DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC), today announced the expansion of Kylie Watson’s role as the Head of Security for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa in addition to her current role in Australia and New Zealand.With more than 30 years of experience in leading complex projects and teams, Watson is a highly experienced, innovative and outcome-focused cyber security leader with a proven track record of delivering results and transforming businesses for sustainable growth.Kylie will be responsible for helping DXC’s customers across the region enhance their cyber posture and protect them against threats with proactive advisory and managed security services - from threat intelligence through to compliance.“I am very excited to be joining a team with the right focus that boasts experience across multiple industries and geographies. I feel confident in our ability to deliver expert services and threat intelligence to our customers across their IT environment and operations, while spreading awareness on how to withstand security threats by using smart cyber resilience strategies”. Kylie said.Watson’s passion extends to driving cultural change, improving organisational culture, while welcoming and embracing diversity and inclusion. She has also won awards for coaching, mentoring and fostering innovation.Seelan Nayagam, President at DXC Technology for the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region extended his warm welcome saying, “Kylie is a great fit for not just her role but also the organisational culture that we have built here at DXC Technology, with her commitment and passion towards supporting and expanding diversity and inclusion initiatives which create environments where everyone can thrive”. Watson has previously held leadership positions in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand for SAP, Deloitte, PwC and IBM.

Saudi Arabia is making a significant investment in its future with the launch of a new programme aimed at training over 1,000 engineers in artificial intelligence (AI). This initiative, called AIM, is a collaboration between the National Program for Information Technology Development (NPITD), the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.AIM goes beyond just training. It aims to establish a comprehensive AI ecosystem in Saudi Arabia. This includes developing the necessary infrastructure, fostering collaboration between industries and government entities, and supporting the creation of new AI-powered businesses. All of this aligns with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, the kingdom's ambitious plan for economic diversification and technological advancement.At the heart of AIM lies the upskilling of Saudi Arabia's workforce. The program will train over 1,000 engineers in machine learning and AI, equipping them with the expertise needed to drive innovation and contribute to the development of the country's AI sector.The potential economic benefits of AI are undeniable. According to global consultancy PwC, AI is expected to contribute over $135 billion to the Saudi economy by 2030, representing a significant boost to the kingdom's GDP.By investing in AI training and fostering a supportive ecosystem, Saudi Arabia is taking a proactive approach to securing its place in the future. This initiative has the potential to transform the country's economy, create new job opportunities, and position Saudi Arabia as a leader in the field of AI.

PwC, a leading global professional services firm, has unveiled groundbreaking research showcasing the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the sports industry. The study reveals how AI is revolutionizing fan engagement, boosting revenue, and shaping the future of sports across various domains.AI-Driven Personalization: Elevating Fan EngagementPwC's research underscores the pivotal role of artificial intelligence in reshaping the sports industry. From streamlining ticket purchasing to halftime snack deliveries, AI-driven capabilities are enhancing fan engagement, fostering loyalty, and driving increased revenue for sports organizations. It emphasizes the importance of responsible AI practices and robust data governance in designing these innovative fan experiences.Transformative Trends in Sports ConsumptionThe rise of streaming services and direct-to-consumer (DTC) sports consumption is changing how people experience sports. Traditional regional sports networks are adapting to challenges by exploring over-the-air broadcasting, creating DTC streaming platforms, and forming strategic partnerships with streaming organizations. PwC explores this new era of sports consumption and the strategies adopted by leagues and teams to thrive in the evolving landscape.League Expansion: Unlocking Growth OpportunitiesPwC's research highlights the thrilling growth opportunities presented by league expansion in the sports industry. From potential European expansion in the NFL to the consideration of domestic and international teams in the NBA, leagues are eyeing new markets and larger audiences. The report predicts continued growth in sports valuations in 2024, with ancillary businesses benefiting from increased investment in sports technology and live entertainment.Rising Sports Valuations and Diversified InvestmentThe study delves into the significant M&A activity in the sports industry in 2023, showcasing record valuations for professional sports teams. PwC predicts continued valuation increases in 2024, with ancillary businesses benefiting from sustained interest in sports investing. The report highlights the diversification of investment sources, including family offices, sovereign wealth funds, and private equity funds expanding their presence in sports and entertainment.Game-Changing Momentum in Women's SportsPwC highlights the record-breaking growth in women's sports in 2023, encompassing viewership, attendance, sponsorships, and media rights deals. The report predicts increased investment in women's sports leagues in 2024, emphasizing the potential for economic sustainability and influence in the dynamic sports landscape.Entertainment Districts: Revolutionizing Fan ExperiencesThe research explores the emergence of entertainment districts as a focal point for fan experiences beyond game day. Leading sports organizations are creating additional revenue streams and enhancing fan engagement through mixed-use entertainment districts. PwC predicts that these districts will become integral to major new venue development projects announced in 2024.The Power of Sports Narratives: Boosting EngagementPwC examines the surge in popularity of sports narratives, including documentaries and unscripted content. The report emphasizes the impact of compelling stories on viewership, fan engagement, and sports revenue streams. It anticipates more leagues and teams focusing on telling captivating stories about athletes off the court to enhance viewer interest in 2024.Seismic Moves in Sports BettingThe research delves into the dynamics of online sports betting, legal in 26 states with ESPN and Fanatics making strategic moves in the market. PwC predicts that in 2024, while market dominance may be challenging, companies like ESPN and Fanatics can enhance customer connections and gain valuable consumer behavior insights in the sports betting sector.NCAA Division I Realignment: Shaping the Future of College SportsPwC explores the ongoing realignment of NCAA Division I schools, predicting continued changes in college sports in 2024. The report discusses the financial gains and challenges associated with realignment, highlighting potential impacts on athletes, fans, and the NCAA itself.Rise of Soccer in the USThe research concludes by spotlighting the rise of soccer in the US, citing factors such as the growing prominence of US leagues and accessibility to broadcasts. PwC predicts sustained growth in Major League Soccer, emphasizing the impact of international stars like Lionel Messi on the league's accelerated expansion.

PwC Middle East has announced a new alliance with Darwinbox, the fastest growing human capital management (HCM) platform, which will enable the firm to enhance its HR technology solutions offered to clients across the Middle East. The alliance builds on PwC’s technology offering, bringing human-led, tech-powered solutions to its clients.Darwinbox is a next-generation human capital management platform with AI capabilities, intuitive digital experience for the workforce, and advanced HR analytics. PwC Middle East provides integrated workforce consulting, with the industry's leading subject matter experts to support clients with their HR, workforce and business transformations.The alliance will enable PwC to leverage Darwinbox's HR tech solutions to deliver high quality HR, efficient workforce services and seamless employee experiences for clients through Generative AI, automation and digitisation. PwC plans to optimise and enhance its current client services, combining Darwinbox’s suite of HR technology products and utilising the firm's multidisciplinary approach to help its clients transform and elevate their workforce. Darwinbox can seamlessly integrate and co-exist with any wider workforce technology ecosystem, which is key in a world where clients prefer a multi-system and yet achieve a seamless connected landscape.This alliance with Darwinbox is a significant step toward a more technologically advanced future for clients in the region, with PwC being the preferred implementation partner for Darwinbox in the Middle East markets.PwC considers generative AI as a key enabler that allows its people to work smarter and faster. The firm has continued to upskill its people in a multitude of ways to support its evolution, and to help them understand what they can do with these technologies. Generative AI is also valuable in generating richer insights and recommendations from large volumes of data, while driving greater productivity and new products and services. PwC’s alliance with Darwinbox reinstates its commitment to digital transformation capabilities.Eyhab Abdeen, Partner and Middle East Workforce Leader at PwC Middle East, commented: "This alliance is a testament to our dedication to offering the best-in-class solutions to our clients in the Middle East. With Darwinbox's innovative HR technology, we will enhance workforce management and provide a more digitally-driven approach to human capital challenges. I welcome our clients to join us at our upcoming People Pioneer events, in KSA and the UAE where we will share more about technology disruption and what this means for HR leaders. "Chaitanya Peddi, Co-founder and Product Head at Darwinbox, has said: “Darwinbox is on a mission to elevate the experience of everyone in the organization, down to the last-mile employee, while empowering HR to be a strategic powerhouse. We’re creating the future of work, and our partnership with PwC Middle East will accelerate our mission. We believe that PwC's depth of strategic insights and practical expertise in steering technological transformations will unlock true value for the customers.”Arun Bharadwaj, Regional Director, HCM, MENA at Darwinbox, added: “We are thrilled to announce our alliance with PwC, marking a significant milestone in our journey toward revolutionising HR technology in the Middle East. By combining Darwinbox's advanced HR tech solutions and PwC's commitment to providing unparalleled HR services and workforce efficiency, we are now set to offer better and seamless talent management, and high-quality employee experience, thereby transforming the way we work.”

Dubai – Mercer, a global leader in redefining the world of work and a business of Marsh McLennan , announced that it reached an agreement to acquire The Talent Enterprise (TTE), a leading psychometric and talent assessment technology company based in the United Arab Emirates. Subject to regulatory approval, the acquisition will expand Mercer’s workforce and HR transformation capabilities, at a time when businesses are growing their workforces and need skilled talent.The Talent Enterprise provides progressive and powerful talent assessment tools and capability development solutions that enable organizations to make critical people decisions. With a team of more than 55 organizational psychologists, human capital, data science and technology experts, their services range from career guidance and recruitment to talent management and succession planning and workplace well-being. Through the acquisition of The Talent Enterprise, Mercer will expand its ability to help clients shape their recruitment, high potential identification and coaching, along with leadership development and succession processes through the use of proprietary assessment tools and platforms.“The Talent Enterprise’s suite of services and insights are critically important to organizations today, many of which are pursuing workforce transformations and need people development, upskilling and reskilling tools to remain relevant and competitive,” said Tarek Lotfy, President, Mercer India, Middle East, and Africa.  David Jones, CEO for The Talent Enterprise, added “Along with my Co-Founders, Radhika Punshi and Gauri Gupta, I am thrilled by this significant milestone in our journey to offering enhanced technology-led talent solutions to our rapidly growing client base.Through Mercer, we will be perfectly positioned to meet growing market demands, and empowered to offer the solutions that will attract, retain, and develop the best talent for our clients.”Intrepid Investment Bankers acted as the strategic advisor, Clyde & Co acted as legal advisor and PwC Middle East acted as financial advisor to The Talent Enterprise in the transaction.

Dubai: amana, the leading online trading specialists in the MENA region, today announced the appointment of Haris Loucaides as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of amana. He succeeds Mr. Mazen Yazbeck after the latter’s untimely passing.Muhammad Rasoul, CEO at amana, said: "I am pleased to announce the appointment of Haris Loucaides as our new Chief Financial Officer. Haris combines six years of financial consulting experience in senior advisory roles with executive roles specifically in the financial services sector across Europe. Haris will play a pivotal role in transforming our financial strategies and driving excellence in our operations. We are excited to have Haris join our team, and we are confident that his leadership skills will contribute to the growth and innovation of our company as we prepare to scale further in 2024."As the new CFO of amana, Haris’s focus will be on implementing tools and mechanisms within the finance team that will enable amana to grow. His approach includes integrating new technology and optimizing team dynamics for enhanced performance."Finance is a dynamic field that underpins the success of any enterprise," says Haris. "I’m enthusiastic about the fast-paced nature of the markets and committed to driving financial excellence. I am perfectly aligned with amana’s transparency principle, I am honored to be part of amana's journey and look forward to contributing to the growth and innovation of the company."Loucaides brings with him a wealth of experience in the finance sector. He began his finance career in London, having studied at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. Haris later joined PwC in Cyprus, where he spent six years advising on IPOs as well as conducting statutory audits of companies offering CFDs, holding companies and investment funds, before moving on to hold executive roles in multiple companies. His tenure as Group CFO at FxPro further honed his skills and prepared him for the complexities and dynamics of the industry. Haris is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales. His expertise, enthusiasm, and transformative leadership skills will play an instrumental role in supporting amana through its next phase of growth.

Homegrown UAE fitness brand, GymNation, has proudly announced a management-led buyout of all equity held by previous investor, JD Gyms. The deal, backed by Tricap Investments and Ruya Partners, sees the GymNation founders and management team, Loren Holland, Frank Afeaki and Anthony Martland, become significant majority shareholders in the business they founded back in 2017.Tricap Investments is a diversified principal investment group with offices in Washington D.C. and Dubai, specialising in the execution of both direct and fund investments, and private equity transactions.Ruya Partners is an independent private credit firm based in Abu Dhabi whose investor base includes institutional funds from the GCC including UAE sovereign-backed Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, a joint venture between Mubadala Capital and Alpha Wave Global, and Jada Fund of Funds, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).Since its launch, GymNation has delivered on its mission of making fitness more affordable and accessible for the UAE population, and has rapidly grown from a single gym start-up into the UAE’s leading gym operator with 12 gyms and over 60,000 members.Having been voted “The Best Gym in the UAE” on Virgin Radio’s The Kris Fade Show for the last 2 years running, and with over 40,000 five-star Google reviews, GymNation have cemented their position within the UAE as “The People’s Gym” and are now set to replicate this success across the GCC.Loren Holland, Founder & CEO, GymNation commented; “This management buyout is another exciting chapter for GymNation, and with the support and backing of Tricap Investments and Ruya Partners we are perfectly positioned to accelerate the growth of GymNation across the GCC. Within the coming weeks, we will be announcing our first six Saudi Arabian locations, a further four more UAE sites, as well as company formations in Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. GymNation has pioneered the democratisation of health and fitness across the UAE, which prior to our launch was recognised as the 2nd most expensive market in the world to own a gym membership. Now it’s time for us to have the same impact across other GCC markets.”The innovative structure of the deal has allowed GymNation to launch a trailblazing Equity Incentivisation Scheme for the wider management team, aimed at attracting and retaining world-class talent, through rewarding, incentivising and aligning, key members of the team with direct equity in the business.Frank Afeaki commented; “On the day of signing the deal, 15 GymNation management team members also signed their own documentation to become shareholders in the business, I am proud that we are able to reward the team in a way that no others within the industry do and have them as shareholders alongside myself, Loren and Ant.”Ant Martland added: “We have an exceptional management team, supported by significant ongoing investments into key technology and systems that are going to place GymNation at the forefront of the fitness industry. It’s still very early days in our growth story, and the whole team couldn’t be more excited, and motivated, to rollout GymNation across the region.”The management team were advised by James Wigglesworth at Orca Capital (Corporate Finance) who will also join the board as a Non-Executive Director at completion, DLA Piper (Legal), Tatsu Partners (Debt Advisory) and PwC (Financial, Tax and Commercial Vendor Due Diligence).

Dubai: The UAE’s AI minister on Wednesday urged countries to come to a consensus on AI governance sooner than it came to the Paris Agreement, which took years to take shape and come into force.His Excellency Omar Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy & Remote Work Applications, said at the Dubai Assembly for Generative AI that countries need a fresh approach to governing AI.“I think the current global discussion on AI governance is a non-starter. Instead of attempting to govern the technology, we can govern the use cases,” he said.During the assembly – which witnessed over 2000 attendees coming big tech companies and consultancies such as Microsoft, Deloitte, PwC, IBM – Dubai Future Foundation launched the Dubai Generative AI Alliance, a new alliance of tech companies to help Dubai accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies and build one of the world’s most advanced and effective tech-enabled governments.Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of DFF, called on companies and innovators to join the alliance, which will focus on developing innovative technology pilots by leveraging AI, the metaverse and Web3. The Dubai government also launched ‘Dubai AI’, a generative AI-powered digital city concierge. The city-wide digital platform will offer comprehensive information and services, covering health, business, and education, to residents and visitors. It will transform government services, the assembly heard.The assembly also heard how the global banking sector could benefit by as much as USD 400 billion from the boom in generative AI.The global platform heard from experts from international tech corporations and consultancies. PwC said automation in the workplace is imminent, with generative AI likely to be able to execute everyday tasks, such as booking flights and generating reports autonomously, on a large scale within the next 18-20 months.Deloitte's leading digital expert said nuclear fusion, climate action and drug discovery will be some of the main beneficiaries of generative AI, while the industrial and pharmaceutical sectors are among those quickest to adapt to the emerging technology.Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer, said by November, the airline will “empower cabin crew to leverage [generative AI] through delivering training on complex models”.