SDAIA Calls on Local, Foreign Contractors to Participate in AI Oases

Closing ceremony of Future Projects Forum 2021 (FPF) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Closing ceremony of Future Projects Forum 2021 (FPF) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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SDAIA Calls on Local, Foreign Contractors to Participate in AI Oases

Closing ceremony of Future Projects Forum 2021 (FPF) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Closing ceremony of Future Projects Forum 2021 (FPF) (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) called on local and foreign contracting companies to join in the establishment of an interactive system that creates and launches artificial intelligence (AI) oases in the Kingdom.

Speaking at the virtual Future Projects Forum 2021 (FPF), Mohammed al-Salami of SDAIA said that the oases will be a national reference in the digital and technical development of AI applications.

He announced that the project will be the first of its kind regionally and will help achieve Vision 2030 while providing a diverse, qualitative and unique environment that targets all segments of society with educational and entertainment experiences.

He unveiled the “King Salman Oasis” project in the north of Riyadh, stating it will be followed by other oases.

The Forum kicked off Monday with over 37 public and private entities that presented around 1,000 projects in various fields including electricity, real estate, industrial intelligence, and water.

During the forum, Roshn CEO David Grover said that the company is designing 3,000 homes with their accompanying infrastructure, including 12 neighborhoods that will house 35,000 people in major Saudi regions.

The company is looking for qualified supervisors to complete the design and construction stage and finalize its Jeddah project to be launched next year. It is planning to launch a water canal, service areas, hotels, and about 60,000 homes.

The CEO also indicated that the company wants to provide housing for hundreds of thousands of Saudi families and enable a 70 percent increase in homeownership by 2030.

Roshn aims to become one of the largest real estate development facilities through its support to the economic development plans.

The Saudi Electricity Company presented a number of projects that focus on improving efficiency, reliability, and flexibility and maintain new assets and businesses.

The company revealed its power transmission portfolio of over $19 billion investments to achieve high efficiency in network operations and access to a highly reliable electrical system.

The company disclosed its portfolio of energy distribution projects with about $14.4 billion investments, including service delivery, enhancing the reliability of distribution networks, and improve performance to provide a service that fulfills the aspirations of subscribers and stakeholders.



US Coast Guard Says Hurricane May Shut Oil Ports

 Vehicles are carried by ferry across Aransas Pass as Hurricane Beryl moves closer to the Texas coast, Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Port Aransas, Texas. (AP)
Vehicles are carried by ferry across Aransas Pass as Hurricane Beryl moves closer to the Texas coast, Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Port Aransas, Texas. (AP)
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US Coast Guard Says Hurricane May Shut Oil Ports

 Vehicles are carried by ferry across Aransas Pass as Hurricane Beryl moves closer to the Texas coast, Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Port Aransas, Texas. (AP)
Vehicles are carried by ferry across Aransas Pass as Hurricane Beryl moves closer to the Texas coast, Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Port Aransas, Texas. (AP)

The US Coast Guard warned of possible Texas port closures from Corpus Christi to Houston and began restricting vessel traffic because of Tropical Storm Beryl, which is expected to become a hurricane before making landfall by Monday morning at Port Lavaca.

Port closures could bring to a temporary halt shipments of crude oil to refineries and motor fuels from those plants.

Port condition "Yankee" was set by the Coast Guard captain of the port of Corpus Christi on Saturday afternoon, restricting vessel movement in ports from Matagorda Bay, 101 miles (163 km) southwest of Houston, to the US-Mexico border.

Citgo Petroleum Corp was cutting production at its 165,000 barrel-per-day Corpus Christi, Texas, refinery on Saturday ahead of the approach of Beryl to the Texas coast.

Citgo plans to keep the Corpus Christi refinery running at minimum production as the storm moves up the coast toward a projected landfall at Port Lavaca, a pipeline hub.

Oil producer Shell Plc completed the evacuation of workers from its Perdido production platform in the US-regulated Gulf of Mexico ahead of the approach of the storm, the company said on Friday night.

Production on Perdido was shut prior to the evacuations. Shell said it also evacuated workers from the Whale platform, which is due to start production later this year.

Gibson Energy, which operates a large oil terminal in Corpus Christi, said operations were continuing, but it would take further steps depending on the forecast.

The storm was moving on Saturday with maximum sustained winds near 60 mph (95 kmh), the National Hurricane Center said.

The latest forecasts would put Corpus Christi on the dry side of the storm where the lowest winds and least rain could be expected. But Beryl could bring gale-force winds to the port, which is why the Coast Guard restricts traffic or shuts the port.

Most of the northern Gulf's offshore oil and gas production is east of Beryl's forecast track.

US Gulf of Mexico offshore production of about 1.8 million barrels per day accounts for about 14% of total US crude output, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Any impact on supplies could push up prices of US oil and offshore crude grades.

Oil major Chevron Corp, among the biggest US offshore producers, said on Friday that production from its operated assets remained normal. But it evacuated nonessential personnel from some of its Gulf of Mexico facilities.

Murphy Oil Corp said it has not shut in production or evacuated personnel, and continues to monitor the storm.