Tag: Saudi Arabian Records

SAUDI ARABIA : Jomana Alrashid becomes first Saudi named to Time’s annual TIME100 Next list

Alrashid’s inclusion highlights her pioneering leadership and marks a milestone moment for Saudi women on the global stage

Under her leadership, SRMG has redefined how Arab media engages with audiences, while nurturing new generations of talent

Jomana R. Alrashid, CEO of Saudi Research and Media Group and chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation, has made history as the first Saudi to be recognized on Time magazine’s TIME100 Next list.

An expansion of the iconic TIME100 list of the most influential people in the world, TIME100 Next highlights 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, health, science, activism and more.

Alrashid’s inclusion highlights her pioneering leadership in business and media and marks a milestone moment for Saudi women on the global stage. Alongside Alrashid, the list includes names such as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, international football phenom Lamine Yamal, Irfaan Ali, the president of Guyana, and many more influential and emerging leaders in their respective fields.

Time magazine described Alrashid as “an architect of the Middle East’s shifting media landscape.” Since her appointment in 2020 as the first female CEO of SRMG, she has spearheaded the company’s comprehensive digital-first transformation, launched innovative media verticals and forged landmark global partnerships. These efforts have been reflected in the rapid growth of SRMG’s stock, signifying extensive trust by investors in her business development and management strategies across the media entertainment and technology sectors. Under her leadership, SRMG has redefined how Arab media engages with audiences, while nurturing new generations of talent.

As chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation, she has championed the growth of the film industry across the Arab world, Africa and Asia, driving initiatives to empower filmmakers and foster international collaboration. This commitment has culminated in an unprecedented achievement, with over 80 supported films premiering and garnering awards and international recognition at the world’s most prestigious festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance.

These are filmmakers and their stories that once struggled to find a place in the international film industry, now making their mark on the global stage. Today, the Red Sea International Film Festival stands as a premier global destination for cinema, culture and creativity.

Alrashid commented on the recognition: “I am deeply honored to be included in the TIME100 Next list. This recognition reflects the collective efforts of the extraordinary teams I have the privilege to work with at SRMG and the Red Sea Film Foundation. It is also a testament to the vision and leadership that have driven the remarkable transformation taking place across Saudi Arabia and the wider region — a future built on innovation, creativity and storytelling that resonates globally.”

Alrashid’s selection underscores not only her growing global influence but also the pivotal role of Saudi Arabia’s creative and media industries in shaping conversations worldwide. As the Kingdom continues its ambitious cultural and economic transformation, her leadership represents both the spirit of progress and the power of storytelling to inspire and unite communities across the globe.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Jomana R. Alrashid, CEO of Saudi Research and Media Group and chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation. (Supplied)

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SAUDI ARABIA : World Bank establishes regional hub in Riyadh 

The World Bank has opened a new regional hub in Riyadh to serve the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, as the Washington-based lender continues to boost its presence in the region. 

According to a press statement, the new Riyadh hub will be co-located with the World Bank Group’s Gulf Cooperation Council regional office, bringing its leadership closer to country teams, clients, and regional partners.

The opening of the new regional hub signals the deepening ties between the World Bank and Saudi Arabia, as in December, the lender signed a strategic agreement to launch a new global knowledge hub in Riyadh to facilitate regional and global knowledge exchange, joint research, and capacity-building initiatives aimed at advancing global development impact.

Commenting on the opening of the new regional hub, Ousmane Dione, vice president of the World Bank for the MENAAP region, said: “Riyadh is not only a gateway to the region’s transformation, but also a powerful platform for global knowledge exchange and policy innovation.” 

He added: “It is especially meaningful to mark this relocation on Saudi National Day, a moment that celebrates the Kingdom’s transformation and its growing role as a global convener of development knowledge.” 

In the press statement, the lender added that the opening of the new regional hub aligns with the 50th anniversary of technical cooperation between the World Bank and Saudi Arabia. 

In recent months, the institution has awarded a $650 million disaster management loan for Turkiye, a $146 million grant to Syria to help restore reliable, affordable electricity, and $930 million in financing to help improve Iraq’s railway performance, boost domestic trade, and diversify the country’s economy away from oil. 

The regional hub development aligns with Saudi Arabia’s government-backed regional headquarters program, launched in 2021, which offers incentives such as a 30-year corporate income tax exemption and withholding tax relief, alongside regulatory support for multinationals operating in the Kingdom.

A Saudi Press Agency report in March said that over 600 international companies, including Northern Trust, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Deloitte, have already established their regional bases in Saudi Arabia.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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The new Riyadh hub will be co-located with the World Bank Group’s Gulf Cooperation Council regional office, bringing its leadership closer to country teams, clients, and regional partners. Shutterstock

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SAUDI ARABIA : HUMAIN launches ‘groundbreaking’ laptop built around agentic AI

HUMAIN, a Public Investment Fund company has announced the launch of its Horizon Pro PC, billed as “a groundbreaking laptop designed to revolutionize agentic artificial intelligence personal computing.” Agentic AI systems can act independently and with initiative with limited, or no, human oversight.

The launch was announced by HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin during the Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Hawaii.

According to a press release, the Snapdragon processor family at the core of the HUMAIN Horizon Pro deliver “leading AI performance and a powerful CPU so that the PC can operate up to 100 times faster than human thought.”

It added that the company’s upcoming proprietary HUMAIN ONE operating system “enables users to manage enterprise workflows, communications, and AI applications from a unified, adaptive interface designed to anticipate needs and accelerate decision-making.” It added that the new PC “offers zero-latency wake time, over 18 hours of battery life, a 40-percent reduction in power consumption compared to competing systems, and advanced thermal architecture for sustained, high-performance use across demanding environments.”

HUMAIN’s AI integrates the Arabic-first large language model “ALLaM” and “operates locally for maximum speed and data privacy, with the flexibility of hybrid AI to tap into the cloud when complex processing or broader insights are required, offering enterprise users the ideal blend of performance, control, and scale,” according to the company.

Amin said: “The HUMAIN Horizon Pro represents a paradigm shift in agentic AI personal computing, especially for enterprise environments where AI actively collaborates with users, both locally and in the cloud, to boost productivity.”

Amin also announced that HUMAIN will give away 500 of its PCs to students as part of its launch initiative to “help unlock new potential for learning, creativity, and future leadership in AI-driven fields.”

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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HUMAIN launched its Horizon Pro PC, a groundbreaking laptop designed to revolutionize agentic AI personal computing. The announcement was made by HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin during the Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Hawaii. (SPA)

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SAUDI ARABIA : Sarah Taibah stars in campaign for US luxury jewelry house

Saudi Arabia actress and filmmaker Sarah Taibah has nabbed a role in a social media campaign for US luxury jewelry house Tiffany & Co.

The actress shared a post on her Instagram account, in which she goes about her day adorned in various pieces by Tiffany & Co.

“Sketchbook in hand, eternal sunshine of a stormy mind, and days rarely slow down. Absolutely in (love) with HardWear by @Tiffanyandco, it’s been my little talisman throughout,” she captioned the short clip.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO3J-dpDUXC/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=cc5a9f54-8680-4305-b858-002859b785ff

The HardWear collection draws on a design from 1962, according to the brand.

“HardWear is an expression of love’s transformative strength. Like New York, the city in which it was born, the collection embodies an enduring resilience and ability to be free,” the label wrote on its website.

The collection features necklaces, bracelets and earrings with interlocked links, veering into a more industrial aesthetic than the dainty jewelry the house is known for.

Taibah shows off a pair of diamond encrusted earrings, along with a necklace and watch from the collection that was handcrafted in Switzerland.

Taibah shot to fame for her show “Jameel Jeddan,” the first local production that was wholly created and starred in by a Saudi Arabia woman.

The plot of the 2022 release was anything but typical. Strong-headed Jameel wakes up from a five-year coma and is forced to finish her last year in high school and rejoin an unfamiliar society.

As a coping mechanism, she begins to experience glitches in the form of an animated alternative reality.

Taibah is working on an offbeat Saudi romcom “A Matter of Life and Death,” which she wrote. The film is being directed by Anas Batahaf and will star Taibah and Yaqoub Al-Farhan.

Her collaboration with Tiffany & Co. is not the first time she has worked with a global luxury brand.

In February, Spanish fashion house Loewe unveiled a Ramadan campaign directed by Lebanese-Sudanese auteur Dana Boulos and starring Taibah and Saudi Arabia Olympic rower Husein Alireza.

The cast included Omani artist Mays Almoosawi, Kuwaiti visual artist Najd Al-Taher, Emirati film director Sarah Al-Hashimi, Kuwaiti DJ Cascou and Bahraini contemporary artist Salman Al-Najem.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Sarah Taibah shot to fame for her show “Jameel Jeddan.” (File/ AFP)

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SAUDI ARABIA : Madinah wins new WHO ‘healthy city’ accreditation

Middle East’s second-largest ‘healthy city’ after Jeddah

15 other cities in Saudi Arabia included in WHO list

The World Health Organization has renewed its accreditation of Madinah as a “healthy city,” with Islam’s second-holiest location scoring an impressive 80 points, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Prince Salman bin Sultan, governor of Madinah region, received the WHO accreditation certificate from Minister of Health Fahad AlJalajel during a ceremony on Thursday.

Prince Salman said Madinah’s renewed accreditation exemplifies the leadership’s dedication to enhancing quality of life for the Kingdom’s people in urban centers.

He emphasized Madinah’s ongoing transformation as a leading development model regionally and internationally, aligning with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals.

Madinah has solidified its position as the second-largest healthy city in the Middle East, after Jeddah, the SPA reported.

To win the WHO’s nod, an entrant must meet 80 criteria, including parks, walking areas, and the promotion of health through primary care centers and schools.

The WHO has also recognized 14 other healthy cities in Saudi Arabia. These include Taif, Tabuk, Ad-Diriyah, Unaizah, Jalajel, Al-Mandaq, Al-Jumum, Riyadh Al-Khubra and Sharurah, according to Leaders MENA Magazine.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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With the new accreditation, Madinah has solidified its position as the second-largest healthy city in the Middle East, next to Jeddah. (SPA photo)

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SAUDI ARABIA : Robotic-assisted implantation is world’s first performed at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh

Groundbreaking procedure opens new horizons in circulatory support techniques for patients with complex cardiac conditions

Cardiac surgery team, led by Prof. Feras Khaliel, performed the operation through small incisions using remotely controlled high-precision robotic arms

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh has performed the world’s first implantation of two artificial pumps for biventricular support using robotic technology on a patient with advanced heart failure.

The groundbreaking procedure opens new horizons in circulatory support techniques for patients with complex cardiac conditions and marks a medical achievement that culminated in the patient’s recovery within a short period following the surgery.

The procedure represents a major advance in the treatment of bilateral heart failure, which was traditionally performed through full sternotomy, an approach associated with higher surgical risks and prolonged recovery.

However, the cardiac surgery team, led by Prof. Feras Khaliel, performed the operation through small incisions using remotely controlled high-precision robotic arms, resulting in reduced blood loss, lower risk of infection, and faster patient recovery.

The milestone reflects the integration of expertise across multiple departments at the hospital, including cardiac surgery, cardiology, anesthesia, critical care, biomedical engineering, and advanced life support.

The procedure was meticulously planned and benefited from 3D imaging technologies, real-time surgical navigation, and innovative solutions. 

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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KFSHRC has performed the world’s first implantation of two artificial pumps for biventricular support using robotic technology. (X/@KFSHRC)

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SAUDI driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi records historic Dakar Rally triumph

Saudi Arabia have hosted the Dakar Rally since 2020, when it moved from South America.

The Overdrive pilot held onto his overnight lead to beat South Africa’s Henk Lategan in a Toyota by 3min 57sec with Mattias Ekstrom of Sweden third in his Ford, 20min 21sec adrift.

Saudi Arabia have hosted the Dakar Rally since 2020, when it moved from South America.

There was also a first win in the world’s most famous endurance rally for Australia’s KTM rider Daniel Sanders in the motorbike category.

Sanders, 30, dominated from the moment he won the prologue and finished a comfortable 8min 50sec faster than Spanish runner-up Tosha Schareina on his Honda.

Sanders is the second Australian to prevail in the motorbike category, Toby Price emerging victorious in 2016 and 2019.

“It was a tough race,” said Sanders.

“The last three days couldn’t come quick enough. It was really, really exciting to see the finish line when we came over one dune.

“You see the whole bivouac, I just smiled and had chills go through my whole body. Super special, won’t forget that moment.”

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Yazeed Al Rajhi celebrates after winning the Dakar Rally 2025 in the car category at the end of the 12th and last stage in Shubaytah, on January 17, 2025 (AFP)

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SAUDI ARABIA praised at UN for global leadership on dust storm early warnings

The meeting highlighted the Kingdom’s $10 million commitment over five years to strengthen early warning systems.

Saudi Arabia’s international efforts to combat sand and dust storms were commended this week during a high-level meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.

The meeting highlighted the Kingdom’s $10 million commitment over five years to strengthen early warning systems and support countries vulnerable to dust storm impacts.

The initiative, led by Saudi Arabia in cooperation with regional centers affiliated with the World Meteorological Organization, was praised for enhancing forecasting and response capabilities.

Jumaan bin Saad Al-Qahtani, deputy CEO of the National Center of Meteorology, emphasized the Kingdom’s work through Vision 2030 programs such as the Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives.

He also noted the establishment of the Regional Center for Dust and Sand Storms in Jeddah as a strategic hub for regional coordination, data exchange, and capacity building.

Saudi Arabia has hosted major research events, including the First International Conference on Dust and Sand Storms in Riyadh, and plans to hold a second edition in 2026.

Its environmental efforts have resulted in planting over 142 million trees and reclaiming more than 436,000 hectares of degraded land.

Al-Qahtani reaffirmed the Kingdom’s readiness to expand international partnerships to reduce dust sources, protect the environment, and improve resilience against climate change, SPA added.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Saudi Arabia’s international efforts to combat sand and dust storms were commended this week during a high-level meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York. (SPA)

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SAUDI ARABIA : Riyadh financial hub earns Guinness Record for 15.46 km pedestrian skyway

Elevated above ground and connected to Riyadh’s metro, the skywalks help workers, visitors, and residents move easily.

The King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh was awarded a Guinness World Record on Sunday for the world’s largest continuous pedestrian skyway network.

The network spans 15.46 km, linking 95 buildings through 42 climate-controlled skywalks, allowing year-round pedestrian access.

Elevated above ground and connected to Riyadh’s metro, the skywalks help workers, visitors, and residents move easily through the district while avoiding traffic and weather.

Built with 30,000 sq. meters of glass and more than 3,000 tonnes of steel, the project required more than 5 million safe work hours from 1,200 personnel.

The skywalks connect offices, homes, shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues, making it easier to walk between work, home, and leisure.

“This recognition by Guinness World Records affirms KAFD as a platform for urban development,” said Faddy AlAql, chief asset delivery officer at KAFD Development and Management Co.

“The skywalk network reflects a mobility strategy that connects assets, enhances walkability, and supports our goal of delivering a smart city experience.”

Mbali Nkosi, official adjudicator for Guinness World Records, said: “First set in Minneapolis in 2016, this record has now been redefined by KAFD. In an era where sustainability drives innovation, KAFD’s skyway network sets a new benchmark for walkable urban design.”

The district hosts more than 90 international and local companies and 19 regional headquarters, including Goldman Sachs, Bain & Company, and PepsiCo.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Mbali Nkosi, official adjudicator for Guinness World Records, presents the award to Faddy AlAql, chief asset delivery officer at KAFD Development and Management Co. (SPA)

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SAUDI ARABIA : Haifaa Al-Mansour appointed to Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors

Pioneering Saudi filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour has been appointed to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors, the Red Sea Film Foundation announced on Instagram.

“As one of three newly named governors-at-large, Al-Mansour will represent the Directors Branch and bring her singular voice, vision, and global perspective to the Academy’s leadership for the 2025–2026 term and beyond,” they captioned the post.

“An incredible milestone for one of Saudi Arabia’s most celebrated filmmakers. We’re proud to see her continue shaping the future of cinema on a global stage.”
In 2012, Al-Mansour made history as she released her first feature film “Wadjda.” It was the first feature film shot entirely in the Kingdom and the first feature-length film made by a female Saudi director.

Over the years, Al-Mansour has also become one of the most in-demand television directors in Hollywood, helming episodes of hit series including “Archive 81,” “City of Fire,” “Tales of the Walking Dead,” and “Bosch: Legacy.”

In 2019, Al-Mansour’s feature film “The Perfect Candidate” was submitted as Saudi Arabia’s official entry for the International Feature Film Award at the 92nd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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