Diriyah Company, stc Group Sign Agreement to Transform Diriyah into Smart Heritage Destination

The Diriyah Project is the first major national project in the Kingdom to benefit from an integrated and modern package of innovative technological solutions provided by stc connectivity. (SPA)
The Diriyah Project is the first major national project in the Kingdom to benefit from an integrated and modern package of innovative technological solutions provided by stc connectivity. (SPA)
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Diriyah Company, stc Group Sign Agreement to Transform Diriyah into Smart Heritage Destination

The Diriyah Project is the first major national project in the Kingdom to benefit from an integrated and modern package of innovative technological solutions provided by stc connectivity. (SPA)
The Diriyah Project is the first major national project in the Kingdom to benefit from an integrated and modern package of innovative technological solutions provided by stc connectivity. (SPA)

Diriyah Company and stc group, an engine of digital transformation in the region, have joined forces in a strategic partnership to elevate Diriyah's technological landscape, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of Diriyah's masterplan and playing an integral role in improving quality of life, culture, and community.

The Diriyah Project is the first major national project in the Kingdom to benefit from an integrated and modern package of innovative technological solutions provided by stc connectivity.

Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of Diriyah Company, and Olayan bin Mohammed Alwetaid, the Group CEO of stc, signed on Tuesday the partnership agreement in the presence of executives from both sides. This strategic partnership aims to enhance and support Diriyah in implementing its projects and activities related to infrastructure.

Per the strategic partnership agreement, stc group will actively provide specialized digital infrastructure services in Diriyah through their partnership.

This agreement includes developing wired and wireless communication networks, internet services for the main headquarters and business premises, and managed cloud security services. These services support the Diriyah community, heritage sites, and development facilities with the latest technologies while preserving its deep-rooted heritage value.

Inzerillo expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, saying: "As we embark on our journey to transform Diriyah into a global cultural and historic landmark, our collaboration with stc group is instrumental in ensuring that our digital infrastructure is not only state-of-the-art but also seamlessly integrated with our masterplan.”

“Diriyah will become a global example of how visitors can relive the past while building the foundations for its future, using advanced technology to future-proof a smart city. This partnership aims to create unparalleled opportunities within the Diriyah community and its unique heritage, cultural, and developmental projects."

Diriyah Company will embrace technology to bring historical experiences to life and help build the best possible visitor experience. This partnership signifies a fundamental step in uniting the rich heritage of Diriyah with today's technological advancements, improving connectivity and quality of life for both residents and visitors.

Likewise, Alwetaid expressed his delight regarding this pioneering partnership, stating: "We are proud to collaborate with Diriyah Company in this groundbreaking initiative, which highlights our commitment as an engine of digital transformation in the region.”

“We are at the forefront of leading and supporting major national projects across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Diriyah project is one of the most large-scale projects as part of Vision 2030 for the Kingdom."

He pointed out that a select group of companies affiliated with the stc group will be responsible for executing various tasks for the strategic partnership.

This strategy will enable the desired digital transformation and complete the construction and implementation work to achieve the vision associated with Diriyah. stc group's pioneering information technology solutions provider, "solutions by stc," will provide comprehensive services in design, execution, and managed services, as well as integrating systems and project management.

Iot squared, specializing in Internet of Things solutions and technologies, will also provide closed-circuit television (CCTV) service packages and supply and install smart cameras. Additionally, they will provide cloud-based video central monitoring solutions, artificial intelligence technologies, and data extraction services to assist with decision-making.

Furthermore, Saudi Cloud Computing Company (SCCC), the leading company in cloud computing services, will host and process big data using artificial intelligence.

The partnership between stc group and Diriyah Company aims to elevate the level and quality of life within the framework of the diverse opportunities the projects provide for a modern, wide-ranging, and multifaceted lifestyle. Moreover, it contributes to achieving the Kingdom's vision targets, which aim to attract 100 million visits to Saudi Arabia annually by 2030.



Amazon Offers Free Computing Power to AI Researchers, Aiming to Challenge Nvidia

(FILES) This picture taken on July 4, 2022 shows the logo of Amazon, a major online shopping company, displayed at Amazon Amagasaki Fulfillent Center in Amagasaki, Hyogo prefecture. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)
(FILES) This picture taken on July 4, 2022 shows the logo of Amazon, a major online shopping company, displayed at Amazon Amagasaki Fulfillent Center in Amagasaki, Hyogo prefecture. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)
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Amazon Offers Free Computing Power to AI Researchers, Aiming to Challenge Nvidia

(FILES) This picture taken on July 4, 2022 shows the logo of Amazon, a major online shopping company, displayed at Amazon Amagasaki Fulfillent Center in Amagasaki, Hyogo prefecture. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)
(FILES) This picture taken on July 4, 2022 shows the logo of Amazon, a major online shopping company, displayed at Amazon Amagasaki Fulfillent Center in Amagasaki, Hyogo prefecture. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)

Amazon.com's cloud computing unit on Tuesday said it will offer free computing power to researchers who want to use its custom artificial intelligence chips, aiming to challenge Nvidia's popularity among those researchers.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) said it will offer credits to use its cloud data centers that it values at $110 million to researchers who want to tap Trainium, its chip for developing artificial intelligence models that competes with chips from Nvidia, as well as Advanced Micro Devices and Alphabet's cloud division.

AWS said researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California, Berkeley, are taking part in the program. The company plans to make 40,000 of the first-generation Trainium chips available for the program, Reuters reported.

The move comes as AWS, still the largest cloud computing company by sales, has seen a sharp challenge from Microsoft as software developers look to harness new types of chips for AI work. AWS is hoping to gain attention for its own AI chips by taking a different strategy than Nvidia, said Gadi Hutt, who leads business development for the AI chips at AWS.

To program Nvidia's chips, most AI developers use what is called Cuda, Nvidia's flagship software, rather than programming the chip directly. AWS instead plans to publish documentation about the most fundamental part of its chip - what is called the instruction set architecture - and let customers program the chip directly.

Hutt said the approach is aimed at luring large customers who might want to make small tweaks that could add up to big gains when using tens of thousands of chips at a time.

"Think about folks that are using infrastructure and putting hundreds of millions of dollars, if not more" toward rented computing power, Hutt said. "They would take any opportunity possible to increase performance and reduce the cost."