Saudi Arabia’s CITC Hosts 1st RegTech Symposium with Participation of Global Experts

Among other things the symposium aims to shed light on the role and importance of regulatory technologies in governance
Among other things the symposium aims to shed light on the role and importance of regulatory technologies in governance
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Saudi Arabia’s CITC Hosts 1st RegTech Symposium with Participation of Global Experts

Among other things the symposium aims to shed light on the role and importance of regulatory technologies in governance
Among other things the symposium aims to shed light on the role and importance of regulatory technologies in governance

Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) will host the first Regulatory Technologies (RegTech) symposium on Monday.

The symposium aims to shed light on the role and importance of regulatory technologies in governance, risk, and compliance management. It discusses a multitude of topics that range from the roles played by companies and institutes in regulation and oversight to the promising opportunities for startups and entrepreneurs.

The symposium will comprise lively panel discussions and engaging presentations, which in their entirety will lay the foundation for what RegTech is, examine the most promising opportunities for RegTech in the Kingdom, and sneak a peek into the latest global practices in RegTech. This will take place in the presence of some internationally-acclaimed experts as well as compliance and risk management specialists from various companies and regulatory bodies in the Kingdom.

Within its wide spectrum of topics, the symposium will put emerging and advance technologies under the spotlight for the purposes of emphasizing the role of those technologies in improving regulatory and supervisory performance, contributing to compliance, alleviating regulatory burdens, and increasing operational efficiency.

The event will also survey the most prominent RegTech solutions and emerging companies.



Apple’s China Smartphone Shipments Slide 9% in First Quarter

The Apple logo is seen at a mall in the financial district of Shanghai on April 14, 2025. (AFP)
The Apple logo is seen at a mall in the financial district of Shanghai on April 14, 2025. (AFP)
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Apple’s China Smartphone Shipments Slide 9% in First Quarter

The Apple logo is seen at a mall in the financial district of Shanghai on April 14, 2025. (AFP)
The Apple logo is seen at a mall in the financial district of Shanghai on April 14, 2025. (AFP)

Apple's shipments of smartphones in China slumped 9% in the first quarter from a year earlier and it was the only major manufacturer to see a decline, according to data from research firm IDC.

Apple, which ranks fifth in China's smartphone market, saw shipments fall to 9.8 million phones, giving it a market share of 13.7%, down from 17.4% in the previous quarter.

It was Apple's seventh straight quarter of decline.

By contrast, market leader Xiaomi saws its shipments surge 40% to 13.3 million while industry-wide shipments grew 3.3%.

IDC analyst Will Wong said Apple's premium pricing structure has prevented the US company from capitalizing on new government subsidies introduced in January which fueled growth in the first quarter.

The government subsidies for smartphones and some other consumer electronics refund consumers 15% of products with a sticker price under 6,000 yuan ($820).