Saudi Tawakkalna App Resolves Technical Issues

A technical issue prevented access to the Tawakalna application in Saudi Arabia.
A technical issue prevented access to the Tawakalna application in Saudi Arabia.
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Saudi Tawakkalna App Resolves Technical Issues

A technical issue prevented access to the Tawakalna application in Saudi Arabia.
A technical issue prevented access to the Tawakalna application in Saudi Arabia.

Registered users in Saudi Arabia can now access the Tawakkalna application to prove their health status before entering public places.

The Tawakkalna management announced on Friday night that the technical issue that restricted access to the app during the past days was resolved.

“The app is working properly, and users can use it to show their health condition during their visits to government departments, shops, and malls,” it said.

“Work is also in progress to restore all features, such as Covid-19 Test Booking. Digital identities, Dashboard, and others," it added.

Tawakkalna is the official application approved by the Saudi Ministry of Health to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Further, the Tawakkalna management highlighted that under the supervision of a highly qualified Saudi team, the app worked properly and did not encounter any technical issues since its launch on May 11, 2020.

The management said that the app's services were efficiently and effectively provided to over 9.7 million users even in moments of high numbers of registration. It is also noteworthy that the number of registered users jumped to 12.5 million (%22.5 increase) in only three days.

Sign-ins' attempts reached 250 million in the past few days due to the requirement of showing the Health Condition via Tawakkalna to enter worksites, shops, and malls.

This increase caused an overload and instability; however, quick and temporary alternative solutions were provided, as text messages containing information about users' health conditions that were sent to Tawakkalna users.

Tawakkalna management thanked all users for their understanding of this technical problem, and it urged them to update the app.

In support of the Kingdom's efforts to respond to COVID-19, the management also emphasized that it will continue providing high-quality services to all citizens and residents.

The app, launched last year to help track Covid-19 infections, has seen a surge in registrations in recent days as a number of regional governors called for establishments to put stricter entry restrictions in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus.



Microsoft Beats Expectations, But AI Concerns Force Shares Down

FILE - The Microsoft logo in Issy-les-Moulineaux, outside Paris, France, April 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)
FILE - The Microsoft logo in Issy-les-Moulineaux, outside Paris, France, April 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)
TT

Microsoft Beats Expectations, But AI Concerns Force Shares Down

FILE - The Microsoft logo in Issy-les-Moulineaux, outside Paris, France, April 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)
FILE - The Microsoft logo in Issy-les-Moulineaux, outside Paris, France, April 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)

Microsoft delivered solid quarterly results on Wednesday, beating analyst expectations with revenue jumping 16 percent to $65.6 billion, but questions were raised about the company's big spending on the AI boom.
The tech giant reported net income of $24.7 billion for the quarter ending September 30, marking an 11-percent increase from the same period last year. Earnings per share rose 10 percent to $3.30, AFP said.
The company attributed the solid performance to robust growth in its cloud computing and artificial intelligence businesses.
"AI-driven transformation is changing work... and workflow across every role, function, and business process," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, adding that the company was winning new customers through its AI platforms and tools.
The Redmond-based company has been at the forefront of the generative AI revolution, largely thanks to its partnership with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.
The company has rolled out AI features at a furious pace, mainly under its Copilot brand, leaving investors hopeful for a return on investment from the expensive technology.
But the tech giant warned that its gross margin outlook for its crucial cloud division, or how much money it expects to make, was going to be lower just as its investment in AI infrastructure was set to grow.
The news sent Microsoft's share price down by nearly four percent in after-hours trading.
"Microsoft's latest earnings came in a bit above expectations, but the results may leave some investors wanting more clarity," said Emarketer senior director Jeremy Goldman.
"The true wildcard this quarter has been Microsoft's AI investments. It's pouring cash into building out infrastructure, with major capex implications. Yet, the revenue returns from AI remain more of a promise than a present reality," he added.
Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, saw strong growth with revenue increasing 34 percent, when adjusted for currency fluctuations.
During the quarter, Microsoft also returned $9.0 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases, helping pump up share value.
With the jitters over Microsoft's massive outlays on AI, the company has trailed other tech giants on Wall Street this year, gaining just over 15 percent, while Meta has surged 70 percent and Amazon climbed nearly 30 percent.
In a notable development, Microsoft's gaming division showed substantial growth, with Xbox content and services revenue surging 61 percent, primarily due to the recent Activision Blizzard acquisition, which contributed 53 percentage points to this increase.
Google parent company Alphabet on Tuesday set the scene for the tech earnings season with a solid report, as its cloud computing division posted strong results on the back of AI adoption by search engine users.