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Saudi Arabia Brings Together Policy Makers, Major AI Investors

The Global Summit on Artificial Intelligence in its first edition, which was held in Riyadh two years ago (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Global Summit on Artificial Intelligence in its first edition, which was held in Riyadh two years ago (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Brings Together Policy Makers, Major AI Investors

The Global Summit on Artificial Intelligence in its first edition, which was held in Riyadh two years ago (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Global Summit on Artificial Intelligence in its first edition, which was held in Riyadh two years ago (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), the second Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit, organized by SDAIA, is scheduled to commence Tuesday.

Under the theme “Artificial Intelligence for the Good of Humanity,” more than 10,000 people of policymakers, specialists, and concerned figures with AI will take part in the summit.

It will be held at the headquarters of the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center in Riyadh between Sept. 13 and 15, 2022.

Organizers have completed all preparations to embark on the summit that will go over all aspects of AI, including the present challenges and aspirations to benefit from AI technologies through what participants — including experts and specialists of senior officials from government and major IT companies in the world — will provide of various presentations that shed light on the latest research and innovations in the field, and exchange expertise and explore investment opportunities related to AI in the upcoming stage.

The summit offers an opportunity for concerned people and experts in this field to benefit from the gathering of more than 200 speakers representing 90 countries under one ceiling in Riyadh to listen to their visions and presentations through their participation in more than 100 work sessions, panel discussions and workshops, in addition to getting acquainted with more than 40 cases of using AI that will be displayed during the summit by local and global innovative institutions.

The summit is also planned to discuss several topics that show the impacts of AI on top sectors, such as smart cities, capacity building, healthcare, transportation, energy, culture, environment, and economic mobility, with the aim of finding solutions to current challenges and maximizing benefits from AI technologies.

The event will also address various AI technologies, including the present, challenges and aspirations towards utilizing these technologies in our daily lives to serve humanity, in addition to exchanging expertise with local and international experts, exploring investment opportunities related to AI technologies, and going over several fields that can reshape dialogue among technology, policies and systems in a bid to guarantee a unified application for AI that relies on humanitarian pillars.

The summit will also include the signing of more than 40 agreements and memorandums of understandings between the public and private sectors from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and abroad, in addition to announcing 8 local and international initiatives among global companies and institutions in a bid to enhance international cooperation on AI and its uses.

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IMF Makes Progress Toward Reaching Staff Agreement with Pakistan on First Review of $7 Bln Program

People buy dry fruits at a market in Karachi, Pakistan February 1, 2023. (Reuters)
People buy dry fruits at a market in Karachi, Pakistan February 1, 2023. (Reuters)
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IMF Makes Progress Toward Reaching Staff Agreement with Pakistan on First Review of $7 Bln Program

People buy dry fruits at a market in Karachi, Pakistan February 1, 2023. (Reuters)
People buy dry fruits at a market in Karachi, Pakistan February 1, 2023. (Reuters)

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistani authorities made significant progress toward reaching a staff level agreement on the first review of an ongoing $7 billion program, IMF Mission Chief Nathan Porter said in a statement on Saturday.

The mission and Pakistani authorities will continue policy discussions via video conference to finalize these discussions over the coming days, the statement said, according to the Pakistani newspaper, The News.

“The IMF and the Pakistani authorities made significant progress toward reaching a Staff Level Agreement (SLA) on the first review under the 37-month Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF),” Porter said in a statement on Friday.

The lender's team, led by Porter, was in Pakistan from February 24 to March 14 to hold discussions on the first review of Pakistan's economic program supported by the EFF and the possibility of a new arrangement under the lender's Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).

The South Asian country, which has faced an economic meltdown in recent years, is treading a long path to economic recovery under the $7 billion IMF program it secured in September last year.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called for immediate action from Islamabad to resolve the trade crisis with the Taliban and Central Asian countries.

The chamber’s president highlighted the negative impacts of the closed Torkham border crossing and transit taxes on Pakistan’s economy and regional trade.

Junaid Makda, president of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said on Friday that increasing trade barriers, rising transportation costs, and the continued closure of the Torkham border are severely harming cross-border businesses.

Makda also warned of potential long-term damage to Pakistan’s economy due to the ongoing situation, stating that it forces traders to use Iranian ports instead of Pakistani routes, which will harm the country’s trade network.

The Torkham border has been closed for more than 20 days due to border tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that the crossing will remain closed until the Taliban halt construction activities in the area.