SDAIA Signs MoC with Japanese Company NEC to Develop AI Solutions

SPA
SPA
TT

SDAIA Signs MoC with Japanese Company NEC to Develop AI Solutions

SPA
SPA

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority "SDAIA" signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI), biometrics, and "Internet of Things" with the Japanese company NEC, during the Saudi-Japanese round table meeting, organized by the Ministry of Investment in Jeddah, in the presence of the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his visit to the Kingdom Sunday.

Deputy Director of the National Information Center in SDAIA Mashari bin Ibrahim Al-Mashari represented “SDAIA” in the signing of the MoC, and the Senior Vice President of the company NEC, Naoki Yoshida, on behalf of it, SPA reported.

The MoC aims to discuss opportunities of mutual interest between the two sides and support innovation and innovative solutions for a number of applications such as; smart and safe cities, health applications, and logistics applications.

The memorandum will strengthen the " SDAIA " efforts in efficiently experimenting with technical solutions, leading the national trend for data and artificial intelligence, and achieving Saudi Vision 2030 to promote the Kingdom to data-based economies and enabling initiatives related to data and artificial intelligence.



Meta Adds Three Board Members Including UFC Boss Dana White, Key Figure in Trump's Orbit

Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship gestures as he speaks during a rally for Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden, in New York, U.S., October 27, 2024. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo
Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship gestures as he speaks during a rally for Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden, in New York, U.S., October 27, 2024. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo
TT

Meta Adds Three Board Members Including UFC Boss Dana White, Key Figure in Trump's Orbit

Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship gestures as he speaks during a rally for Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden, in New York, U.S., October 27, 2024. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo
Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship gestures as he speaks during a rally for Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden, in New York, U.S., October 27, 2024. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

Meta has appointed three new members to its board of directors, including Dana White, the president and CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship and a key figure in the orbit of incoming President Donald Trump.

The social media company, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is also adding auto tycoon John Elkann and tech investor Charlie Songhurst, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post late Monday.

White's ties with Trump date back to 2001, when White hosted a UFC at the Republican's former casino-hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the Trump Taj Mahal. Trump has also appeared with White at UFC matches over the years, especially in his 2024 campaign as part of efforts to appeal to younger male voters.

White, in turn, has had speaking roles at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Republican conventions and appeared on stage at Trump’s election victory party in November, even speaking briefly to the crowd.

White has built UFC “into one of the most valuable, fastest growing, and most popular sports enterprises in the world,” Zuckerberg said. “I’ve admired him as an entrepreneur and his ability to build such a beloved brand.”

Zuckerberg is also active in mixed martial arts. Zuckerberg and fellow billionaire Elon Musk seemingly agreed to fight in a “cage match” in 2023, but it never happened.

Elkann, another person joining Meta's board, is the CEO of Exor, a Netherlands-based investment company, and chairman of its two auto companies, Stellantis and Ferrari.

Zuckerberg said Elkann has "deep experience running large global businesses and he brings an international perspective to our board."

Songhurst previously worked at Microsoft and joined began advising Meta last year on artificial intelligence.