stc Group Signs Strategic Agreements to Enhance Local Content

stc Group has signed new agreements with local partners at the Public Investment Fund’s (PIF’s) Private Sector Forum in Riyadh
stc Group has signed new agreements with local partners at the Public Investment Fund’s (PIF’s) Private Sector Forum in Riyadh
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stc Group Signs Strategic Agreements to Enhance Local Content

stc Group has signed new agreements with local partners at the Public Investment Fund’s (PIF’s) Private Sector Forum in Riyadh
stc Group has signed new agreements with local partners at the Public Investment Fund’s (PIF’s) Private Sector Forum in Riyadh

stc Group has signed a raft of new agreements with local partners at the Public Investment Fund’s (PIF’s) Private Sector Forum in Riyadh, with the aim of enriching the local economy.

Prince Mohammad Bin Khalid Al Abdullah Al-Faisal, the chairman of the Board of Directors of stc Group attended the signings.

stc Group was represented at the Forum by its Rawafed program which also participated in a workshop dedicated to improving localization of procurement and supply chains.

The annual event brings together policymakers, key local private-sector players, visionaries, and industry leaders to discuss and catalyze and accelerate economic growth opportunities within the Kingdom’s private sector.

Commenting on the stc’s participation, CEO Olayan Al-Wetaid said: “We welcome the opportunity to participate once again at the PIF Private Sector Forum – a brilliant space to reaffirm our commitment to driving forward the Kingdom's economic agenda. At stc Group, we are dedicated to providing world-class connectivity, driving digital transformation, and empowering sustainable growth.”

He added that the signed agreements reflect stc Group’s commitment to cooperating with various local partners, and empowering innovation, and contributing to enhancing local content in line with Vision 2030's objectives.

The agreements signed covered a range of strategic stc Group objectives, from sustainability to digital transformation. They included a contract with Al Jazea Contracting & Trading Company for the establishment of a grey water treatment plant. The agreement aims to reduce water consumption and achieve broader sustainability goals.

Another agreement was signed with Master Works to enhance the customer experience by expanding stc’s capabilities to monitor new key performance indicators.

An agreement signed with Gazal, PIF’s portfolio company, to provide eco-friendly mobility movement at stc Group’s headquarters. An agreement was also signed with Simah to develop a system for integration and validation of partner data, enhancing the onboarding process, in an initiative called “Partner Hub Enhancement.”

During the forum, a contract was signed with Middle Sea for Telecommunication Establishment, Prime Gate Company, and Awnas Contracting Company to modernize infrastructure and advance sustainability efforts, specifically focusing on offloading of stc OSP (outside plant) infrastructure.

Capping stc Group’s involvement, Rawafed participated in the "Maximizing Local Content in Procurement" workshop and exhibition. The event provided the opportunity for direct registration to local partners, allowing them to showcase technological investment opportunities and provide examples of how stc Group is one of the Kingdom’s best-practice leaders in localization.

The workshop also provided an opportunity to exchange expertise and insights on how local procurement and localization of supply chains can be bolstered.

The PIF Private Sector Forum attracts elite policymakers and prestigious local private-sector institutions, along with prominent figures and specialists in the sector. It serves as a platform for dialogues to review ways of supporting local content and enhancing opportunities for private sector growth in the Kingdom.



US Judge Finds Israel's NSO Group Liable for Hacking in WhatsApp Lawsuit

Israeli cyber firm NSO Group's exhibition stand is seen at "ISDEF 2019", an international defense and homeland security expo, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 4, 2019. REUTERS/Keren Manor/File Photo
Israeli cyber firm NSO Group's exhibition stand is seen at "ISDEF 2019", an international defense and homeland security expo, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 4, 2019. REUTERS/Keren Manor/File Photo
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US Judge Finds Israel's NSO Group Liable for Hacking in WhatsApp Lawsuit

Israeli cyber firm NSO Group's exhibition stand is seen at "ISDEF 2019", an international defense and homeland security expo, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 4, 2019. REUTERS/Keren Manor/File Photo
Israeli cyber firm NSO Group's exhibition stand is seen at "ISDEF 2019", an international defense and homeland security expo, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 4, 2019. REUTERS/Keren Manor/File Photo

A US judge ruled on Friday in favor of Meta Platforms' WhatsApp in a lawsuit accusing Israel's NSO Group of exploiting a bug in the messaging app to install spy software allowing unauthorized surveillance.

US District Judge Phyllis Hamilton in Oakland, California, granted a motion by WhatsApp and found NSO liable for hacking and breach of contract.

The case will now proceed to a trial only on the issue of damages, Hamilton said. NSO Group did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment, according to Reuters.

Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, said the ruling is a win for privacy.

"We spent five years presenting our case because we firmly believe that spyware companies could not hide behind immunity or avoid accountability for their unlawful actions," Cathcart said in a social media post.

"Surveillance companies should be on notice that illegal spying will not be tolerated."

Cybersecurity experts welcomed the judgment.

John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher with Canadian internet watchdog Citizen Lab — which first brought to light NSO’s Pegasus spyware in 2016 — called the judgment a landmark ruling with “huge implications for the spyware industry.”

“The entire industry has hidden behind the claim that whatever their customers do with their hacking tools, it's not their responsibility,” he said in an instant message. “Today's ruling makes it clear that NSO Group is in fact responsible for breaking numerous laws.”

WhatsApp in 2019 sued NSO seeking an injunction and damages, accusing it of accessing WhatsApp servers without permission six months earlier to install the Pegasus software on victims' mobile devices. The lawsuit alleged the intrusion allowed the surveillance of 1,400 people, including journalists, human rights activists and dissidents.

NSO had argued that Pegasus helps law enforcement and intelligence agencies fight crime and protect national security and that its technology is intended to help catch terrorists, pedophiles and hardened criminals.

NSO appealed a trial judge's 2020 refusal to award it "conduct-based immunity," a common law doctrine protecting foreign officials acting in their official capacity.

Upholding that ruling in 2021, the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals called it an "easy case" because NSO's mere licensing of Pegasus and offering technical support did not shield it from liability under a federal law called the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which took precedence over common law.

The US Supreme Court last year turned away NSO's appeal of the lower court's decision, allowing the lawsuit to proceed.