Saudi Industry Minister Highlights Importance of Technology Use to Affect Growth

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef. (SPA)
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Saudi Industry Minister Highlights Importance of Technology Use to Affect Growth

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef stressed that the Kingdom took advantage of various technologies to achieve growth in the industrial and mining sectors, and that technology enables business owners to be productive and effective.
Taking part in a panel discussion titled "Where Manufacturing and Tech Collide", held as part of the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Special Meeting in Riyadh today, Al-Khorayef talked about the transformation witnessed by the manufacturing sector over the past 25 years, which has served many countries, including the Kingdom, and about advanced solutions to lower the carbon footprint, stressing the importance of developing human capital by helping youths interested in technological advancements.
The minister also tackled infrastructure development and preparing regulations and guidelines to secure reliable use of information and data usage, and cybersecurity, and future programs that target 4,000 factories, SPA reported.
He stressed the importance of developing an economic system that takes advantage of technologies like digital twin and 5G for operating and managing the mining sector, especially in remote areas.
Al-Khorayef also spoke about the Saudi industrial base, which has the largest number of active entities and plays a main role in turning ideas into real solutions, making use of technologies that contribute added value to countries.



Apple Offers iPhone Discounts in China as Competition Intensifies

FILE - The new iPhone 16 is displayed during an announcement of new products at Apple headquarters Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada, File)
FILE - The new iPhone 16 is displayed during an announcement of new products at Apple headquarters Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada, File)
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Apple Offers iPhone Discounts in China as Competition Intensifies

FILE - The new iPhone 16 is displayed during an announcement of new products at Apple headquarters Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada, File)
FILE - The new iPhone 16 is displayed during an announcement of new products at Apple headquarters Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada, File)

Apple is offering rare discounts of up to 500 yuan ($68.50) on its latest iPhone models in China, as the US tech giant moves to defend its market share against rising competition from domestic rivals like Huawei.
The four-day promotion, running from Jan. 4-7, applies to several iPhone models when purchased using specific payment methods, according to its website.
The flagship iPhone 16 Pro with a starting price of 7,999 yuan and the iPhone 16 Pro Max with a starting price of 9,999 yuan will see the highest discount of 500 yuan. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will receive a 400 yuan reduction.
The discounts come as consumers remain cautious with spending amid China's slowing economy and deflationary pressures, with the country's consumer inflation hitting a five-month low in November.
Apple is grappling with declining market share in China, the world's largest smartphone market, where local manufacturers have intensified competition, Reuters said.
Huawei has emerged as a particularly strong challenger since its return to the premium segment in August 2023 with locally-made chipsets. Huawei had cut the prices of a variety of high-end devices, including mobile phones, by up to 3,000 yuan over the weekend on one of China's leading e-commerce platforms.
Apple briefly fell out of China's top five smartphone vendors in the second quarter of 2024 before recovering in the third quarter. The US company's smartphone sales in China still slipped 0.3% during the third quarter from a year earlier, while Huawei's sales surged 42%, according to research firm IDC.
The Apple promotion also includes discounts of 200 to 300 yuan on older iPhone models, as well as other categories of products such as MacBook laptops and iPad tablets. Customers must use designated payment methods including WeChat Pay or Alipay to qualify for the discounts.