ROSHN Group, stc Group Partner to Connect ROSHN Communities with Cutting-edge ICT

ROSHN and stc group would explore opportunities for collaboration around integrating cutting-edge connectivity and ICT solutions with ROSHN communities
ROSHN and stc group would explore opportunities for collaboration around integrating cutting-edge connectivity and ICT solutions with ROSHN communities
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ROSHN Group, stc Group Partner to Connect ROSHN Communities with Cutting-edge ICT

ROSHN and stc group would explore opportunities for collaboration around integrating cutting-edge connectivity and ICT solutions with ROSHN communities
ROSHN and stc group would explore opportunities for collaboration around integrating cutting-edge connectivity and ICT solutions with ROSHN communities

ROSHN, Saudi Arabia's leading national real estate developer and PIF-funded giga-project, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and infrastructure agreement with stc group, the engine of digital transformation in the region, at the Cityscape Global forum in Riyadh to provide ROSHN communities with best-in-class, cutting-edge telecommunications access, coverage and connectivity, according to statement from ROSHN.

The statement said ROSHN and stc group would explore opportunities for collaboration around integrating cutting-edge connectivity and ICT solutions with ROSHN communities.

These will include 5G towers, smart home and smart city solutions, and implementing Big Data and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies that improve efficiency, accelerate connectivity and boost the quality of life for residents and visitors.

The MoU will also see ROSHN and stc explore the possibilities of a loyalty program for ROSHN community residents alongside adding stcpay for ROSHN online transactions.

Through the framework agreement, stc group will design, build, and operate a neutral host infrastructure for ROSHN's WAREFA community in Riyadh. This development will allow residents access to both fixed-fiber networks and accelerated wireless mobility connectivity, regardless of service provider.

David Grover, Group CEO of ROSHN, and Olayan Bin Mohammed Alwetaid, stc Group CEO, signed the agreements.

"The partnership agreement established between stc and ROSHN has been formulated as a strategic move towards the expansion and growth of the group,” said Alwetaid.

“The agreement aims to strengthen the group's digitally equipped capabilities and enable it to operate in new regions and projects across the Kingdom. We will equip a modern digital infrastructure and provide the latest digital solutions and services,” he said.

“Our innovative technologies will enrich the lives of society, as smart city technologies and applications will be reflected in ROSHN projects to enhance the quality of life. These efforts align with the vision's goals: to build a digital society, a prosperous digital economy, and a better future for the Kingdom,” Alwetaid added.

As for Grover, he stated: "At ROSHN, we are always seeking to form partnerships with companies and organizations that can deliver our residents the best-in-class services they expect from ROSHN communities and properties. These two agreements will ensure that residents of all our communities have access to up-to-the-minute digital tools required by the modern world, enabling them fast internet access, easy communications, and secure payment connections."



Swiss Interior Minister Open to Social Media Ban for Children

A teenager poses holding a mobile phone displaying a message from TikTok as law banning social media for users under 16 in Australia takes effect, in Sydney, Australia, December 10, 2025. (Reuters)
A teenager poses holding a mobile phone displaying a message from TikTok as law banning social media for users under 16 in Australia takes effect, in Sydney, Australia, December 10, 2025. (Reuters)
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Swiss Interior Minister Open to Social Media Ban for Children

A teenager poses holding a mobile phone displaying a message from TikTok as law banning social media for users under 16 in Australia takes effect, in Sydney, Australia, December 10, 2025. (Reuters)
A teenager poses holding a mobile phone displaying a message from TikTok as law banning social media for users under 16 in Australia takes effect, in Sydney, Australia, December 10, 2025. (Reuters)

Switzerland must do more to shield children from social media risks, Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider was quoted as saying on Sunday, signaling she was open to a potential ban on the platforms for youngsters.

Following Australia's recent ban on social media for under-16s, Baume-Schneider told SonntagsBlick newspaper that Switzerland should examine similar measures.

"The debate in Australia and the ‌EU is ‌important. It must also ‌be ⁠conducted in Switzerland. ‌I am open to a social media ban," said the minister, a member of the center-left Social Democrats. "We must better protect our children."

She said authorities needed to look at what should be restricted, listing options ⁠such as banning social media use by children, ‌curbing harmful content, and addressing ‍algorithms that prey on ‍young people's vulnerabilities.

Detailed discussions will begin ‍in the new year, supported by a report on the issue, Baume-Schneider said, adding: "We mustn't forget social media platforms themselves: they must take responsibility for what children and young people consume."

Australia's ban has won praise ⁠from many parents and groups advocating for the welfare of children, and drawn criticism from major technology companies and defenders of free speech.

Earlier this month, the parliament of the Swiss canton of Fribourg voted to prohibit children from using mobile phones at school until they are about 15, the latest step taken at ‌a local level in Switzerland to curb their use in schools.


Google Warns Staff with US Visas against International Travel

FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is displayed during a press conference in Berlin, Germany, November 11, 2025. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is displayed during a press conference in Berlin, Germany, November 11, 2025. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo
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Google Warns Staff with US Visas against International Travel

FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is displayed during a press conference in Berlin, Germany, November 11, 2025. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is displayed during a press conference in Berlin, Germany, November 11, 2025. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo

Alphabet's Google has advised some employees on US visas to avoid international travel due to delays at embassies, Business Insider reported on Friday, citing an internal email.

The email, sent by the company's outside counsel BAL Immigration Law on Thursday, warned staff who need a visa ⁠stamp to re-enter the United States not to leave the country because visa processing times have lengthened, the report said.

Google did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Some US embassies and consulates face visa ⁠appointment delays of up to 12 months, the memo said, warning that international travel will "risk an extended stay outside the US", according to the report.

The administration of President Donald Trump this month announced increased vetting of applicants for H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, including screening social media accounts.

The H-1B visa program, widely used by the US ⁠technology sector to hire skilled workers from India and China, has been under the spotlight after the Trump administration imposed a $100,000 fee for new applications this year.

In September, Google's parent company Alphabet had strongly advised its employees to avoid international travel and urged H-1B visa holders to remain in the US, according to an email seen by Reuters.


AI Boom Drives Data-Center Dealmaking to Record High, Says Report

AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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AI Boom Drives Data-Center Dealmaking to Record High, Says Report

AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Global data-center dealmaking surged to a record high through November this year, driven by an insatiable demand for ​computing infrastructure to meet the boom in artificial intelligence usage.

Data from S&P Global Market Intelligence showed that there were more than 100 data center transactions during the period, with the total value sitting just under $61 billion.

WHY ‌IT'S IMPORTANT

Interest ‌in data centers ‌has ⁠swelled ​this ‌year as tech giants and AI hyperscalers have planned billions of dollars in spending to scale up infrastructure.

AI-related companies have powered much of the gains in US stocks this year, but concerns over lofty ⁠valuations and debt-fueled spending have also sparked worries ‌over how quickly corporates can ‍turn the investments ‍into profits.

BY THE NUMBERS

Including M&As, asset ‍sales and equity investments, data center investments hit nearly $61 billion through the end of November, already surpassing 2024's record high $60.81 billion.

Since ​2019, data center dealmaking in the US and Canada totaled about $160 billion, ⁠with Asia-Pacific reaching nearly $40 billion and Europe $24.2 billion.

GRAPHIC KEY QUOTE

"High interest comes from financial sponsors, which are attracted by the risk/reward profile of such assets. Private equity firms are eager buyers but are generally reluctant sellers, creating an environment where availability for sale of high-quality data center assets is scarce," said Iuri ‌Struta, TMT analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence.