The first day of the LEAP 2023 conference in Riyadh on Monday witnessed a number of agreements and the launch of a package of platforms and digital products to maximize business.
Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman inaugurated a digital platform specialized in providing a number of services to individuals, institutions and government sectors. The ceremony was held in the presence of the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Engineer Abdullah Alsawaha.
The platform aims to facilitate business and support digital channels of communication with the business community, by increasing the efficiency of the government sector, promoting the quality of digital services, improving the user experience in electronic transactions, and governing the energy sector by taking advantage of emerging technologies and digital transformation, in line with the goals of Vision 2030.
Also on the sidelines of the event, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministries of Energy and Communications and Information Technology, and Dawiyat Integrated Communications and Information Technology Company, to invest in the optical fiber system, landing stations, international cable capacities, and data centers.
The agreement aims to provide an integrated digital infrastructure and improve the quality and speed of the Internet in the Kingdom.
Saudi Downtown, a company wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, to implement digital infrastructure and communication technologies in company projects. The PIF company projects are being developed in 12 cities across Saudi Arabia.
Eng. Ahmed Al-Rajhi, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, inaugurated a rehabilitation and social guidance platform, and oversaw the signing of four agreements with a number of specialized companies.
Meanwhile, Amin Al-Nasser, CEO of Saudi Aramco, revealed a strategic partnership to build Zoom’s first global data center in the Kingdom, with the aim to support the digital transformation ecosystem. The data center is expected to connect to the Zoom global data center network and will serve Saudi Arabia and the region.
He also said that additional funds had been allocated by the company to Wa’ed Ventures, increasing the size of its Kingdom-focused venture capital arm from $200 million to $500 million.
“Our establishment of a diversified network of partners has helped us maintain a track record of reliability, and our new strategic partnership with Zoom is expected to further enable innovative solutions focusing on the digital transformation ecosystem. Furthermore, with an expanded fund size, Wa’ed Ventures aims to facilitate the cross-pollination of innovation between the global and local markets,” he said.
