Saudi Arabia Launches Major Tech Leadership Programs

The Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al Sawaha unveiled the manufacture of the first Saudi-made smart chip (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al Sawaha unveiled the manufacture of the first Saudi-made smart chip (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Launches Major Tech Leadership Programs

The Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al Sawaha unveiled the manufacture of the first Saudi-made smart chip (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al Sawaha unveiled the manufacture of the first Saudi-made smart chip (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has announced the biggest technological launch of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa by introducing 22 tech and digital initiatives worth over SAR 4 billion ($1.06 billion).

The Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al Sawaha unveiled three major national programs that will leverage the Kingdom’s leading position in the field of information technology.

It is noteworthy that the announcement was made at an event called Launch held on Wednesday in Riyadh.

Launch was hosted by the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), as well as the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA).

Event organizers unveiled three major initiatives (Tuwaiq, Hemmah, Qemmah), which aim, as a whole, to raise the digital capabilities of female and male youths in the fields of programming, enhance trust between technological companies and funding agencies and encourage innovation and creativity through central gatherings and platforms.

Hemmah will receive SAR 2.5 billion ($666 million) to boost the technology market through 20 products to support entrepreneurs in early and advanced stages.

Qemmah is set to be the largest of its kind in stimulating leadership through activities.

Meanwhile, Tuwaiq will galvanize enthusiasm, energize national talents, and train and qualify prospects.

Also, Al Sawaha unveiled the first Saudi-made smart chip to be used in military, civil, and commercial applications.

Al Sawaha explained that these smart chips have a processing power that is more than 60,000 times that is used in the human journey to the moon, and in smartphones and what giant companies, such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, Sixo, Oracle and Alibaba use, which represent 60% of the power.

These initiatives will boost Saudi Arabia's chances at achieving its aim to have at least one programmer out of every 100 citizens by 2030.



Saudi Arabia Assumes WTO General Council Presidency for 2025–2026

The General Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO) unanimously appointed Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the WTO Saqer bin Abdullah Al-Moqbel as its president for the 2025–2026 term. (SPA)
The General Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO) unanimously appointed Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the WTO Saqer bin Abdullah Al-Moqbel as its president for the 2025–2026 term. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Assumes WTO General Council Presidency for 2025–2026

The General Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO) unanimously appointed Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the WTO Saqer bin Abdullah Al-Moqbel as its president for the 2025–2026 term. (SPA)
The General Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO) unanimously appointed Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the WTO Saqer bin Abdullah Al-Moqbel as its president for the 2025–2026 term. (SPA)

The General Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has unanimously appointed Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the WTO Saqer bin Abdullah Al-Moqbel as its president for the 2025–2026 term. In a historic milestone, Al-Moqbel becomes the first Arab and Middle Eastern delegate to assume this position, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday.

The WTO General Council, which convenes throughout the year, oversees the organization’s operations between ministerial conferences, held biennially. As the highest decision-making body at the level of heads of missions, the council plays a crucial role in shaping global trade policies.

During Saudi Arabia's presidency, the General Council is set to address several key issues, including preparations for the 14th Ministerial Conference, scheduled to be held in Cameroon in March 2026.

The agenda will also focus on essential WTO reforms, particularly the dispute settlement mechanism; advancing negotiations on the second phase of the Fisheries Subsidy Agreement; and addressing agriculture, food security, and development concerns.

Other priorities include integrating multilateral agreements, such as the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement and the E-Commerce Agreement, into the WTO framework.

Commenting on the appointment, Al-Moqbel emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s leadership in the WTO General Council reflects its growing role in the international economic landscape, leveraging its global economic influence to strengthen multilateral trade cooperation.