employs over 40 Omanis, in multiple roles including cabin crew, pilots and other parts of the business such as Emirates Engineering, Emirates Airport Services and Airport Operations. Half of these employees have been with the Emirates Group for over 10 years, demonstrating the airline’s commitment to nurturing talent and providing a wide range of development prospects enabling employees to gain world-class expertise.Fahad Al Hassawi, Country Manager Oman at Emirates, said: "Oman has been an important market for Emirates since the beginning of operations, providing flexible connections through Dubai to the wider world, for both passengers and air freight. Over the last three decades, we are proud to have brought more choice, comfort and luxury to over 4.8 million travelers to and from the Sultanate, headlined by the deployment of the world’s shortest A380 flight. We are committed to the country and look forward to the next 30 years.”Emirates is renowned for providing a full service offering onboard, including regionally inspired gourmet meals on-board and over 6,500 channels of on-demand entertainment on the airline’s award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice. vCopyright 2022 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).Disclaimer: The content of this article is syndicated or provided to this website from an external third party provider. We are not responsible for, and do not control, such external websites, entities, applications or media publishers. The body of the text is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis and has not been edited in any way. Neither we nor our affiliates guarantee the accuracy of or endorse the views or opinions expressed in this article. 

Dubai: UAE-based restaurant-tech startup Growdash has closed a $750,000 pre-seed round of funding, which will help drive expansion across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Cairo-based seed and early-stage venture capital firm Flat6Labs led the round along with participation from Plus Venture Capital (+VC), Judah VC, TPN Investments and several angel investors, such as former Talabat CEO, Abdulhamid Alomar, and serial entrepreneur Zeid Husban.The new capital will be deployed to hire new talent, further augment its offerings with innovative features and expand its services across the wider region, the company said in a statement.Talabat and Deliveroo alumni Sean Trevaskis and Enver Sorkun founded Growdash in 2022. The startup helps restaurants unlock the power of analytics and business intelligence to build and execute growth strategies that positively impact bottom-line profitability.  Growdash currently operates in the UAE and Kuwait. The company is set to launch its SaaS solution in Qatoar and Saudi Arabia this year, followed by expansion into the wider region in early 2024.“We have grown by over 500% this year, so far, which validates the problem we are solving for restaurants,” said Sean Trevaskis, Co-Founder & CEO of Growdash. “This funding will help us further accelerate our growth and achieve our goal of empowering restaurants everywhere to stand out in the highly competitive online food delivery landscape,” he added.

Dubai: Fanfix, a leading exclusive clean content platform, has announced its launch in the MENA region. With a successful track record in Los Angeles, USA, and an eight-figure deal with SuperOrdinary, Fanfix is set to revolutionize the way content is created, consumed, and monetized in the region. The platform aims to empower content creators and provide a brand-friendly environment for users to engage with exclusive content.Fanfix prioritizes the safety and security of its creators and users, implementing proactive content moderation and a robust community reporting system. This ensures a welcoming environment suitable for users of all ages and fosters inclusivity. The platform boasts over seven million creators worldwide and is committed to supporting creators in various content fields, including fashion, music, beauty, gaming, and more. It has already become the go-to platform for beauty and lifestyle influencers in the region, with notable influencers such as Model Roz and Summer Bujsaim earning six-figure monthly earnings.Ally Salama, Director of Fanfix MENA, stated, "The creator economy is a $250 billion market, with much of it still untapped. We are on the cusp of witnessing the most significant paradigm shift across the UAE and KSA within the MENA creator economy, as countries adopt innovative ways to harness the power of the internet and community building over the next five years."Fanfix utilizes a web-based application accessible across all browsers and supports various content types following 13+ content guidelines. To join the platform, individuals must be over 18 years old and have a minimum of 10,000 followers across social media platforms. The application process occurs through the official Fanfix website and goes through an internal review. Approved creators are then contacted, verified, and can begin publishing content and promoting their profiles. Creators have the flexibility to set their subscription and Tip-to-DM prices, allowing them to earn based on their unique value proposition. Fanfix retains 20% of earnings to cover operational expenses while creators retain 80%.Fanfix provides creators with subscriber count and daily revenue insights to better understand their audiences. Additionally, the platform offers a dedicated regional success team that works closely with creators to ensure effective launch strategies and engagement with their top fans worldwide.With exciting growth plans for the region, including a live-streaming feature within exclusive communities, Fanfix continues to enhance creator and fan experiences by pioneering new ways for interaction.

Dubai: Crayon Data, a leading Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data company headquartered in Singapore with a presence in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, is working on bespoke Generative AI solutions for large enterprises. Over 11 years, Crayon Data has emerged as the go-to player in AI. With data and AI at its core, Crayon transforms commerce in banks, fintech companies, and other enterprises throughThe first AI-led lifestyle marketplace for banks Hyper localization to drive growth for fintech companiesRevenue acceleration platform for enterprisesReal-time personalized itineraries for travel concierge The world is now embracing new generation AI and the intelligent use of data. This is no surprise to Crayon. Since its inception, the company has always been ahead of the curve.A case in point is Crayon’s flagship platform, maya.ai, powered by patented algorithms and Machine Learning (ML). It generates simple, easy-to-understand, and relevant insights based on non-PII consumer data. These AI-led insights help enterprises transform customer engagement via hyper-personalization. maya.ai is the force behind: digital personal storefronts for leading card issuers in India (~15M customers, ~30B$ portfolio); and a personalized lifestyle marketplace for a leading Islamic bank in UAE (~1M customers, 15B portfolio).Crayon’s R&D investment and product roadmaps come together to deliver:AI-generated personalized content to scale marketing and digital commercePersonalized video commerce to supercharge engagement and salesAI-driven sandbox that accelerates production and testing of data modelsMachine learning models for ensembling to drive better performance of recommendationsAI-assisted chatbot for customer and enterprise usersNatural Language Search in discovery, commerce, bookings and moreCommenting on the innovation, Lakshmi Narasimhan, Chief Product Officer of Crayon Data, said, “The global AI market size is progressing with a CAGR of 39.1% from 2023 to 2032. When we started out, we knew AI was going to take the world by storm. As a leading player in the space, we operate at the highest standards of compliance, data protection, and privacy. By design, Crayon Data adheres to responsible, enterprise-grade AI practices as an organizational imperative. Today, Generative AI is not just a buzzword, but the way forward. This is the moment we’ve been building for, all along.”

Dubai: Acer today announced an expansion of developer tools for its industry-leading SpatialLabs™ technology, providing more avenues to develop glasses-free, stereoscopic 3D experiences on Acer SpatialLabs Pro devices. With its new Unity plug-in support, developers from various industries and practices can utilize SpatialLabs Pro devices when creating stereo 3D content and applications. Acer’s OpenXR runtime for SpatialLabs has been certified, enabling developers to use OpenXR protocols when building stereo 3D content and applications on SpatialLabs’ commercial displays. The Acer SteamVR Bridge helps unlock the potential of stereo 3D for VR application developers to deliver enhanced immersive experiences when using SpatialLabs Pro devices.Pro Suite Developer Program: Unity Plug-inAcer has launched its support for the Unity plug-in, extending its reach to more creators across various fields, including education, architecture, construction, medicine, and more, alongside the Unreal plug-in. As a widely used platform for creating stereo 3D content and applications, more professional developers can take advantage of the Unity plug-in’s existing tools and verticals to enhance their experiences and help present their models in their true 3D form on Acer SpatialLabs Pro Devices, without the need for specialized glasses.Acer OpenXR RuntimeAcer has successfully reached conformance for its OpenXR Runtime, making SpatialLabs Pro devices conformant with OpenXR. As a long-standing member and contributor of the Khronos OpenXR working group, Acer embraces open standards and is committed to building an accessible ecosystem for its hardware solutions.Acer’s latest milestone benefits the extended reality (XR) developer community by unlocking additional device choices to showcase their creations with high-resolution, glasses-free stereoscopic 3D. Content and application creators may enjoy the synergy of OpenXR’s cross-platform, high-performance API for faster innovation and Acer’s extensive experience in delivering immersive, stereoscopic 3D visuals through its SpatialLabs solution. The OpenXR runtime is also made available for Acer SpatialLabs Pro device users to utilize OpenXR-compatible applications such as Autodesk VRED, and Blender.Acer SteamVR BridgeWith the availability of Acer’s proprietary SteamVR Bridge driver, developers of VR applications, ranging from virtual tours to art exhibits, and educational content, can convert their creations on Acer’s SpatialLabs Pro devices to deliver captivating imagery and clarity to users without the need for VR headsets. SpatialLabs Pro device users may also leverage the Acer SteamVR Bridge with NVIDIA Omniverse™ to streamline workflows and broaden their viewing options for enhanced stereo 3D projection of complex graphics, visual effects, and simulations.Visit the SpatialLabs Developer site for more information on the latest updates and experience the SpatialLabs Pro devices firsthand as it will be on display at COMPUTEX from May 30 to June 2, 2023 at Booth no. M0820, 4F, Hall 1, Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center in Taiwan.

Dubai: NewEvol, a leading provider of dynamic threat defense system, and emt Distribution, a renowned global distributor of cybersecurity and IT Solutions are pleased to announce their strategic partnership aimed at safeguarding organizational assets and delivering exceptional value to IT driven customers and businesses irrespective of its industry.The partnership will also facilitate the knowledge exchange and collaboration between the two companies fostering the development of new products and services that address the evolving needs of customers in cybersecurity. By pooling their resources, NewEvol and emt Distribution will accelerate the pace of innovation, enabling businesses to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive technology landscape.Newevol, a NextGen dynamic threat defense, solutions offer an array of advanced features including data lake, Threat Hunting, Automation, Threat Intelligence, and most important AI/ML based analytics of data to identify “unknown-unknowns”. With their deep understanding of the cybersecurity domain, NewEvol empowers business to proactively defend against cyberthreats and safeguard customer’s critical assets.With its extensive channel network and strong relationships with reseller and system integrators, emt Distribution has a proven track record of successfully introducing and distributing innovative cybersecurity solutions. Their expertise in understanding customer needs and delivering value added services will enable organizations to adopt and implement NewEvol's cutting edge solutions seamlessly."Our partnership with NewEvol marks an exciting milestone in our journey to offer the most comprehensive and advanced technology to respond to and prevent security breaches, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of their digital assets. We look forward to driving significant value for our customers in their cybersecurity journey through this collaboration." says M Mobasseri, CEO of emt Distribution.“NewEvol, a dynamic threat defense system, needs experienced and specialized partner who can provide value propositions to their channel partner and customers sing well oiled systems. A niche and committed partner, emt Distribution, is the best choice for us to drive value business for the channel and customers. We are bringing tomorrow today through emt Distribution.” Says Sachhin Gajjaer, Group CEO of NewEvol (Product of Sattrix Software Solutions)

DUBAI: Ajman Bank has announced the appointment of Mustafa Mohammed Saeed Al Khalfawi as the new Chief Executive Officer, who will start his new post from 1st of September 2023.H.H. Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Ajman Bank, said, “We are delighted to welcome Mr. Al Khalfawi as the CEO of Ajman Bank. He is a highly experienced and accomplished banker with a proven track record of leadership and success. We are confident that with his extensive experience, in-depth market understanding and leadership acumen, he will continue to drive Ajman Bank’s growth while delivering exceptional results for our stakeholders, investors and customers.”Speaking about his new position, Mr. Al Khalfawi expressed his utmost gratitude and excitement, stating, "It is a privilege and honor to assume this role, and I eagerly anticipate the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. I am sincerely grateful to the Board of Directors for their unwavering trust in me during this crucial time. Ajman Bank has been an integral part of the UAE economy providing exceptional Sharia-compliant financial solutions and services across its institutional businesses. With a solid foundation, a robust business strategy, and a dedicated team of experts, our goal is to further elevate Ajman Bank's achievements and propel it to new heights of growth."With over 20 years of strong experience in corporate and consumer banking, Al Khalfawi is an accomplished, versatile, and results-driven corporate and investment banker. He, with his profound industry knowledge, leadership experience, and emphasis on innovation, customer-centricity, and operational excellence, will be instrumental in driving Ajman Bank towards greater success.

Dubai: NEOM, Saudi Arabia‘Hobal’, the upcoming Saudi feature film from acclaimed director Abdulaziz Alshlahei (The Tambour of Retribution, Zero Distance) will head to shoot in NEOM in northwest Saudi Arabia this September at Bajdah Studios and its sprawling epic landscapes.‘Hobal’ focuses on a Saudi family living in isolation in the desert in the early 1990s. Following their grandfather's strict instructions, they are not allowed to leave the desert. However, a series of events shakes the family's foundation and pits them against a struggle between life and death. The film stars Mohammed Altoyan and Mishal Almutairi, along with an all-Saudi cast.‘Hobal’ is the third feature from locally acclaimed director Abdulaziz Alshlahei, with his second feature film, Saudi period drama The Tambour of Retribution, securing two awards at the Cairo Film Festival and selected as the Saudi Arabian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022.The film’s scriptwriter, Mufarrej Al-Majfel, was one of the winners and recipient of a fund award at the Saudi Film Commission’s Daw Film Competition, an initiative launched by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture in September 2019 to support Saudi film production and champion the next generation of filmmakers by establishing a sustainable funding program to bring Saudi content to the screen and to wider audiences.The film will benefit from production support provided by NEOM who are assisting with crew, location scouting, logistics, and on-the-ground production expertise. The strategic location of Bajdah Studios offers producers the opportunity to shoot on location in the stunning landscapes of NEOM while being in close proximity to the state-of-the-art sound stages complete with back-of-house facilities comprising of make-up rooms, green rooms and production offices.Director Abdulaziz Alshlahei explained: “Since 2018, we have been thinking about unique locations to shoot our film. We decided on NEOM, and specifically Bajdah, where the captivating landscapes will be an influential and integral part of the narrative. Our director of photography will use anamorphic lenses to do justice to this extraordinary and majestic destination and set a beautiful atmosphere for the film. I’m excited about shooting and would like to take this opportunity to thank the NEOM Media Industries team for welcoming us and supporting the film.”Wayne Borg, Managing Director of Media Industries, Entertainment, and Culture at NEOM, said, “We are thrilled to be the location of choice for Abdulaziz Alshlahei’s latest homegrown feature ‘Hobal’. We are looking forward to supporting him in every step of the way to bring his vision to the screen, in what is a very exciting time for the local industry. There is a huge appetite for compelling authentic stories from the region across a range of genres that are now transcending borders which we are proud to be a part of. Supporting the new generation of trailblazing filmmakers and talent is of strategic significance to our industry and is central to creating a film ecosystem as we cement our position as the regional gateway to the industry.”NEOM has supported and provided the backdrop for over 30 local projects spanning film and television across documentary and fiction in the last 18 months including Rupert Wyatt’s ‘Desert Warrior’, starring Anthony Mackie and Sir Ben Kingsley, ‘Dunki’ directed by Rajkumar Hirani and starring Shahrukh Khan, the first regional reality TV show ‘Million Dollar Island’ and ‘Rise of The Witches’, the region’s biggest-ever budget TV show. In addition, MBC’s ‘Exceptional’, a 200-episode-a-year TV drama series is set to begin shooting in July.

Dubai: WHYFIVE, previously known as WHY5Research, is expanding its range of services by partnering with three new specialists who will contribute to its growth.The company, originally established in 2007 by the late Jan Callebaut, Madeleine Janssens, and Tom Meere, has maintained its operations under the guidance of Tom Meere and Bart Vandecruys.Tom Meere, the Managing Partner of WHYFIVE, expressed, "Our expertise lies in providing clients with profound insights into the underlying reasons behind human behavior.""While obtaining relevant insights is vital, the true measure of your business's growth lies in how you utilize those insights."Furthermore, through customized workshops, the company assists its clients in developing marketing, communication, and sales strategies. The three new partners, Helena, Elise, and Koen, will aid in promptly transforming market research into tangible results. Thus, their new motto becomes "Insights Love Impact."The company firmly believes that knowledge is the key to growth, and they adhere to this principle within their own organization as well. "Each client receives comprehensive support from a carefully selected partner with relevant practical experience," stated Bart Vandecruys.To strengthen their team, WHYFIVE has enlisted the expertise of three new partners from the marketing and corporate sectors. Koen De Rijcke, formerly associated with PwC, IBM, Accenture, and serving as SVP at Genpact, will leverage his extensive experience in B2B sales and business development to assist clients in translating insights into effective sales and business strategies.Helena Gheeraert, the founder of Wonky and former Director of Strategy at TBWA\Belgium, will lead the new marketing impact team, enabling clients to translate acquired insights into brand positioning, go-to-market strategies, and communication plans.Elise Matthys, who possesses a wealth of experience in both market research and marketing strategy, having worked at Censydiam, Coca-Cola, and serving as CMO at Play Media, perfectly embodies the promise of "Insights Love Impact."With her multilingual background, Elise will take care of WHYFIVE's French-speaking and international clients from their Brussels offices. "Tom, Bart, and I are thrilled to welcome Koen, Helena, and Elise as partners," expressed Ahmed Sulaye, Executive Director at WHYFIVE MENA

Dubai: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has launched a Dubai Digital Cloud project aimed at creating an agile and reliable digital infrastructure in the emirate.The project will be implemented by Digital Dubai, Microsoft and Moro Hub – a subsidiary of Digital DEWA, the digital arm of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (PJSC).Under the terms of the partnerships, Moro Digital Data Hub will provide cloud services through its platform, Moro Cloud. The platform helps reduce overall costs of IT infrastructure in Dubai and provides a system of emerging technologies and cloud services to support digital transformation.Sheikh Hamdan said the growing pace of Dubai’s digital transformation has significantly boosted the performance of government operations.The city’s ability to provide citizens, residents and visitors with an exceptional digital experience has reinforced its reputation as the world’s best city to live, work and visit, he added. The Dubai Digital Cloud project consists of multiple digital clouds designed to provide flexibility and operational efficiency, while offering solutions from private to public clouds. It also includes multiple service providers, who will work to enhance services and boost their competitiveness, providing government entities with multiple service provider options.Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Digital Dubai, said: “The project demonstrates the effective partnership and collaboration between the public and private sectors, which sets the stage for a holistic and integrated digital life for everyone.”“It will also empower Dubai Government entities in their digital transformation, providing them with the tools and knowledge necessary to achieve their goals, and roll out cloud computing technologies to deliver best-in-class government services,” he added.Microsoft and Digital Dubai will collaborate to support the project by leveraging the Microsoft Azure cloud computing platform and providing platforms dedicated to government entities, in order to ensure the highest levels of security, governance and compliance with Digital Dubai’s policies and regulations.

Jeddah: W7Worldwide, an award-winning marketing communications consultancy agency, has released a 43-second video, in celebration of World Public Relations Day on July 16. (You can check the video here: https://bit.ly/3PURFhU)Public relations (PR) and communications professionals observe the day to highlight PR’s role in public life and help people understand its growing importance in the image building of a company or a country and also how it can play an important role in mitigating crises in the fast-changing times of today.By designating July 16 as Public Relations Day, the United Nations has honored Ivy Lee, an American writer and journalist, who developed the science of public relations in 1921 and who was born on July 16.The UN occasionally observes certain designated days, weeks, years, and even decades, themed around specific topics or ideas to send a powerful message for advocacy, awareness, and action, like World Television Day, World Press Freedom Day, and other days of global importance.This timely video discards misplaced opinions about PR that it is merely the publication of news and articles. Rather, it shows that the profession has a wider role to play in society as well as globally, for it is mainly linked to building a positive image of a country or an organization as well as educating the public about any impending crisis like climate change. The ultimate goal of PR for any organization is to create and maintain a favorable public perception of it, the video stresses.The clip also explains the unmistakable role of PR in helping organizations and institutions make policies and programs as it gathers data and information through a comprehensive study of public opinions about issues and their attitudes toward the organizations or institutions they deal with.To drive home the point, the short video refers to the role of PR in enhancing the positive image of the state of Qatar during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. It refers to fans’ participation from all over the world in the tournament, which represented the most prominent global sporting event in recent times.The video concludes by emphasizing that PR is capable of winning hearts and changing minds about an idea, organization, or a country because this is one of its main functions.

Jeddah: Emirates has announced that it has officially signed on as the Main Sponsor and Official Airline of the King Salman Club Cup 2023. The new sponsorship is in line with the airline’s efforts to support the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ambitions to become a global centre for professional sport. The deal also underscores the airline’s ongoing commitment to connect with the fanbase of the 16 top-tier regional clubs from across the Arab World competing in the high-profile tournament. The announcement was revealed today at a press conference in Jeddah.Jabr Al-Azeeby, Vice President Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Emirates Airline, said: “Emirates is one of the biggest names in sports and is heavily involved in the sport of football, helping fans get closer to the action, and engaging in ways that go far beyond logo recognition. We’re committed to engaging with fans across new football frontiers by supporting the King Salman Cup 2023. We’re also incredibly proud to play a role in supporting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Vision to become a global powerhouse for professional sports. It’s already a driving force on the global stage across a gamut of sports, and the tournament is part of wider efforts to expand sports further in Saudi. Over the next few weeks of the tournament, we hope to build unique opportunities and experiences with a rich mix of top-tier clubs across the Arab World.”His Excellency Abdullah bin Saeed Aldalac, Vice President of the Saudi Sports Ministry, said: “The Vice President of the Arab Federation welcomes the partnership and confirms that it will be a successful addition to the championship."The sponsorship deal gives Emirates extensive in-stadium brand visibility across a number of touchpoints and on-site advertising at the King Salman Cup. The tournament starts on 27 July and will run through 12 August, taking place across stadiums in Abha, Albaha and Ta’if. The airline will also receive on-site promotional opportunities and hospitality rights. Additionally, Emirates will benefit from digital rights on the tournament channels, and will also lead the trophy presentation during the final match.The King Salman Cup 2023, now in its 30th season, is the Arab World’s official club championship organised by the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA). As part of the tournament, 16 clubs at the top of their leagues from across the GCC and North Africa will face off in 31 matches for the ultimate title of champions. The final match will be played in Ta’if at The King Fahed Stadium. A total of USD $10 million will be awarded during the tournament. Well-known clubs in KSA including Al Hilal and Al Nasr will compete in addition to Al Zamalek, Al Wihda, Kuwait Club, Al Rajaa (reigning champions), Shabab Bluzad and others from across the region.Football remains one of the most celebrated sports within Emirates’ sponsorship portfolio. This is demonstrated through ongoing partnerships with some of the biggest names in club football, and some of the most significant tournaments. The airline is a shirt sponsor of leading European and international clubs like AC Milan, Real Madrid, Benfica SL, Arsenal FC and Olympique Lyonnaise. The airline is also the Title Sponsor of The Emirates FA Cup. Emirates recently signed a sponsorship deal with Etoile Sportive du Sahel, one of the most decorated football and basketball sports clubs in Tunisia. It also supports the Arabian Pro-League in the UAE and the Asian Football Confederation.Emirates has been flying to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since 1989, developing its services to Riyadh, Jeddah, Medina, Dammam and today operates to the four gateways with 67 weekly flights. The airline’s ongoing commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is underscored by catering to growing passenger demand, and building on customer experience enhancements, like introducing the A380, to ensure that customers travelling can enjoy its latest flagship products.The airline is also committed to supporting Saudi Vision 2030 by helping to grow the Kingdom’s aviation sector and stimulating robust traffic growth, increasing connectivity and deepening its global footprint. 

Dubai, UAE: Kalima, a delegated proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain for IoT and data, has recently entered into a new agreement with ABO Digital, a private alternative funding investment group based in the Bahamas and Dubai. This significant partnership involves a commitment of US$10 million into the French-based blockchain company.Kalima is a rapidly growing ecosystem that allows enterprises, developers, and startups to build the future of Web3 Enterprise and Data Governance applications, particularly with IoT (Internet of Things) data, in order to solve real-world problems.It is a layer 1 third-generation blockchain, which enables users to independently govern, manage, and monetize data, build decentralized applications (dApps), and create tokens for smart-rewarding systems by leveraging Kalima's decentralized network of permissioned blockchains (PrivaChains).‘’This funding commitment from ABO Digital marks a significant milestone for Kalima Blockchain, which plans on using the funds to further innovate and refine our IoT solutions, which have the potential to revolutionize industries and drive digital transformation. This commitment from ABO Digital will enable Kalima to enhance our IoT blockchain solution for industrial companies and developers, which is ready to be deployed at a global scale, and bolster strategic partnerships within the IoT and Blockchain ecosystem,” said Kalima Blockchain Chief Executive Officer, André Legendre."We are delighted to collaborate with the Kalima team going forward," said Amine Nedjai, CEO of ABO Digital. "Kalima's innovative approach and expertise in Web3 Enterprise and Data Governance applications align perfectly with our commitment to driving technological advancements in enterprise blockchain solutions. This partnership enables us to leverage alternative funding avenues and support the growth of Kalima's groundbreaking initiatives."

The Dubai Press Club (DPC), organiser of the 21st edition of the Arab Media Forum (AMF), announced that registration to attend the Forum is now open. The two-day event, held from 26-27 September, will bring together prominent political figures, writers, thought leaders and opinion-makers, renowned media personalities, and senior executives of leading Arab and international media organisations.The 21st edition of AMF is set take a deep look at new trends, technologies, Artificial Intelligence in media, and global developments that are shaping the future of the industry in the region.The Forum’s Organising Committee announced that pre-registration is mandatory to attend the event, as there will be no on-site registration available this year. The deadline to register for the event will be 1 September. Participants can complete their registration through the Forum’s official website dpc.org.aeDr. Maitha Buhumaid, Director of DPC, said the Committee's decision regarding the attendance mechanism is aimed at guaranteeing the seamless organisation of the event and providing optimal comfort for participants, especially considering the significant number of attendees expected to join.Dr. Buhumaid added that the Forum, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will focus on accelerating the growth of media and enhancing the regional industry’s ability to keep pace with the evolving global environment.“DPC is committed to realising the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to consolidate Dubai’s status as the capital of Arab media. The Club is also dedicated to actively contributing to the development of the Arab media landscape, while keeping pace with the evolution of the global sector,” she noted.The 21st edition of the Forum will also coincide with the honouring ceremony of the winners of the prestigious Arab Media Award in its various categories.Launched over 20 years ago, the Arab Media Forum is one of the major events in the Dubai Press Club’s annual calendar of events. AMF has emerged as the most comprehensive platform for knowledge sharing in the Arab media community. The annual event has steadily evolved in scope and reach to encompass a broad international outlook.

When Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council, launched Dubai’s new Digital Strategy last month, he unveiled an ambitious plan for turning Dubai into an international leader in the digital sector. Centred on seven key pillars including the digital city, digital economy, data and statistics, digital talent, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital competitiveness, the strategy created a clear roadmap for Dubai’s transformation into one of the world’s top digital economies over the next decade.Underpinning all these pillars is an extensive set of legislative frameworks and judicial systems that Dubai has been building for over two decades, which provide the perfect platform for its new strategic push to become the capital of the global digital economy. The emirate has been a pioneer in developing specialised legislations and judicial systems to accelerate digital transformation.How Dubai’s laws support its digital visionAccording to His Excellency Ahmed bin Meshar, Secretary General of Dubai’s Supreme Legislation Committee, “Dubai’s visionary leadership recognised at a very early stage of its growth that robust legislative and regulatory frameworks are vital to delivering good governance, progress and prosperity. The world-class legal institutions and frameworks created by Dubai have played a vital role in its growth into one of the world’s leading destinations for investment, business, innovation, and technology. Decades of dedicated efforts, guided by sagacious leadership, have led to the establishment of a transparent legal framework that nurtures innovation, entrepreneurship and innovation and provides local and international businesses with the safe and stable environment needed to thrive. As Dubai emerges as one of the world's leading digital economies, the city's globally benchmarked laws and judicial systems have made sure investors, consumers and businesses can operate in a secure, supportive and reliable digital ecosystem."Under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE and Chairman of the Supreme Legislation Committee of Dubai, the Committee continues to advance legislative development in Dubai and spearhead innovative regulatory initiatives, contributing to the city’s development as a thriving global hub for commerce and technology.Here are some of Dubai’s most important laws and judicial initiatives that have helped transform the city into a digital powerhouse:World's only independent and specialist regulator for virtual assetsLast year, Dubai launched the Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA), the world's only independent and specialist regulator for Virtual Assets to serve as the accelerator for a truly borderless digital economy. Established pursuant to Law No.4 of 2022 Regulating Virtual Assets in the Emirate of Dubai, VARA is in charge of regulating Virtual Assets (VAs) and VA activities across Dubai, excluding DIFC. VARA plays a central role in protecting investors and establishing international standards for VA governance. Virtual assets regulated by VARA include cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). VARA’s regulatory oversight covers seven licensed virtual asset activities, including advisory, broker-dealer, custody, exchange, lending and borrowing, payments and remittance, and virtual assets management and investment services. All Virtual Asset Service Providers operating in Dubai must be licensed by VARA.Virtual asset regulatory frameworkIn February 2023, Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) issued the Virtual Assets and Related Activities Regulations 2023, a comprehensive virtual asset regulatory framework applicable to all Virtual Asset Service Providers in Dubai, excluding DIFC. Built on principles of economic sustainability and cross-border financial security, the Virtual Assets Framework is structurally designed to offer regulatory certainty – allowing the market to have greater clarity on operator responsibility. It also mandates gold-standard risk assurance and Anti-Money Laundering standards to be applied by licensed entities within the emirate. The first-of-its-kind VA framework developed by VARA has been structured to accelerate Dubai’s new economy agenda and advance secure and sustainable market growth in the sector. The framework reflects Dubai’s commitment to delivering a progressive VA ecosystem that nurtures digital economy innovation and entrepreneurship.World’s first international digital economy courtAt the turn of the last year, the DIFC Courts announced the launch of the world’s first International Digital Economy Court, a specialised court dedicated to resolving disputes related to emerging technologies such as big data, blockchain, AI, fintech, cloud services, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 3D printing and robotics. Designed to meet the specific needs of the digital economy sector, the new court offers a suite of dispute resolution services that go beyond traditional public court services.Operated by eminent specialised judicial experts, the Digital Economy Court aims to enhance the ability of global companies and institutions operating in the digital economy to adapt to future requirements in this fast -growing sector. In 2022, the DIFC Courts issued a judgment related to one of the first cryptocurrency litigation disputes in the region and one of the few reported cases in the world that address issues such as the safe transfer of cryptocurrency between buyer and seller and the obligations of a custodian of cryptocurrency.Dubai’s rise as a global hub for knowledge-based industriesIn 1999, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced Dubai Internet City, a visionary initiative that created the foundation for the city’s rise as one of the world’s leading knowledge-based industry hubs. The ‘Dubai Technology, Electronic Commerce and Media Free Zone Law No. (1) of 2000’ created the legal foundation for the development of world-class technology, media and design industry clusters in the emirate. These clusters are today home to some of the world’s and the region’s leading digital economy companies like Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, Facebook, Cisco, Dell, Amazon, Careem and Aramex.Legal framework for electronic transactionsIn 2002, Dubai issued the Electronic Transactions and Commerce Law No.2, a landmark law that created the legal framework for electronic transactions in the emirate. The law, which has been regularly amended to keep pace with changes in the digital economy, has played a significant role in accelerating the growth of electronic transactions and commerce and promoting the development of the soft and hard infrastructure needed for the digital economy to flourish.A secure environment for the digital economyThe emirate launched the Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC) pursuant to Law No. 11 in 2014 with the aim of developing and implementing information security practices and setting good-practice criteria for cyber security across the Emirate. DESC has implemented a comprehensive strategy to combat threats, cyber attacks, and cyber crime and protect Dubai from cyber security risks that pose a threat to its sustainable economic developmentGovernance of data exchangeThe introduction of Law No. (26) of 2015 Regulating Data Dissemination and Exchange in the Emirate of Dubai, enabled the creation of a sound and comprehensive legal framework for Dubai’s development into a world-leading smart city. The law, which established comprehensive governance rules for data dissemination and exchange, has contributed significantly to raising the efficiency of government services, simplifying procedures, and reducing operating costs.Regulation of digital servicesDubai issued another landmark law to regulate the digital economy when it issued Law No. (9) of 2022 ‘Regulating the Provision of Digital Services’ in March. The law was aimed at further enhancing and improving the quality of Dubai’s digital services while continuing to drive Dubai’s digital transformation journey in conjunction with federal digital and data laws. Covering digital services provided by both Dubai government and non-government entities in Dubai, the law outlines the key requirements for effective digital service delivery.Dubai’s ability to put in place a clear, transparent and world-class legislative framework for the growth of the digital economy has played a key role in catalysing investment, entrepreneurship, innovation and new technology adoption in the sector. The emirate’s robust legal environment has created new business and investment opportunities, attracted leading global and regional players and fostered high-value public-private partnerships that have raised its ability to achieve its digital economy transformation agenda.

Dubai/Riyadh: Tech company ArabyAds has partnered, through its retail media advertising platform Ritelo, with online store Daleel Store. The aim is to enable exclusive retail media capabilities for Daleel Store.Ritelo, a leading platform in the MENA region, is revolutionizing consumer experiences by providing highly contextual and relevant recommendations. This innovative retail media technology aims to generate sustainable revenue streams for retailers, while also boosting brand awareness and online conversions for advertisers. For consumers, it enhances their experience by offering meaningful and non-intrusive ad recommendations at moments of high purchase intent. This feature aids in both product discovery and overall shopping experience, making it a valuable long-term asset.Mahmoud Fathy, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of ArabyAds, said: “We sit at a very interesting juncture where our technology-led platforms are leveraging innovation to create long-term and sustainable growth in the region. The retail media technology connects audiences, retailers, and advertisers in a transparent, scalable, secure, and consent-led ecosystem. With this partnership, Ritelo brings highly contextual recommendations for advertisers looking to leverage niche audience cohorts and the large audience base of DaleelStore.”Daleel Store CEO Abdul Rahman Al Suliman said: “We are thrilled to announce our exclusive partnership with Ritelo by ArabyAds. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for our company as we continue to expand our reach and deliver unparalleled value to our customers. By joining forces with ArabyAds’ retail media technology platform Ritelo, we are combining our expertise and resources to create a powerful synergy that will revolutionize the industry. Together, we will unlock new opportunities, amplify our brand presence, and provide innovative solutions that exceed our customers’ expectations. This strategic alliance is a testament to our commitment to driving growth, fostering innovation, and empowering our customers to achieve unprecedented success. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration with ArabyAds, as we jointly navigate the ever-evolving landscape and shape the future of our industry.”Ritelo CEO Tony Bourached said: “I am excited about our exclusive partnership with DaleelStore. By utilizing DaleelStore’s first-party data targeting, advertisers will get access to niche gaming, e-commerce & online shoppers, while DaleelStore will leverage increased monetization opportunities. Ritelo’s retail media technology creates a new marketing channel with consent-driven, contextual, and fraud-free advertising, and I am confident to create more business opportunities through this innovation. “Daleel Store, a Riyadh-based company established in 2013, operates as an e-commerce platform specializing in the sale of digital gift cards and prepaid top-up cards for various services and products. The store presents a diverse selection of offerings, encompassing:  • Digital gift cards for popular gaming platforms such as PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo.   • Prepaid top-up cards for major mobile operators, including Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and Mobily.   • Gift cards for renowned online retailers, such as Noon, Amazon, and eBay.

Jeddah : The Saudi Coffee Company, through its brand Jazean, announced the signing of a sponsorship agreement with the Saudi Al-Ahli Football Club, with the aim of improving the football industry within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Founded in 1937, Al Ahli is one of the oldest and most successful football clubs in Saudi Arabia. This agreement, which has been signed for three years until 2026, is in line with Saudi Coffee Company's keenness to support the growing sports sector in the country and bolster efforts to highlight the Saudi League.The agreement was signed by Mohammed Zainy, Director of Marketing at the Saudi Coffee Company, and the CEO of Al-Ahli FC Investment Company, Engineer Tariq Khalifa. Through this agreement, the two parties will strive to collaborate and take football in Saudi Arabia to new heights. Moreover, the signing confirms the Saudi Coffee Company's commitment to strengthening and caring for local communities.The Saudi Coffee Company, as one of the sponsors of the team, will provide support to the Saudi Al-Ahli FC through Jazean, which is an SCC brand that celebrates indigenous Coffea Arabica and markets it locally and internationally. Through the agreement, the company also aspires to shed light on how Saudi coffee serves as a window to the rich cultural heritage and values of hospitality and generosity that exist within the Kingdom.Commenting on this occasion, Mohammed Zainy, Director of Marketing at the Saudi Coffee Company, said, “We are proud to sign a sponsorship agreement with the Saudi Al-Ahli FC and to provide support for this national icon. Al-Ahli FC and the Jazean brand share similar values that are steeped in tradition and originality. Both represent our passion, rich culture, and our ambition to continue moving forward. Moreover, as part of our quest to become a global product, this sponsorship provides us with a great platform to highlight our Saudi roots and highlight our ambition to become a symbol of national pride.”The CEO of Al-Ahli FC Investment Company, Engineer Tariq Khalifa, expressed his happiness at the signing with the Saudi Coffee Company, saying: “We welcome our new partner who has joined hands with us."He shared that the Board of Directors is keen to create an environment conducive to investments, and sign agreements with companies that befit the prestige and popularity of Al-Ahli FC, indicating that such sponsorships help expand growth and development at the club level, especially considering preparations for the new season.To learn more about the sponsorship agreement, or to view Al-Ahli Saudi FC merchandise, please visit.For more information about the Saudi Coffee Company, please visit the Saudi Coffee Company website

Emirates NBD, a leading banking group, has revamped its digital bank Liv, with a new value proposition targeting Generation Now (Gen Now) empowering them with a better financial future through innovative offerings.Reflected in its new tagline, ‘Liv Ahead’, Liv’s differentiated value proposition offers customers a host of new innovative and rewarding products and services. It is the first digital bank to introduce The Bonus Multiplier Account, with a gamified structure and rewarding customers for their loyalty, giving them a 3% increment on their salaries every month.It is also the first digital bank to offer the Money Ahead Deposit, a 4-month fixed deposit with a lucrative interest rate of 4% giving users interest upfront on day one instead of waiting for the deposit tenure to receive the interest.Innovative productsLiv’s customers benefit from some of the most innovative products and services in the market, like the only credit card that allows switching the rewards between skywards miles and cash back with one click through the App, giving this flexibility to the users instead of customers having to carry two cards.Customers will also have access to enhanced versions of existing products including the popular Goal Accounts, a feature that allows customers to set-and-forget automated rules to easily save money towards their personalised financial goals (For instance, pay-yourself first, save a percentage of what you spend) all while earning attractive returns on their balances. In another first to market, Liv Young – an App designed for kids and teenagers – continues to attract interest in the market, in addition to specially curated lifestyle deals that only Liv customers can benefit through the mobile App.As customers evolve, become more sophisticated and demand more complex products and personalised services, they can be transitioned to other propositions at the Emirates NBD, allowing them to seamlessly continue their financial journey with the group.Solid track recordMarwan Hadi, Group Head, Retail Banking and Wealth Management at Emirates NBD, said: “Emirates NBD holds a solid track record of pioneering several first-to-market innovations over the last decade, including Liv, the first digital bank in the UAE. We are excited to bring customers a redefined Liv, built carefully considering the needs of Gen Now. With a fresh-new look and feel, the new Liv further builds on our aspiration to serve as a financial companion to our customers, supporting their financial goals though a host of innovative ground-breaking products.”Pedro Sousa Cardoso, Chief Digital Officer, Retail Banking and Wealth Management, Emirates NBD, added: “Young professionals in the Gen Now category, comprising mainly Gen Zs and Gen Ys, have distinct lifestyles influenced by technological sophistication, a higher-thhan-average tolerance for risk, openness to managing multiple jobs and being more sustainably conscious - all translating to unique financial needs, that an all-purpose digital banking companion like Liv can fulfil. Liv’s transformed proposition resonates and has been aligned with the values and aspirations of Gen Now, 78% of whom would switch their main bank to a fully digital bank, according to an internal study and external data gathered.

Middle East : HUAWEI CLOUD published a breakthrough paper on the Pangu Weather AI model in one of the world's top scientific journals, Nature. The paper describes how to develop a precise and accurate global AI weather forecast system based on deep learning using 43 years of data.  Pangu-Weather is the first AI prediction model to demonstrate higher precision than traditional numerical weather forecast methods. The model allows a 10,000x improvement in prediction speed, reducing global weather prediction time to just seconds.  Pangu-Weather challenges the previously held assumptions that the accuracy of AI weather forecast is inferior to traditional numerical forecasts. The model, developed by the HUAWEI CLOUD team, is the first AI prediction model with higher precision than traditional numerical prediction methods. The paper, titled "Accurate medium-range global weather forecasting with 3D neural networks" provides independent verifications of these capabilities. The publication marks the first time that employees of a Chinese technology company are the sole authors of a Nature paper, according to Nature Index.  With the rapid development of computing power over the past 30 years, the accuracy of numerical weather forecast has improved dramatically, providing extreme disaster warning and climate change predictions. But the method remains relatively time-consuming. To improve prediction speeds, researchers have been exploring how to using deep learning methods. Still, the precision of AI-based forecasting for medium and long-term forecasts has remained inferior to numerical forecasts. AI has been mostly unable to predict extreme and unusual weather such as typhoons. Every year, there are around 80 typhoons worldwide. In 2022, in China alone, the direct economic loss caused by typhoons was 5.42 billion yuan, according to the figures from China Ministry of Emergency Management. The earlier that warnings can be sent out, the easier and better it is to make adequate preparations. Because of their speed, AI weather forecast models have been attractive but have lacked precision for two reasons. First, the existing AI meteorological forecast models are based on 2D neural networks, which cannot process uneven 3D meteorological data well. Second, medium-range weather forecast can suffer from cumulative forecast errors when the model is called too many times. How Pangu-Weather addresses these challengesDuring scientific trials, Pangu-Weather model has demonstrated its higher precision compared to traditional numerical prediction methods for forecasts of 1 hour to 7 days, with a prediction speed gain of 10,000 times. The model can accurately predict in seconds fine-grained meteorological features including humidity, wind speed, temperature, and sea level pressure. The model uses a 3D Earth-Specific Transformer (3DEST) architecture to process complex non-uniform 3D meteorological data. Using a hierarchical, temporal, aggregation strategy, the model was trained for different forecast intervals using 1 hour, 3-hour, 6- hour and 24-hour intervals. This resulted in a minimization of the quantity of iterations for predicting a meteorological condition at a specific time and a reduction in erroneous forecasts. To train the model for specific time intervals, the researchers trained 100 epochs (cycles) using hourly samples of weather data from 1979-2021. Each of the sub-models that resulted required 16 days of training on 192 V100 graphics cards. Pangu-Weather Model can now complete 24-hour global weather forecasts in just 1.4 seconds on a V100 graphics card, a 10,000-time improvement compared with the traditional numerical prediction. Explaining why the HUAWEI CLOUD AI team chose to focus on weather predictions, Dr. Tian Qi, Chief Scientist of HUAWEI CLOUD AI Field, an IEEE Fellow, and Academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences, explained "Weather forecasting is one of the most important scenarios in the field of scientific computing because meteorological prediction is a very complex system, yet it is difficult to cover all aspects of mathematical and physical knowledge. We are therefore delighted that our research has been recognized by the Nature magazine. AI models can mine statistical laws of atmospheric evolution from massive data. At present, Pangu-Weather mainly completes the work of the forecast system, and its main ability is to predict the evolution of atmospheric states. Our ultimate goal is to build next-generation weather forecasting framework using AI technologies to strengthen the existing forecasting systems. " Commenting on the significance and quality of the research by HUAWEI CLOUD, academic reviewers from Nature explained that not only is Pangu-Weather very easy to download and run, but that it executed quickly on even a desktop computer. "This means that anyone in the meteorological community can now run and test these models to their hearts' desire. What a great opportunity for the community to explore how well the model predicts specific phenomena. That's going to help with progress in the field." Another reviewer noted that "the results themselves are a significant step beyond previous results. This work will, in my opinion, make people reevaluate what forecasting models might look like in the future". In May 2023, Typhoon Mawar caught the world's attention as the strongest tropical cyclone of the year thus far. According to the China Meteorological Administration, Pangu-Weather accurately predicted the trajectory of Typhoon Mawar five days before it changed course in the eastern waters of the islands of Taiwan. In addition, in order to continuously advance leading AI weather forecast models, stable cloud environments, work suites, and corresponding O&M are also essential.

 Sharjah : Eminent personalities across the fields of media, journalism, communication strategists, and academics are featured on the distinguished jury of the 10th annual Sharjah Government Communication Award (SGCA), organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB). The prestigious award is accepting submissions until August 15, 2023, and aims to draw in communication trailblazers and visionaries from diverse fields, both within the local domain and on a regional and international scale.In view of the new disruptive competition categories in sports, culture, and media and the award’s goal of honouring and highlighting the best communication practises with tangible impact on communities and sectors in which they operate, SGCA has formed a higher committee comprising the heads of sub-committees. The sub-committees bring together academics and experts with specialised competencies in award categories such as campaigns, public practises, official spokespersons, programmes, and personal practise to evaluate and judge the submissions within their respective categories.The SGCA Higher Committee features HE Mohammed Jalal Al Raisi, Director General of the Emirates News Agency (WAM), who held multiple media positions through which he represented the UAE in many countries around the world. Ali Jaber, Director of MBC Group and Dean of the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Communications (MBRSC), American University in Dubai. Shihab Alhammadi is the Director of the Sharjah Media City Free Zone Authority (Shams), who has greatly influenced the founding and growth of the Sharjah Media City through technological solutions.Media experts who serve in the higher committee include Dr. Ali Qasim Jawad Al Lawati, President of The Royal Academy of Management in Oman and one of the key experts in government sector modernisation in Oman. He is also the Senior Advisor and the Head of the Think Tank Unit at the Diwan of Royal Court in Oman. Mohammed Majed Al Suwaidi is the Director of Sharjah Sports Channel (SSC), with an experience spanning more than 15 years through which he presented a number of TV programmes like "Fe Hadret Al Ketab", "Watani", "Ma’a Al Mas’ool", and others.The jury members also include Mona El-Shazly, an Egyptian TV Host and prominent journalist who has left her mark through her various programmes and interviews, like "Al Ashira Masa'an" on Dream TV and "Ma’akom Mona El-Shazly" on the CBC TV channel. The media personality Sami Al Reyami, who held several media positions, and wrote a plethora of published works and columns that focus on local affairs.The higher committee encompasses Dr. Yasar Jarrar, Author of "The Sheikh CEO", and a former Strategy Director at the Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. The committee also features Saudi writer and journalist Dr. Ahmed Abdel Rahman Al Arfaj, who has published a number of papers, books, and articles in various newspapers and magazines. He presents the popular "Ya Hala Bel Arfaj" weekly programme on the Gulf Rotana TV channel. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the King Abdulaziz Centre for National Dialogue.Tariq Saeed Allay: We seek leading expertise in Arab media to keep up with the development the award is witnessing.H.E. Tariq Saeed Allay, Director General of Sharjah Government Media Bureau, said: "Since its inception, the SGCA has emerged as a groundbreaking international platform dedicated to advancing communication and the tools used to engage with the public and shape public opinion. With the growing interest in the award and increasing participation of communication and media champions worldwide, we recognise the importance of harnessing the expertise of prominent media personalities and communication practitioners, along with other influential figures, to ensure world-class evaluation and judging processes that keep up with the high number and quality of the submitted projects."The SGCA continues to receive submissions in its different categories that target communication industry champions from government, semi-government, and private entities, in addition to individuals, youth, and Media and Communication university students, until August 15, 2023. Application forms should be submitted via www.igcc.ae.

Dubai : Q Communications has secured the exclusive responsibility of spearheading the social media management for Shoemart, with the primary objective of driving engagement and enhancing brand awareness in the GCC region.With an extensive presence spanning the region, Shoemart boasts a network of 178 stores offering a wide selection of footwear, accessories, and renowned brands like Duchini, Céleste, Kappa, Adidas, and Skechers.The digital marketing strategy devised by Q Communications aims to organically expand Shoemart's social media presence and foster a thriving community. This will be achieved through impactful and targeted campaigns that effectively promote the diverse range of brands, ultimately driving customers towards both physical stores and the brand's e-commerce platforms.To ensure maximum impact, Q Communications plans to activate engaging and targeted campaigns such as the upcoming Back to School campaign, which will showcase the brand's footwear collections designed specifically for children. Additionally, the campaign will highlight Kappa's padel shoes, amplifying the athletic footwear line and slated for launch in September.In line with this, a comprehensive performance strategy has been implemented for Shoemart. Recently, a teaser campaign was successfully unveiled, specifically targeting men in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, to generate excitement for the Haadana Collection. The campaign garnered remarkable results, reaching over 3 million accounts and amassing over 8.5 million views across the GCC. Moreover, it achieved an impressive recall lift rate of 25 percent.Katie Harvey, Managing Partner at Q Communications, expressed her excitement about the collaboration with Shoemart, emphasizing its significance as a major milestone for Q Communications and its venture into the realm of footwear fashion. She highlighted the team's enthusiasm to execute creative ideas and curate captivating digital experiences, thereby propelling Shoemart's social media presence to unprecedented heights.Q Communications boasts an impressive roster of digital accounts, which includes prominent local and regional brands such as Rotana, Splash, Costa, Topgolf Dubai, and MMI, among others.

 Dubai, UAE : Vijay Sekhar joins Azimut Middle East as Head of Wholesale Distribution Middle East reporting in to Maroun Jalkh, CEO of Azimut (ME) Limited and Head of Institutional Sales Middle East & Asia. Vijay brings over 20 years of experience in the investment management and wealth management industry, covering the Middle East, Africa and India.In his new role, Vijay will work towards strengthening and expanding Azimut’s presence in the region on both the conventional and Islamic segment. In addition to Maroun and Vijay, the team currently comprises Stephane Masini, Head of Key Clients. Prior to joining Azimut, Vijay has worked in the UAE with Natixis Investment Managers, Columbia Threadneedle and Citi Bank.Azimut Middle East now employs more than 30 people within the UAE and is the only global investment management company to be licensed and regulated by both DFSA and ADGM.

Riyadh : Lexus, in partnership with MBC Media Solutions, has unveiled an innovative digital campaign aimed at promoting Saudi Arabia’s ambitious space mission, resulting in an immense surge of online viewership and engagement.This historic venture witnessed the Kingdom's inaugural space travelers, Ali Al-Qarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, alongside the pioneering Arab Muslim female astronaut, embarking on a remarkable journey to the international space station and successfully returning.To disseminate the remarkable odyssey, an extensive promotional campaign was unveiled on MBC Group's Twitter platform, attracting a staggering 9.9 million viewers and achieving an impressive view rate of 41 percent, along with 28.8 million impressions.This strategic alliance aimed to highlight the Kingdom's significant contribution to the realm of space exploration, with the corporation fervently endorsing the ten-day scientific mission.The scientific expedition, conducted aboard the International Space Station, encompassed a remarkable array of 14 pioneering experiments, focusing on diverse areas such as the brain and nervous system (six experiments), immune cells (four experiments), and cloud seeding technology (one experiment).Mazin Jameel, Marketing Managing Director, Abdul Latif Jameel Motors – Lexus, said: “We are proud to have been a part of promoting this historic space mission that comes in line with one of Vision 2030’s objectives of transforming the Kingdom into a knowledge-based economy . This milestone underlines Saudi Arabia’s continued efforts to position itself as a regional and international hub in the field of space science and technology. At Lexus, we have always embraced innovation, excellence, and the pursuit of extraordinary experiences. This corporation represents our commitment to supporting initiatives that push boundaries and inspire the next generation of leaders in science and technology.”

GenAI could generate $6.1 billion in annual growth across Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain until 2030 Generative AI (GenAI) has sparked excitement and investment in a technology with significant potential to change the world. Although this comes with regulatory concerns; among them the threat of deepfakes, harmful content, and exacerbated economic inequality and bias the technology’s potential economic impact remains substantial.According to Strategy& Middle East, part of the PwC network, widespread adoption of this technology is expected to continue across the corporate world over the next 6 to 12 months, along with rapid progress in the field.Although predictions remain challenging, Strategy& Middle East’s conservative top-down estimate predicts that the GCC region could realize approximately $9.9 of economic growth for every $1 invested in GenAI. At that rate, the overall economic impact of GenAI could reach $23.5 billion per year by 2030 within the GCC.[1]Saudi Arabia and UAE could experience largest impactLeading the way, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are expected to experience the most substantial impact, with projected annual impacts of $12.2 billion and $5.3 billion, respectively. Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain will also benefit, with estimated economic gains of $2.6 billion, $1.6 billion, $1.3 billion, and $0.6 billion, respectively.“These statistics underline the extraordinary potential of Generative AI to revolutionize the Middle East's business landscape. Executives who seize this opportunity without delay can gain a substantial competitive advantage, while companies that merely watch risk falling behind,” commented Tony Karam, Partner at Strategy& Middle East.Examining the industries likely to witness the greatest transformation, the analysis by Strategy& Middle East identifies media and entertainment as the largest affected sector with $8.5 billion of likely economic impact across the GCC region. This is followed by the healthcare industry at $3.8 billion, banking and financial services at $3.5 billion, as well as IT and telecommunications at $2.9 billion.Revolutionary language models set to revolutionize industries According to Strategy& Middle East, GenAI possesses immense capabilities that go beyond being an advanced chatbot. Powered by large language models (LLMs), GenAI models are trained on extensive textual and multimodal data, enabling them to perform a wide range of linguistic tasks, including generation, editing, summarizing, translation, and classification. This versatility allows LLMs to be fine-tuned for specific applications, providing organizations with a compelling advantage. Notably, Google's Med-PaLM2, a healthcare-centric model, showcases this potential by surpassing medical professionals in crafting comprehensive clinical evaluations. The broader impact of GenAI transcends industries, promising a seismic shift in business functions encompassing sales, marketing, customer service, and compliance. “Despite their impressive capabilities, GenAI models have inherent limitations. Currently, these models are not suitable for intricate numerical analysis or critical decision-making processes. Moreover, there are ethical concerns associated with risks of bias, unethical usage, and significant computational costs. Mismanagement could lead to misleading or harmful outputs, underscoring the need for strategic deployment of GenAI to achieve maximum impact,” added Jad Baroudi, Principal with Strategy& Middle East.Maximizing value through targeted use-cases According to Strategy& Middle East, executives should choose GenAI use-cases that align with their strategic goals and provide tangible value.Achieving early and small wins can rally support, avoiding costly and risky “big bang” approaches. It is therefore advisable to concentrate on a handful of key use cases, taking into account organizational maturity, data availability, and the regulatory environment.On organizational maturity, CEOs must collaborate with their chief data, information, and technology officers to swiftly tackle any deficiencies in data capabilities, especially those linked to data governance, such as quality, availability, and completeness. This extends to the data tech stack – notably, adopting cloud-native capabilities to exploit the predominantly cloud-based innovative GenAI models.“Success in GenAI hinges upon talent acquisition. The Middle East must confront challenges stemming from local shortages in advanced data science skills. In this global race for talent, establishing robust strategic partnerships is imperative for GCC companies aiming to swiftly deploy experienced talent and capabilities. Simultaneously, cultivating an environment that attracts and retains top-tier in-house data science talent is crucial," concluded Tony Karam.Representing more than a mere tech buzzword, GenAI now signifies a revolutionary force that is poised to redefine the business landscape. Its true potential can help propel organizations to the forefront, endowing early adopters with a formidable competitive advantage. Nevertheless, adopting GenAI and establishing the necessary underlying capabilities is not a hasty or inexpensive undertaking. It necessitates sustained and long-term investments to drive a comprehensive transformation across the enterprise. With the race now underway, and the prize - a share of the substantial multibillion-dollar market impact in the Middle East at stake - the potential is too significant to overlook.

Jeddah: Starbucks® has reached a new milestone with the opening of its 400th store in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This new store in Jeddah increases Starbucks® presence within a flourishing local coffee culture, and has already been met with an enthusiastic response from coffee lovers – who can enjoy the complete Starbucks® Experience from bean to cup.Ever since its debut in the Kingdom in 2000, Starbucks® has been committed to serving and connecting with the local communities. In line with Saudi Vision 2030, the company has been investing heavily in its partners (employees) and in new stores, including the first Starbucks Reserve® store opening in Jeddah on May 4th 2023. Starbucks® growth plans reinforce its commitment to being the preferred choice for all coffee lovers in the Kingdom and seeks to keep building on its growth momentum in the region. In January this year, the Saudi Ministry of Culture also recognised Starbucks® as a key contributor to the success of the 2022 Year of Saudi Coffee.Nationalisation, empowerment and increased diversity of women in the workplace are at the heart of Starbucks® regional recruitment plan. Through an active recruitment agenda, over half of Starbucks® workforce is local talent and female, including its first all-female run Drive Thru in Saudi which opened in June 2022. This is an ongoing effort, working with the Saudi government to support the broader nationalisation agenda.Andy Holmes, President of Starbucks - Alshaya Group, said: “We are proud to mark the opening of 400 Starbucks stores in the Kingdom, which would not have been possible without the hard work of our partners (employees) and the support of the local communities we proudly serve. Reaching this milestone is a testament to our unmatched coffee expertise, commitment to bringing bold new beverage innovations to Arab coffee lovers and evolving our dynamic store concepts to meet our customers’ needs where they are. We have big ambitions to continue our accelerated growth in the Middle East, and this will be driven primarily through our ongoing investment in the recruitment, development and empowerment of young national talent.”When it comes to store designs, Starbucks® is always invested in creating unique and inviting spaces for customers to connect and enjoy their favourite beverages and food. Starbucks® stores are distinctive, featuring brighter colours, dynamic material palettes, modern artwork and harmonious lighting. Its store aesthetic is constantly evolving, leading the way in store design and innovative new store concepts.Starbucks® 400th store opening milestone was celebrated at an event in Starbucks® Jeddah Park Reserve store on Monday July 10th. This is the first Starbucks® Reserve store to open in Jeddah, joining an exclusive number of Reserve stores in the Kingdom, such as the iconic Riyadh Boulevard Starbucks. Reserve offers coffee connoisseurs a bespoke coffee craft experience, with baristas displaying their coffee craft and expertise through an array of coffee brewing methods, infusing coffee into surprising beverage creations with rare and extraordinary coffee beans.Starbucks® mission captures its commitment to local communities: with every cup, with every conversation, with every community – we nurture the limitless possibilities of human connection.The Jeddah Park store will exclusively have our newest, most innovative beverage – Oleato ™. Launched in May in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Kuwait, this alchemy of Partanna ™ extra virgin olive oil and arabica coffee is sure to delight customers in Jeddah with its lush velvety texture.

Dubai: Maz Holding, a conglomerate based in KSA, and Nexa, a Dubai-based digital agency, have joined forces to establish Maz Nexa, a brand-new agency that aims to revolutionize the digital marketing landscape.Maz Nexa will offer a comprehensive range of services, including devising digital strategies for brands and assisting companies in integrating technology throughout their operations using tools like HubSpot, a CRM, Marketing, Sales, and Operations platform. The agency's service portfolio also encompasses search and performance marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, web design and development, as well as cutting-edge Web3 services such as NFTs and Blockchain technology.Through this partnership with Nexa, Maz Holding intends to expand its footprint in the digital marketing industry, leveraging the expertise and capabilities of both entities. Nexa has already played a crucial role in marketing Maz Holding's businesses and brands across various sectors, including manufacturing, energy, real estate, retail, IT, financial services, and healthcare.Eng. Abdulsalam Al-Mazro, Founder and Chairman of Maz Holding, expressed his satisfaction with Nexa's past performance, which led to the decision of entrusting them with the comprehensive management of all marketing activities within the Group. This transformative journey has elevated the client-agency relationship to a strategic partnership, aiming to deliver excellence and growth to all companies and public sector agencies in the Kingdom.Amit Vyas, CEO of Nexa, highlighted the significance of merging two industry leaders, stating that this collaboration would unlock new levels of success and transform digital marketing practices in the Middle East. With their combined experience, knowledge, and resources, the newly formed company is poised to provide innovative solutions that deliver measurable results for its clients.The establishment of Maz Nexa represents a significant step towards reshaping the digital marketing landscape in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, with a focus on driving excellence, growth, and tangible outcomes for businesses operating in the region.

Dubai: According to a recent survey by Kaspersky called Digital Superstitions, a fourth (40%) of respondents from KSA do not know what data about them is publicly available on the Internet.For those who recognized and are aware about their own personal information being available online, the survey showed that some have even tried to completely remove it from the Web. However, almost half of them (49%) did not take any actions. Among them,17% are sure that it is impossible to remove information about themselves from the Internet, while 9% do not know how to do it.According to those respondents from KSA who know what data about them is publicly available on the Internet, the most frequently mentioned data types are full names (77%), personal photos (54%) and e-mail addresses (49%). Moreover, some people let their personal phone number (53%), place of work or study (39%) and address of residence or registration (55%) be openly available online.However, it is also possible for personal data to end up online due to data breaches and data leakages on a company’s side. More than a quarter of the respondents (39%) are worried about such a possibility: they believe that they may run into trouble. 10% noted that they are only concerned about the possible leakage of bank card data. Over a third of respondents (34%) are not worried at all and believe that their personal data cannot be used for harm.“Unfortunately, users often underestimate personal data protection, despite that the leaked or stolen data can be used by cybercriminals in their fraudulent purposes – they can sell it, use it to hack personal accounts or for identity theft. Nevertheless, according to our survey, 48% of the respondents keep scans of passports and other confidential documents in correspondence in instant messengers, email inbox and social networks. You should not do this: under certain circumstances, attackers can steal such information,” comments Maher Yamout, Senior Security Researcher, Global Research & Analysis Team at Kaspersky. “There’s a simple basic test – to check what other people can know about you from scratch, type your first and last name between quotes in the Internet search engine and analyse the results”.To ensure personal data is protected properly, Kaspersky recommends following these security tips:Do not store or post confidential information (phone number, passport scan, etc.) on social networks, including in correspondence.Share confidential data in encrypted form, for example in an archive with a password.Ensure your accounts are well protected: use strong and unique passwords for each service (from 12 characters with letters in different case, numbers and special characters), store them in password managers.Set up two-factor authentication in those services that allow it.Use a reliable security solution like Kaspersky Premium – it will prevent you from finding yourself on a phishing site with the stolen personal or payment information.

Dubai: Publicis Groupe Middle East has appointed MacLean Brodie as Chief Executive Officer of MSL Middle East, a strategic communications agency.In his new role, MacLean will be responsible for overseeing client business and driving growth for MSL Middle East. Drawing upon the Groupe’s ‘Power of One’ strength, he will focus on harnessing talent, fuelling creativity, and strengthening MSL’s presence and earned media capabilities in regional key growth markets."We are delighted to welcome MacLean onboard; he brings a wealth of public and private experience that will provide MSL with invaluable insights and solutions. His deep understanding of the regional media ecosystem combined with his advocacy experience and strong communications skills will be a tremendous value add to clients and our capabilities”, said Bassel Kakish, CEO, Publicis Groupe ME&T.MacLean's career in communications has spanned more than 15 years, with senior roles in Asia and the Middle East. A long-time advisor in strategic communications, he will be joining MSL from his current role as Head of Public Affairs at the Qatar Foundation. Formerly, he led the Corporate and Public Affairs work for Ogilvy across the MENA region and managed a substantial public relations practice for Ogilvy Qatar, overseeing clients such as Qatar Tourism Authority, beIN Media Group, the Ministry of Transport and Communication (TASMU Qatar), Hamad International Airport, Sasol, and Doha Forum.Margaret Key, CEO of MSL APAC/MEA said, “We are excited to welcome MacLean to the MSL family to lead and strengthen MSL’s capabilities in a key region. As the PR industry continues evolving, MSL has developed an exceptional approach to servicing an array of clients that looks at integrated work across digital, PR, creative, socials and analytics. I look forward to working closely with MacLean to further expand MSL’s growth in Middle East.”For more than ten years prior, MacLean was based in China, where he anchored Ogilvy China's Public and Government Affairs practice and built a strong reputation in communications strategy, campaign planning, crisis management, state/location branding, and market entry programmes. During his time in China, he worked closely with Emirates Airlines to promote their aviation and aero-political affairs agenda and was instrumental in launching Dubai Week in China. Further client roles include experience in health innovation with J&J and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, mining with Teck Resources and Rio Tinto, destination branding with the city of Chengdu, and development work with the World Bank in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia.Commenting on his appointment, MacLean said, "It's an incredible moment to be joining MSL and the Publicis Groupe. The ambition and growth of the region are matched by a leadership team making transformational moves in digital, creative, and analytics that are changing how we work and enhancing the power of earned media to generate influence and make a bottom-line business impact. I am excited to be a part of MSL and harness this growth for our clients and our team!”.

Dubai, UAE: Globe Soccer, the UAE-based organisers of the prestigious Dubai Globe Soccer Awards that annually attracts some of the most recognisable names in world football, today confirmed plans to expand the concept internationally with five new ceremonies across four continents in 2024.Billed as the ‘Road to Dubai’, the new Globe Soccer Intercontinental Series will feature a quintet of standalone award editions covering Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East next year, with specific details of each territory’s seasonal awards set to be revealed in coming months. The winners of each of the continental main awards – for example Best Men’s Player, Best Women’s Player, Best Club, Best Agent – will automatically qualify as finalists for the annual Dubai Globe Soccer Awards, in partnership with Dubai Sports Council. “For 13 years, the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards has helped bring the football world to the emirate,” said Tommaso Bendoni, the founder and CEO of Globe Soccer, which is headquartered in Dubai. “In recent years, we have seen huge growth in terms of the number of awards, and also the number of fan votes and media coverage. We believe now is the time for us to take the show – and Dubai – to the world. “The Intercontinental Series will provide greater opportunities for those operating in global football, as well as allowing us to engage with even more fans. The year-long ‘Road to Dubai’ programme has been designed to ensure the ultimate focus remains on the emirate, while also enabling us to recognise clubs, players, coaches and managers, agents, directors, scouts, and other stakeholders from every corner of the world.”An annual celebration of the beautiful game, the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards provides a voice to worldwide soccer fans, who vote to shortlist players, coaches, clubs and more. Since the inaugural event in 2010, the number of awards distributed has increased from three to 21, with recent additions including the Power Horse Emerging Player of the Year, Best Youth Team, and Best Transfer Deal. Last year, more than 33 million fan votes decided the shortlisted nominees, before a judging panel of experts crowned Karim Benzema and Alexia Putellas as the Best Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year, respectively.His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, said: “We are proud of our partnership with the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards. This partnership commenced with the inauguration of the event as a significant occasion rooted in Dubai, but with global reach. Today, it has become one of the most prestigious events in world football, serving as a gathering for football stars and decision-makers."The new 'Road to Dubai’ awards format enables us to acknowledge and honour a greater number of stars from various continents, thus highlighting their achievements. Moreover, it offers the winners a chance to take part in the main ceremony in Dubai. This development aligns with the award's growth, evolution, international reputation, and influence in global football.”Ferran Soriano, the CEO of European champions Manchester City and the City Football Group, sits on the event’s judging panel. Soriano believes having the winners of the five new standalone events automatically shortlisted for the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards will provide timely recognition of talents operating in regions often neglected by such awards and organisations. “The Globe Soccer Intercontinental Series will recognise all manner of professionals working in the game, including those operating in underrepresented regions,” said Soriano. “As CEO of City Football Group, which operates in a range of international markets from Uruguay to China, I have seen first-hand the wealth of talent working in football around the world. In acknowledging the work of these people and providing them the chance to travel to Dubai and network within the industry, Globe Soccer can directly and significantly benefit the careers of these people and, indirectly, further globalisation of the game.Previous attendees at the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards read like an elite gathering of the world's most prominent football stars, from Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, and Robert Lewandowksi to Pep Guardiola, Zinedine Zidane, Jose Mourinho, and the late Diego Maradona. For more information on the Intercontinental Series and to view previous winners of the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards, visit globesoccer.com.

MUSCAT: The newest LC Waikiki store at Salalah Grand Mall covers a space of 13,433 square feet that lets customers take pleasure in the wide range of collections for Women, Men, Kids, and Babies. The store offers the ultimate selection of colorful summer outfits, casual attire, and smart formal wear made fit for the brand’s diverse audience.Neeraj Teckchandani, CEO of Apparel Group, stated: “This is another monumental achievement for us, as we continue to strive and prove the commitment to providing an exceptional retail experience that everyone across the region can enjoy. This strategic expansion will further fortify our brand’s market presence as we cater to our customers all over the GCC.”LC Waikiki has continuously raised the bar in the fashion industry with its innovative designs and sophisticated ensembles. The brand looks forward to reaching more demographics and communities, promising an ever-evolving array of fresh styles and fashion-forward ideas.In line with its strategic growth plan, Apparel Group is determined to further enhance LC Waikiki’s retail footprint across the GCC. This unwavering commitment aligns with the group's vision to make stylish, high-quality clothing accessible to individuals across the region.

?Dubai: Connect Ads by Aleph made an exciting announcement, declaring its new position as the authorized distributor of Google Ads in Morocco and Iraq.In a bid to fortify and extend Google's influence in Morocco and Iraq, Connect Ads by Aleph has introduced an innovative venture named Mediam Group. This entity will concentrate on the sales and management of advertising campaigns exclusively for Google.The primary objective of this partnership is to furnish an amplified number of customers and agencies in Iraq and Morocco with Google's comprehensive solutions. This, in turn, will enable these businesses to flourish through localized support catered specifically to their needs.Google Ads serves as an invaluable tool, empowering enterprises to connect with billions of potential customers actively seeking information, products, and services across various platforms within Google's extensive network.Mediam Group operates as Aleph's specialized representative arm solely devoted to Google. With a dedicated and proficient local team, Mediam Group strives to assist agencies and advertisers in optimizing their Google Ads accounts, ensuring optimal performance across a variety of Google Ads Products.Anthony Nakache, Managing Director of Google MENA, said: “We are pleased with our partnership with Connect Ads in Morocco and Iraq where there is massive potential to grow the digital ads ecosystem. This partnership will help us bring more comprehensive services and ad support to local advertisers across the different Google tools and solutions.” “We are proud of this partnership with Google. It is a testament to what we have been building for over 22 years now at Connect Ads. We are also very excited about launching Mediam Group in MENA, Aleph’s Google dedicated representation arm. We are committed to this partnership, dedicating on-the-ground teams of experienced professionals that are well versed in Google Ads to successfully scale the business in Morocco and Iraq. Our mission will always be to grow our partners and better serve our clients, advertisers, and brands,” said Mohamed Megahed, Managing Director of Connect Ads by Aleph.“Working with Google is a privilege and a huge responsibility for us. We are gearing all our experience and our capacities towards a strong and successful launch and to scaling the business onwards,” stated Mohamed El Mehairy, CEO of Connect Ads by Aleph.

Dubai: With over 46.7% of the UAE population falling into credit card debts and 12.8% actively looking for loans, the UAE’s leading fintech App, Sav, has launched a groundbreaking "Save Now, Buy Later" (SNBL) feature with the aim to bridge the gap in aspirational goals and sustainable affordability for the UAE residents and families. Sav’s SNBL feature has been launched at an essential time as the UAE residents face rising inflation and lifestyle challenges. By highlighting the importance of disciplined savings, Sav aims to alleviate financial stress and guide individuals towards a more sustainable lifestyle. SNBL promotes a savings-focused approach to big-ticket purchases rather than relying on credit and accumulating debt.Flip side to Buy Now, Pay Later - Sustainable AffordabilityFor the last few decades, for large ticket purchases and casual consumption, using credit cards and BNPL has taken precedence.According to market reports, "Buy now, pay later" (BNPL) payments in the UAE are expected to reach US$2,531.1 million in 2023. While BNPL has facilitated affordability, the trend encourages impulsive spending and excessive borrowing, leading to financial instability and stress for many.Credit-based options reward users with points, cashback and discounts for casual borrowing. However, savings and planned purchases have been barely incentivized. Understanding the consumptive behavior of young households, and the missing benefits in planned consumption, Sav is addressing the impending need for innovative debt-free personal finance tools. The SNBL feature presents a flip side to BNPL, incentivizing users to practice good money behavior and responsibly plan their purchases.Giving back control to BrandsSNBL creates a win-win situation for both customers and merchants.Customers who prioritize savings over debt can earn cash rewards when they hit their savings milestones. Brands stand to benefit significantly by gaining access to wider, in-market audiences. The SNBL option puts brands in charge of their customer’s purchase journey early on, thereby boosting brand affinity and building loyalty. Moreover, Sav helps brands overcome challenges like rising customer acquisition costs and online shopping cart abandonment."We understand the importance of fostering healthy financial habits and promoting a more sustainable approach to affordability," said Purvi Munot, CEO at Sav. “Sav’s SNBL solution allows users to make high-value purchases with their own savings, without in debt. We are proud to launch this feature with some of the UAE’s top consumer brands across multiple categories.” According to Purvi, “This is especially an invaluable tool for young families in the UAE who have high outlays on essentials and aspirational purchases such as a home, furniture, a car, maternity, children’s education or a dream vacation. Sav automates saving and has an array of features that enable users to take full control of their money.”“With Sav, we start to change the relationship between brands and consumers. In our experience, most brands in the UAE are also keen to support responsible consumption and see SNBL as a new payment option that’s truly in the customer's best interest, said Saurabh Bhardwaj, who leads Partnerships and Growth at Sav.”    Aligning with the UAE’s visionSav aligns with the Ministry of Finance's Savings awareness initiative, which emphasizes the importance of saving for a secure future. It promotes financial awareness and responsible spending habits among young couples and families in the UAE. Drawing insights from Sav's growing database of over 45,000 users, the top three categories for savings are Travel, Home & Furniture, and Education, accounting for nearly 60%, in addition to emerging savings areas including Automobiles, Electronics, and Jewelry. The platform strives to reach a milestone value of AED 40 million in savings, underlining its loyalty to transforming users’ economic well-being.

Dubai: After securing $11 million USD in initial funding, Locals.org, a burgeoning social networking platform for entrepreneurs in London, has successfully expanded its operations to the UAE. With an already impressive user base of over 200,000 ambitious individuals, the app offers a novel approach to connecting like-minded entrepreneurs in real life based on their shared interests. By enabling online connections that lead to offline meetups, Locals.org allows users to engage in various activities, network, discuss business, play sports, and socialize. The platform has already facilitated over 400,000 connections and witnessed more than 25,000 events.The platform gained significant traction with the Locals.org Dubai Padel Tournament, a widely popular event hosted by Dubai-based entrepreneur and former Miss World Australia, Jessica Kahawaty. This event attracted over 50 entrepreneurs and achieved viral fame on Instagram, accumulating a remarkable 170 million views. It has become one of the most-watched sports videos to date.Noteworthy figures such as Sam Altman (Open AI founder), Nik Storonsky (Revolut founder), Jeremy Jauncey (Beautiful Destinations founder and MyDubai creator), Michael Acton Smith (Calm founder), Camilla Al Fayed (Farmacy founder), Pavel Durov (Telegram founder), Natalia Vodianova (supermodel and Locals.org co-founder), Herman Narula (Improbable founder), and Matthew Freud (Freud Communications founder) have all utilized Locals.org to organize meetups and events within the past two months.The platform's rapid growth led to its selection as Apple's "App of the Day" in the UAE, showcasing its expanding local and global user base. Locals.org was conceptualized by serial entrepreneurs and founders Eugene Nevgen, Natalia Vodianova, Sergey Gonchar, and Timon Afinsky, with the vision of establishing the largest online "real-life" social networking community for entrepreneurs in the Middle East. Their goal is to facilitate connections between local entrepreneurs and their counterparts worldwide.Beyond catering to personal interests and hobbies, Locals.org, initially launched in London in 2021, fosters a thriving entrepreneurial community. It provides a platform for business leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs to network, meet, and cultivate their businesses, regardless of their stage, whether they have an idea, are just starting out, or are seeking advice on scaling and expansion.The app is backed by venture capital investors such as Goodwater Capital, TheSoul Publishing, and Michael Antonov (Oculus co-founder). Expanding into Dubai is part of a broader strategy to establish a distinct online and offline networking community across the wider Middle East region.Eugene Nevgen, Co-Founder and CEO of Locals.org, expressed his enthusiasm about the Dubai launch, stating, "We are delighted to launch and expand in the UAE. The country has always been a hub for entrepreneurs, with over 94 percent of businesses in Dubai classified as small and medium-sized enterprises. We aim to introduce our unique social networking vision to the market, allowing entrepreneurs and changemakers to connect with like-minded individuals based on their professional and social interests. Our Padel event video, with over 170 million views, was an overwhelming success, highlighting the region's strong appetite for a distinctive approach to real-life social networking. Through activities and events, our aim is to build a secure and influential community that fosters meaningful connections and drives entrepreneurial growth in the UAE."The founders of Locals.org have ambitious plans to further develop the platform, positioning it as the premier app for real-life social networking in the region. Natalia Vodianova, co-founder of Locals.org, emphasized the vibrant entrepreneurial scene in the Middle East and articulated the platform's goal of not only connecting individuals with fellow entrepreneurs and businesses but also providing opportunities for people to discover communities and events that facilitate genuine real-life connections. Vodianova hopes that by offering a valuable online and offline experience, Locals.org can build a robust community while helping individuals expand their businesses, aligning with the government's objective of doubling the size of the UAE economy by 2033. She concluded, "It's a thrilling time to be an entrepreneur. The business landscape is evolving, and we are proud to have created an ecosystem that supports this growth both online and offline."

Cairo: Moustafa Moharram: The project is an important step towards the modernization of regional legal systems related to data protection. The delay in modernizing legal system by some countries of the region deprives them of digital investments and denies their access to the applications of fourth industrial revolution technology.Mohamed Hegazy: We welcome the contributions of international and regional bodies by joining this project, in order to improve the legal and regulatory environment for personal data protection in the region.M&P Public Affairs and Strategic Communications announced the launch of a research project to lay the first classification of personal data protection legislation in the Middle East and Africa, with the aim of creating an enabling environment for digital investments, as the region is experiencing a rapid growth in the use of technology and Internet and that requires greater protection of personal data.A specialized team of regional experts in the field of digital legislation and personal data protection are developing this classification, which includes the provision of a comprehensive guide and assessment regarding the legal systems applied in the region and encouraging governments and regional institutions to adopt better standards for the protection of user data, as it will be designed according to a set of reliable and internationally recognized standards and indicators for assessing compliance and harmony with international frameworks and standards related to the protection of personal data, in a way that enhances the digital economy structure and the citizens’ privacy protection.Moustafa Moharram, CEO of M&P, said: "This project is an important step towards modernizing regional legal systems related to data protection and creating an enabling investment environment to attract digital investments. It also aims to enhance transparency, accountability and trust in the processing of personal data, thus helping to achieve sustainable economic and social development in the region.Moharram indicated that the delay, in updating and establishing legal system related to data protection by some countries of the region, deprives them of digital investments and denies their access to the applications of artificial intelligence and fourth industrial revolution technologies, and also it affects their ranking in international indicators.For his part, Dr. Mohamed Hegazy, Digital Legislation Expert and Senior Advisor to the project, called on all stakeholders in the region to join this project and to share their experiences for improving personal data protection, enhancing confidence in the use of technology and Internet and maintain users’ privacy. Hegazy indicated that the research team includes a group of the most important Arab and African experts that are specialized in the field of digital legislation and this project completes the role they play in supporting the formulation of digital legislation in a number of Arab and African countries.Hegazy added that the project is intended to classify the legislative and regulatory frameworks and enforcement mechanisms, but it also aims to build and implement capacity-building programs for workers in data protection agencies in the region and to raise the awareness of users and the public on the importance of protecting personal data and the challenges faced by institutions in this field, thus contributing to improve the results of personal data protection classification in the region.

Dubai: Qureos, a UAE-based startup dedicated to advancing careers in the MENA region, announces the launch of Iris, a game-changing AI recruitment platform set to reshape the talent acquisition landscape in the region. Designed to empower employers with unparalleled efficiency, Iris delivers an entirely new approach to candidate sourcing, evaluation and matching the requirements by harnessing the benefits of advanced AI and ML algorithms. Streamlining the entire process, Iris can present an average of 47 relevant candidates per search in just 26 seconds. This groundbreaking platform holds the potential to reduce time-to-hire and slash recruitment costs by up to 43% and make the age-old challenges associated with talent acquisition a thing of the past. With Iris at the helm, hiring managers no longer have to undergo tedious manual screening and sifting through endless resumes. Iris conducts rapid and comprehensive evaluations of candidates, pinpointing ideal matches with remarkable precision. Iris will also play a pivotal role in helping employers to address the prolonged time to employment in the region, which currently is up to 18 months for early-in-career talent, narrow the skills gap and tackle the pressing issue of job creation. According to a recent study by McKinsey, the MENA region is predicted to witness a significant workforce expansion of 127 million in the next decade, primarily driven by its burgeoning youth population. Alexander Epure, CEO & Co-founder of Qureos, emphasized the significance of Iris, stating, "Iris embodies Qureos' mission to accelerate 100 million careers, redefining the hiring process and aligning aspirants with their goals. Its power lies in uncovering hidden gems among a sea of candidates, often overlooked by employers. Recognizing that 30% of Middle East respondents, as per a PwC survey, are seeking new career opportunities, Iris serves as a critical catalyst for career advancement in the region. By enhancing hiring effectiveness for employers and empowering candidates to harness their potential, Iris aims to reshape the recruitment landscape”.Qureos features a talent pool of over 7 million candidates from countries, including UAE, KSA, Egypt, Pakistan, India, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, and Lebanon. To ensure that employers get access to a diverse range of highly qualified individuals, Qureos also offers candidates unparalleled opportunities to grow and upskill. Through practical, hands-on projects and personalized 1-on-1 mentorship, candidates are guided by industry-leading mentors from organizations such as Google, Microsoft, PayPal, Amazon, Cisco, and over 100 global businesses.Iris enhances the candidate experience by ensuring transparency at every stage of the recruitment process, providing AI-generated matching summaries to objectively shortlist candidates based on their skills and performance. Abdulrahman AlKooheji at Gro Partners, a renowned investments-focused consultancy and advisory company in the UAE, had the opportunity to use Iris during its beta phase and lauded it for its game-changing impact. “In an era where instant results are not only desired but expected - a sentiment mirrored in sectors like retail and delivery - Iris emerges as a timely and apt solution for the entire recruitment industry. My personal experience with the beta version left me appreciative of their AI's ability to quickly and accurately process results. With its rapid execution and potential for significant cost-saving, Iris is well-positioned to be a game-changer, serving businesses both at a regional and global level. Kudos to the team for this excellent work!”Since its inception, Qureos has been diligently serving prominent companies in the UAE, including RemotePass, DP World, and Unilever. With Iris, Qureos aims to disrupt the recruitment space and create enhanced career prospects throughout the region.h its AI Recruiter, Iris. Iris automates the sourcing, shortlisting and outreach to candidates - all in the blink of an eye. 

Riyadh: Al-Ahli Saudi Football Club and the Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), have signed a three-year strategic partnership to scale and develop the Kingdom’s sports sector. The agreement, extending until the 2025-2026 season, was signed by Eng. Tarek Khalifah, Acting CEO of Al Ahli Club Investment Company, and Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Muammar, Chief Operating Officer of SCAI.Eng. Khalifah, expressing the club’s enthusiasm over its partnership with SCAI, said, "Our mutual agreement will open up new avenues for success and the scaling of Saudi Arabia’s sports sectors. Furthermore, it will strengthen SCAI's position as a leading artificial intelligence (AI) company and play a key role in the sports sector’s local and global development."Eng. Khalifah emphasized that the collaboration with SCAI will enhance Al-Ahli Football Club’s interconnectedness with other sectors and allow the club to fulfill its role for the benefit of all, stating that the strategic partnership is in line with Kingdom's efforts and aims to develop local talent and enhance the experience of the club's fans.Mr. Al-Muammar said, "The collaboration between SCAI and Al-Ahli Club affirms our commitment to promoting innovation in the sports sector in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. We at SCAI seek to leverage AI and modern technologies to create value across various sectors, helping our partners achieve their goals in addition to enhancing the well-being and quality of life of individuals throughout Saudi Arabia.”SCAI is dedicated to actively influencing the upcoming era of AI applications and providing inventive resolutions to address worldwide challenges, aiming for a more sustainable future. Through internal capabilities and varied investments, the organization acts as a driving force for Saudi Arabia's AI ecosystem, working towards establishing the Kingdom as a globally competitive center for advanced technology.

DUBAI: Mobmio is a new mobile performance network with ambitious plans for the MENA mobile app market. A business from global IT company Mitgo, Mobmio specialises in mobile app user acquisition and CPI/CPL/CPA/Revenue share monetisation services.Launched as a stand-alone business in 2023, Mobmio has already reached 500+ million mobile users, generated 50+ million interactions and acquired 15+ million new users for its customers worldwide. Now, it has a firm focus in the MENA region - fuelling app growth for local brands and driving publisher revenues for mobile-first publishers and in-app advertisers. The mobile app market is growing fast - and the MENA region is no different. According to Statista, total app market revenues for 2022 reached US$475.90bn, and they expect to see an annual growth (CAGR 2022-2027) of 8.58%, resulting in a market volume of US$755.50bn by 2027. According to Mitgo's data, the number of mobile sales in MENA grew by 20% in H1 of 2023 YoY, their GMV grew by 18,3%, over half of all orders in the region are made through mobile phones. Alexander Bachmann, CEO and Founder of Mitgo, states “Mitgo has always been - and continues to be - an innovative hub for emerging and mature markets. That's why launching Mobmio is a logical step for us, allowing our publishers to harness the full potential of the fast-growing global mobile market.” A successful beta test leading to full roll-outMobmio grew out of a mobile services segment within Mitgo business Admitad’s partner network. During a successful beta test, it was decided to spin-off these services into a separate, expanded business.This test saw 10,000 Admitad partners from all over the world take part. Between January and May 2023, these partners saw a YOY profit growth of +20%, demonstrating the platform’s market fit and growth potential. The first half of 2023 saw the service's global profits grow by 27%, and Mitgo plans to invest a total of $10 million into Mobmio’s development between 2023-2025. Ambitious plans for MENA’s fast-growing mobile app marketWith ambitious expansion plans focusing on the MENA, USA, Europe, LATAM and India, MENA will be a key market for Mobmio’s success.  By the end of 2023, Mobmio plans to partner with at least 2000 MENA apps - and another 4000 worldwide. “Brands will benefit from the expertise of a team with years of experience in the mobile app industry. This launch will help Mitgo enter new markets, enable us to attract new partners and increase the group's profits.” - Alexander BachmannA user-centric approach to mobile app servicesIn comparison to other CPA-based networks, Mobmio offers a dedicated monitoring and compliance department, allowing publishers and advertisers to track and prevent suspicious or fraudulent traffic, providing traffic transparency and ensuring only high-quality traffic. Along with worldwide coverage and instant payout systems, Mobmio offers its network of advertisers and publishers a tailored approach, with personal success managers and work models aligned with a brand’s goals and objectives.  Mobmio’s launch also reinforces Mitgo’s on-going mission to invest in and grow innovative tech businesses and solutions that provide new revenue streams and added value to their partner network. 

DUBAI: Media OutReach - 11 July 2023 - SleekFlow, APAC’s leading SaaS omnichannel social commerce platform backed by Tiger Global, is proud to announce the launch of its omnichannel social commerce platform in the UAE. The market expansion officially kicks off with SleekFlow joining L’Occitane ME’s first Accelerator Program, powered by The Greenhouse, Chalhoub Group’s space for innovation and entrepreneurship.SleekFlow Team and L’Occitane ME and Chalhoub Group's Demo Day, which took place at The Greenhouse in Dubai Design DistrictIn August 2022, SleekFlow was one of 4 out of 180 global retail-tech startups chosen to implement its cutting-edge solutions in the Middle East, as well as the potential of developing tailored solutions catered to beauty and luxury sectors for the L'Occitane brand in the future. This new partnership with Chalhoub Group, the region’s largest retailer, is a testament to SleekFlow’s potential to enhance the region’s rapidly growing luxury retail sector.Since its founding in 2019, SleekFlow has achieved 2-3 times YoY revenue growth and successfully expanded in Hong Kong - the company’s current HQ - Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brazil, with its customer engagement solution for SMEs and enterprises. The company has identified the UAE market as an ideal location for expansion based on early traction and strong buying behavior through WhatsApp, the communication channel that 80% of UAE consumers use daily.As the first Asian company to participate in the Microsoft Pegasus program, SleekFlow’s ongoing partnership with Microsoft enables the platform to leverage GPT-4 technology from Azure OpenAI Service to power its chatbots. SleekFlow has recently developed SleekFlow AI, a context-aware AI-powered chatbot that can refine and translate content, generate concise reports upon completion of service, and even automate talent training, helping businesses increase efficiency."Over the past year, SleekFlow has experienced explosive growth, with our enterprise customers increasing sixfold, accumulating over 5,000 customers in 120 regions worldwide,” says SleekFlow's founder and CEO Henson Tsai. “At the same time, we continue to optimize the platform to help businesses upgrade their customer service quality, increasing their sales converted with chat threefold and boosting the online to offline (O2O) sales by 18%. I believe that AI will be an indispensable part of businesses in the next three years and become the driving engine of various industries in the UAE and beyond."

Dubai: Amazon.ae has announced hundreds of thousands of deals exclusively for Prime members in the UAE this Prime Day on July 11 and 12. Starting at 00:01am (local UAE time) on July 11 and running until July 12, the sale event will offer Prime members across the Emirates exclusive savings across all product categories including electronics, grocery, Amazon Fresh, fashion, beauty, kitchen, home, health, toys, sports, and Amazon Devices. Anyone can join Prime through a free 30-day trial, followed by a membership fee of AED 16/month or an annual fee of AED 140, at www.amazon.ae/prime to participate in Prime Day, get access to the full set of benefits including unlimited fast and free shipping benefits, and enjoy entertainment with Prime Video and Prime Gaming.Throughout the 48-hour sale event, Prime members can enjoy savings across top local and international brands such as Bose, Samsung, Microsoft, PlayStation, Black+Decker, Philips, Nespresso, Nivea, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Revlon, Guess, Skechers, Tommy Hilfiger, and Amazon Devices. Additionally, members can support local businesses by exploring a specially curated ‘Shop Local’ collection available at www.amazon.ae/shoplocal which connects millions of customers with local small and medium-sized businesses. Prime members can discover Prime Day deals from local businesses by category or directly explore featured local brand owners such as Emirati Coffee, Elegant, Royal Malaki, and Nappy Time, on the page. Prime members can also shop select Prime Day deals from Amazon US and UK via the Amazon.ae Global Store, with Free International Shipping with no minimum purchase required. Throughout Prime Day, Prime members in eligible locations across the UAE will also be able to enjoy deals on hundreds of grocery products from Amazon Fresh, including fruits and vegetables and everyday essentials, with free and fast two-hour scheduled delivery options available.Stefano Martinelli, GCC Retail Director, said: “Prime Day is the most exciting time of the year for Amazon Prime members around the world. This year, we are once again celebrating Prime and all it has to offer, ensuring members in the UAE get the most value from their membership with greater savings and more promotional offers than ever before. This Prime Day will not only feature deals across every category on Amazon.ae, including recently rolled out categories such as Amazon Fresh, but also deliver additional discounts from select banks, and benefits including unlimited free and fast shipping. This 48-hour sale serves as a true testament to our continued commitment to make Prime members’ lives more valuable, easier, convenient, and fun.”Prime Day Deals on Amazon.ae PreviewPrime Day 2023 will feature incredible savings exclusive for Prime members, with a continuous release of new deals across various categories throughout July 11 and 12. Here is a glimpse of some of this year’s best Amazon Prime Day deals that members can expect during the sale event on Amazon.ae:ElectronicsSave up to 62% on speakers and headphones from brands including Anker, Bose, and SonySave up to 46% on mobile phones and smart watches from brands including Samsung and Xiaomi Save up to 24% on laptops from brands including Microsoft and Asus Save up to 23% on TVs from brands including HiSense and PanasonicGaming Save up to 43% on video games and gaming gear from brands including SteelSeries, PlayStation, Xbox, Sony, and Cougar GamingSave up to 59% on gaming headphones and speakers from brands including Redragon, SteelSeries and SonySave up to 31% on gaming laptops from brands including AsusAmazon Devices Save up to 41% on Ring devicesSave up to 43% on Echo Show and Echo Dot devicesSave up to 35% on the Eero WiFi RouterSave up to 31% on Kindle devicesThe All-New Echo, just launched in the UAE this month, will also be on offer exclusively for Prime members during Prime DayHome Save up to 38% on home appliances from Black+Decker and BluSave up to 35% on vacuum cleaners from brands including Roborock and EcovacsSave up to 30% on Amazon Home Services including massage, car rental, moving, house cleaning, house painting, and pest control servicesKitchenSave up to 43% on mixers, air fryers, coffee machines, and other kitchen appliances from brands including De’Longhi, Nespresso, Panasonic, and TefalSave up to 31% on major cooking appliances from brands including SiemensGrocery and Amazon Fresh Save up to 83% on fresh fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, blueberries, cucumbers, and tomatoes, from Amazon FreshSave up to 23% on every day essentials from brands including Nescafe, L’Or, and Red BullBeauty and Personal Care Save up to 62% on skin care items from brands including QV, Neutrogena, and EucerinSave up to 50% on self-care and beauty items, as well as skin care routine packs, from NiveaSave up to 24% on perfumes from brands including Davidoff, Calvin Klein, and Hugo BossSave up to 23% on personal care appliances, such as hair dryers and beard groomers, from brands including Revlon, Philips, and Braun Fashion Save up to 82% on watches from brands including Michael Kors, Anne Klein, Citizen, Tommy Hilfiger and CasioSave up to 52% on bags from brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Kenneth Cole, and GuessSave up to 31% on apparel from brands including Columbia, Crocs, Skechers, Puma, and Champion

CAIRO: Amazon.eg is planning to launch hundreds of thousands of deals exclusively for Amazon Prime members this Amazon Prime Day in Egypt on July 11 and 12. Kicking off at midnight on July 11th and running until July 12th, the sale event will offer members of Amazon Prime across Egypt with exclusive deals across all product categories with savings benefits of up to 70% on fashion, 40% on electronics and accessories, 20% on TVs, and 50% on beauty and perfumes. Anyone can join Prime and become a member through a free 30-day trial, followed by a membership fee of EGP 29/month or EGP 249/year, at www.amazon.eg/prime to participate in Amazon Prime Day. This membership will give access to unlimited fast and free shipping benefits, and enjoy entertainment with Prime Video and Prime Gaming. Amazon Prime Day 2023 will feature incredible savings to Amazon Prime members across top international brands including Samsung, Panasonic, Adidas, and Guess, and tens of thousands of deals from selling partners including Nabtah, Healthy Spread, Shana, and Verde, with a continuous release of new deals across various product categories throughout July 11 and 12. Amazon Prime members on Amazon.eg using MasterCard debit or credit cards for Amazon Prime Day orders can enjoy an additional discount of 15% off, with a maximum discount up to EGP 200. Banque Misr MasterCard debit or credit cards will enjoy a discount of 15% off, with a maximum discount up to EGP 300. This is in addition to installment plans with 0% interest with CIB for a period of six months and 0% interest with Banque Misr for a period of 12 months. Omar Elsahy, Amazon Egypt General Manager, said: “Amazon Prime Day is the most exciting time of the year for Amazon Prime members around the world. Last year when we launched the Prime program, we wanted to make sure we provide our Amazon Prime members with greater saving benefits and a premier shopping experience. From deals across every category available on Amazon.eg, to additional discounts from select banks, and benefits including unlimited free and fast shipping, Amazon Prime Day serves as a testament to our continued commitment to make Prime members’ lives in Egypt easier, more convenient, and fun.” Amazon Prime members across Egypt can make their shopping experience even easier by downloading the Amazon App to browse, shop, and ensure they never miss a deal or by shopping directly on the website on https://www.amazon.eg/.  Amazon Prime members can rely on Amazon for fast, free delivery on hundreds of thousands of eligible items to make their lives easier. Amazon Prime Day orders are made possible thanks to Amazon’s world-class last-mile operations and delivery station technologies. Amazon’s advanced capacity management systems, enhanced tracking, and global routing solutions will ensure a faster, more reliable, and more convenient customer experience. Today, the Amazon network across Egypt includes 22 delivery stations across cities like Cairo, Alexandria, Tanta, Ismailia, and Assiut, and several established corporate and customer service offices.  Amazon Prime Day deals include:  ElectronicsSave up to 40% discount on JBL, BOSE, and Anker accessories Save up to 20% on Samsung & LG TVsSave up to 15% on Samsung phonesSave up to 20% on Dell laptops Home and Kitchen AppliancesSave up to 10% on Samsung appliances including refrigerators and washing machines Save up to 15% on ElAraby, Fresh, and Panasonic appliancesFashionSave up to 60% off Adidas and AndoraSave up to 40% off Levi’s, Ravin and PumaSave up to 25% off all New Balance and Cottonil.Save more with Buy 1, Get 1 Free on fashion items from select brands including Adidas, Andora, Ravin, and mantra.Save more with Buy 1, Get 1 with 50% discount off from select brands including Levi’s and Skechers Beauty, Health, and Self-CareSave up to 50% off on select perfumes from Guess, Jaguar, Euphoria, Yves Saint Lauren, Armani, and Dior  BabySave up to 50% off baby products from Sanosan and Johnson.Get EGP 60 off when you buy a worth of EGP 600 or more from Pampers and extra 20% off Huggies products.Get EGP 50 off when you buy a worth of EGP 500 from Molfix

Dubai: Dubai has marked the conclusion of the Dubai Esports and Games Festival (DEF 2023) and is celebrating record visitor numbers, with more than 26,000 people visiting the five day festival. The Vox Gaming Theatre engaged gamers during the Play Beyond tournament featuring beloved influencers in a Regional Team, composed of four influential gamers from the Middle East and including the charismatic team captain AboFlah (Instagram: @aboflah) and an International Team, consisting of four renowned influencers from different corners of the world and captained by MiniMinter (Instagram: @MiniMinter). Families, friends and gamers, also enjoyed a diverse range of events at the region's biggest ever and most exciting esports and games festival, held at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City, Dubai. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, DEF 2023 was designed to cater to every gaming passion and had something for all visitors with casual gamers, esports enthusiasts, and seasoned industry professionals immersing themselves in the world of gaming. Gamers transformed the development of the gaming technology landscape with over 75,000 of the best local and global gamers participating in a variety of esports tournaments and games at the event. The dynamic line up of events included pulse-pounding tournaments and mind-bending virtual reality experiences. A focal point for the convergence of innovation in the gaming and esports sectors, DEF 2023 celebrated and empowered gaming talent, fostering the growth of esports communities in the UAE and throughout the world. Held from June 21 to 25 June this year, the incredibly popular DEF 2023 featured the GameExpo Summit, GameExpo, Regional Tournaments and the new Play Beyond tournament with the South Halls of the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai, filled to capacity and transformed into a gamer's paradise. The festival and summit brought players of all ages together to enjoy incredible experiences and some of the latest and biggest games in the world.  DEF 2023 kicked off with the GameExpo Summit, powered by Pocket Gamer Connects (PG), with more than 1,800 high profile attendees enjoying over 50 engaging sessions, panels, and talks by over 100 industry thought leaders and government agencies. Cementing its reputation as the region's premium games industry and B2B knowledge platform, over 2,000 meetings were held using the ‘MeetToMatch' system, with 38 investors and developers meeting on Investor Connector to elevate the gametech sector in the UAE. Dubai's biggest gaming weekend happened at GameExpo with an unmissable line-up of 14 esports competitions including high-octane Play Beyond Tournaments, all-time gaming classics at the Retro Zone, cutting-edge gaming products and the latest games, including 11 newly released games. Eager gaming fans, families and the public played 57 unmissable games with attendees immersing themselves in the world of virtual reality, with gaming enthusiasts connecting in the Dubai Police Esports Arena and more than 40 exhibitors, including industry giants such as Xbox, Ubisoft and Capcom. Official leading UAE-based sponsors included Du, Emirates NBD, KitKat, Emirates, VOX Cinemas, Rove Hotels, Alienware and Virgin Radio Dubai with Ubisoft, Capcom and Teleios displaying their latest games in the du Gamers District. In addition, more than 3,200 students attended the exclusive ‘schools only' days aimed at promoting careers in gaming and driving a passion for esports at the grassroots. The exhilarating second edition of DEF 2023 transformed Dubai into the epicenter of the esports and gaming industry, cementing its position as a global destination for enthusiasts worldwide. The festival catered to gamers, families, friends, industry professionals and esports experts with the aim of uniting and developing the gaming and esports communities in Dubai and the region with next year's dates confirmed for 1 to 5 May 2024.

Dubai: CNN International Commercial and Emirates Airlines have collaborated for a new advertising and sponsorship campaign for the airline company. The new campaign on CNN will connect the airline with target audiences of global business decision-makers, investors, tech enthusiasts, etc.CNN International Commercial has ingeniously crafted a comprehensive cross-platform campaign, strategically aligning Emirates' brand with top-tier business and market-focused content across the network.Central to this campaign is Emirates' exclusive sponsorship of a brand-new weekday business segment, reaching a global audience through CNN International's flagship shows.The Emirates Business Briefing segment, featured within CNN Newsroom, will provide essential insights for both present and future business trailblazers, covering market updates, M&A activity, and the latest advancements in technology and cryptocurrency.Additionally, Emirates has secured exclusive sponsorship of CNN's Markets section, including the engaging Emirates Business Briefing content. Alongside this, targeted spot and display advertising will be deployed across TV and digital platforms, expertly tailored to reach our desired audience actively involved in business travel.Each segment will culminate with succinct advertisements featuring Emirates’ brand ambassador Penelope Cruz. Cathy Ibal, Senior Vice President, CNN International Commercial, said: “With highly relevant and engaging business content across all platforms, and as the number one news brand in reaching elite traveller segments, CNN is the ideal partner for brands such as Emirates to connect and resonate with high end business audiences.”Boutros Boutros, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand, said: “Time is precious, especially for the C-suite and premium business audience that we’re targeting through CNN, and we believe the Emirates Business Briefing will add value to their lives.”“We are highly confident that this collaboration perfectly merges our brand's essence, our exceptional product narratives, the esteemed global news brand of CNN, and our premium target audience," added Boutros.Based on the Global Business Influencers survey of 2022, CNN possesses the highest percentage of brand reach among news brands, specifically among those who frequently travel via first class, business class, or private jets, spend over $10,000 on vacations, and conduct business trips to the Americas.

Riyadh: The Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC), which is wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has signed a sponsorship deal with the Saudi football club Al Ittihad for the upcoming three years. The sponsorship deal includes commercial and marketing rights, benefitting both parties. Majeed Fahad. Alabduljabbar, Deputy CEO of SRC, said: “The sponsorship is part of SRC’s support for the development of the Kingdom’s thriving sports sector and the key objectives of Vision 2030’s “Quality of Life Program” to promote sporting activity”. “SRC's commitment to this agreement stems from its desire to contribute to the realization of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030's objectives and to enhance its social responsibility towards the overall sports landscape. Sports and entertainment have become increasingly prominent to the Saudi economy and play a crucial role in the country's future development, making it an attractive destination across various industries. We take great pride in being part of the Kingdom's sports sector development.” Abdulwahab Abed, CEO of Al-Ittihad expressed his delight in signing the agreement following an exceptional sports season, saying: “This partnership with SRC would foster the club's expansion and provide support for its domestic and international endeavors moving forward”.SRC was established in 2017 with the aim of helping transform the local housing market. SRC obtained a license from the Saudi Central Bank to operate in real estate refinancing through the secondary market.

Dubai: OPPO announces the appointment of Chi Zhou as the global technology brand’s news President for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. In this pivotal role, Chi will be responsible for spearheading OPPO’s sales, product, and market development strategies to ensure the brand’s continued success and growth in the region.With over a decade of experience in the technology and telecommunications industry, Chi brings a wealth of expertise to his role. He has held various positions within OPPO since 2019 and was previously the Head of Overseas Reno GTM. Under his leadership, the Reno series achieved remarkable market share and profitability in international markets through an effective sales strategy. Chi's exemplary leadership abilities and deep understanding of OPPO's core values make him the perfect candidate to drive the brand's growth and prosperity in the Middle East and Africa.Discussing his new role, Chi Zhou, President of OPPO MEA said, "I am honored to take on the position as the new President of OPPO MEA and embark on this exciting journey with a company that prioritizes innovation and excellence. Working alongside our dedicated team, we will tirelessly strive to deliver cutting-edge products that captivate our customers and reinforce OPPO's position as a leading technology brand in the region."Throughout his career, Chi Zhou has consistently demonstrated unwavering passion for innovation, propelling him to the forefront of his field. His exceptional leadership skills and adaptability have enabled him to navigate the ever-evolving corporate landscape, positioning him as a valuable asset to OPPO's ongoing success.

Dubai: Dubai has marked the conclusion of the Dubai Esports and Games Festival (DEF 2023) and is celebrating record visitor numbers, with more than 26,000 people visiting the five day festival. The Vox Gaming Theatre engaged gamers during the Play Beyond tournament featuring beloved influencers in a Regional Team, composed of four influential gamers from the Middle East and including the charismatic team captain AboFlah (Instagram: @aboflah) and an International Team, consisting of four renowned influencers from different corners of the world and captained by MiniMinter (Instagram: @MiniMinter). Families, friends and gamers, also enjoyed a diverse range of events at the region's biggest ever and most exciting esports and games festival, held at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City, Dubai. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, DEF 2023 was designed to cater to every gaming passion and had something for all visitors with casual gamers, esports enthusiasts, and seasoned industry professionals immersing themselves in the world of gaming. Gamers transformed the development of the gaming technology landscape with over 75,000 of the best local and global gamers participating in a variety of esports tournaments and games at the event. The dynamic line up of events included pulse-pounding tournaments and mind-bending virtual reality experiences. A focal point for the convergence of innovation in the gaming and esports sectors, DEF 2023 celebrated and empowered gaming talent, fostering the growth of esports communities in the UAE and throughout the world. Held from June 21 to 25 June this year, the incredibly popular DEF 2023 featured the GameExpo Summit, GameExpo, Regional Tournaments and the new Play Beyond tournament with the South Halls of the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai, filled to capacity and transformed into a gamer's paradise. The festival and summit brought players of all ages together to enjoy incredible experiences and some of the latest and biggest games in the world.  DEF 2023 kicked off with the GameExpo Summit, powered by Pocket Gamer Connects (PG), with more than 1,800 high profile attendees enjoying over 50 engaging sessions, panels, and talks by over 100 industry thought leaders and government agencies. Cementing its reputation as the region's premium games industry and B2B knowledge platform, over 2,000 meetings were held using the ‘MeetToMatch' system, with 38 investors and developers meeting on Investor Connector to elevate the gametech sector in the UAE. Dubai's biggest gaming weekend happened at GameExpo with an unmissable line-up of 14 esports competitions including high-octane Play Beyond Tournaments, all-time gaming classics at the Retro Zone, cutting-edge gaming products and the latest games, including 11 newly released games. Eager gaming fans, families and the public played 57 unmissable games with attendees immersing themselves in the world of virtual reality, with gaming enthusiasts connecting in the Dubai Police Esports Arena and more than 40 exhibitors, including industry giants such as Xbox, Ubisoft and Capcom. Official leading UAE-based sponsors included Du, Emirates NBD, KitKat, Emirates, VOX Cinemas, Rove Hotels, Alienware and Virgin Radio Dubai with Ubisoft, Capcom and Teleios displaying their latest games in the du Gamers District. In addition, more than 3,200 students attended the exclusive ‘schools only' days aimed at promoting careers in gaming and driving a passion for esports at the grassroots. The exhilarating second edition of DEF 2023 transformed Dubai into the epicenter of the esports and gaming industry, cementing its position as a global destination for enthusiasts worldwide. The festival catered to gamers, families, friends, industry professionals and esports experts with the aim of uniting and developing the gaming and esports communities in Dubai and the region with next year's dates confirmed for 1 to 5 May 2024.

Manama: Entrepreneurship-themed reality television show ‘Beban’ announces the expansion of its third season to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as Hope Ventures, the investment arm of Hope Fund and producer of Beban, partners with Saudi-based GFH Capital S.A.Saudi-based businesses can apply for season 3 online through hopefund.bh/beban by July 23rd. The expansion comes in line with GFH Capital’s efforts to support Saudi-based businesses in their entrepreneurial journeys and provide them with the tools, resources, and networks needed to grow and scale across the region. Having aired for two seasons, Beban featured a total of 62 businesses of various sizes and resulted in successful co-investments by the private and public sectors exceeding USD 6 million in GCC-based startups.Through the partnership, GFH Capital will sponsor Saudi businesses’ participation in Beban TV show, which is centered around promising entrepreneurs as they pitch their existing businesses for equity investment and business development opportunities before a panel of regional investors of the private sector who can strategically accelerate the growth and expansion of these businesses to international markets.Furthermore, Beban entrepreneurs will also benefit from the intensive training bootcamp they will undergo as part of the Beban journey to develop their businesses in various aspects like expansion planning, financial modeling, and pitching in front of a panel of regional investors on a televised show.Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Razi AlMerbati, CEO of GFH Capital, shared: “Saudi Arabia features one of the most exciting and vibrant startup ecosystems, not just in the region, but globally. We are thrilled to partner with Beban in a move that underlines our commitment to the growth of entrepreneurialism and business development in line with Saudi's Vision 2030. Through this collaboration, we aim to empower aspiring entrepreneurs to transform their innovative ideas into successful ventures. We are proud to support the cultivation of an ecosystem that fosters innovation, drives economic growth, and nurtures the next generation of business leaders.”On her part, Fajer Al Pachachi, General Manager at Hope Ventures, said: “We created Beban to act as an investment platform that facilitates a borderless and seamless flow of regional co-investment opportunities alongside the private sector in promising businesses. We are truly excited to be partnering with GFH Capital to expand Beban to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as it aligns with our objective of Beban and because we believe in the caliber and the potential of Saudi businesses. We look forward to welcoming their applications and participation in season 3 of Beban.”It is noteworthy to mention that entrepreneurs will be selected through an evaluation process comprising five stages, starting with screening businesses for viability based on certain criteria, followed by an evaluation stage led by experts and specialists in the business sector. Candidates will then be nominated to participate in an intensive training bootcamp stage. The final stage will announce the eligible finalists, who will then go on to film the production’s episodes. 

Abu Dhabi: AIQ, a technology pioneer focused on driving artificial intelligence (AI)-powered transformation for the energy industry, today announced it has joined the NVIDIA Inception program, which provides technical guidance and support for cutting-edge enterprises. By joining Inception, AIQ will gain access to the latest AI technology and expertise from NVIDIA and will receive technical training through the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute. AIQ will also use the latest NVIDIA hardware and software as part of its strategy to develop cutting-edge applications and maintain a competitive edge in the dynamic AI market.Omar Al Marzooqi, CEO of AIQ, said: “Joining NVIDIA Inception will allow us to further optimize our innovative AI solutions with best-in-class infrastructure. With access to NVIDIA's unparalleled frameworks, comprehensive training, and deep technical expertise, we will expand our reach to international markets and new horizons in innovation as we continue to provide our customers with advanced solutions to transform the energy sector and other hard-to-abate industries.”AIQ will join a global ecosystem of more than 14,000 NVIDIA Inception members comprising like-minded AI innovators and industry experts and will be able to use the program's platforms to continue showcasing its innovative and pioneering solutions at industry events as it expands its market reach.