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SDAIA Utilizes AI Technology to Streamline Process of Pilgrims' Arrival at the Kingdom's Ports

SDAIA's current initiatives result from continuous support from His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the SDAIA Board of Directors. - SPA
SDAIA's current initiatives result from continuous support from His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the SDAIA Board of Directors. - SPA
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SDAIA Utilizes AI Technology to Streamline Process of Pilgrims' Arrival at the Kingdom's Ports

SDAIA's current initiatives result from continuous support from His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the SDAIA Board of Directors. - SPA
SDAIA's current initiatives result from continuous support from His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the SDAIA Board of Directors. - SPA

The Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) played a key role in streamlining the arrival process for pilgrims this year by employing data and artificial intelligence technologies and investing in enhancing the technical infrastructure at 14 air, sea, and land ports across the Kingdom.
SDAIA leveraged artificial intelligence to bolster its data analysis and anticipatory capabilities. It collaborated with government agencies to secure reliable communication circuits, both core and backups, guaranteeing uninterrupted service at the ports. To further ensure smooth operations, SDAIA assembled a dedicated national technical team for the Hajj season, SPA reported.
The SDAIA team offers services at many locations throughout the Hajj season, including King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah Islamic Port, Taif Airport, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport, the Empty Quarter, Batha, Salwa, Al-Raqqi, King Fahd Causeway, Halat Ammar, Neom Port, Jadidat Arar, Al-Haditha, and Al-Wadiah.
SDAIA's current initiatives result from continuous support from Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the SDAIA Board of Directors. The objective is to optimize the utilization of data and AI technologies, particularly for the benefit of pilgrims, aligning with the goals of Vision 2030.
SDAIA gave the Kingdom's border crossings, sorting centers, and security control centers a tech boost by providing new systems, services, and tools to improve efficiency.
For this year's Hajj, SDAIA set up a special tech support room to handle any problems faced by different organizations involved. It also equipped teams at all ports with mobile tech kits so they could quickly fix issues on the spot.
Furthermore, SDAIA made sure all the workstations and network equipment in the Hajj halls at the ports were up-to-date by performing preventive maintenance. It built and installed biometric scanners at the Kingdom's border crossings, and took care of setting up the devices, installing the approved software, and training Hajj personnel on how to use everything new.
SDAIA has been rolling out innovative tech solutions to improve the Hajj experience. It launched "Banan," a mobile device that uses biometric data to identify people on-site. This gadget is perfect for field workers managing large groups at different locations during Hajj.
SDAIA also developed Sawaher and Baseer platforms to help manage crowd sizes effectively at various Hajj sites. These platforms ensure each location does not get overcrowded, promoting a safer and smoother experience for pilgrims.
The authority has integrated many pilgrim services into the Tawakkalna app. Pilgrims can now manage everything from Manasik Gate procedures to displaying their pilgrim cards and entry permits for vehicles and personnel working on Hajj in collaboration with Public Security.

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Technology

Aramco Executives Underscore AI’s Role in Advancing Materials Science, Combating Corrosion

The remarks came during the 19th Middle East Corrosion Conference and Exhibition, hosted in Dhahran - File Photo
The remarks came during the 19th Middle East Corrosion Conference and Exhibition, hosted in Dhahran - File Photo
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Aramco Executives Underscore AI’s Role in Advancing Materials Science, Combating Corrosion

The remarks came during the 19th Middle East Corrosion Conference and Exhibition, hosted in Dhahran - File Photo
The remarks came during the 19th Middle East Corrosion Conference and Exhibition, hosted in Dhahran - File Photo

Saudi Aramco executives emphasized the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in revolutionizing materials science and engineering, particularly in addressing the global challenge of metal corrosion and accelerating the development of innovative materials at an industrial scale.

Their remarks came during the 19th Middle East Corrosion Conference and Exhibition, hosted in Dhahran. The event brought together international experts to explore solutions for mitigating corrosion, a problem that costs the global economy an estimated $3 trillion annually.

During the conference, Aramco announced 28 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) collectively valued at more than $1 billion. These agreements include proposed collaborations in advanced materials research and development, technology innovation, local manufacturing, and training and development initiatives.

In his opening address, Executive Vice President of Technical Services at Aramco Wail Al Jaafari stressed that corrosion management is not merely a technical concern but a strategic priority tied to operational reliability, safety, and environmental stewardship.

Executive Vice President of Technology and Innovation Ahmad O. Al-Khowaiter noted that AI-driven solutions could significantly reduce the global cost of corrosion, which accounts for nearly 3% of the world’s GDP. He added that approximately $1 trillion could be saved annually through the application of AI and emerging technologies in this field.

The Middle East Corrosion Conference and Exhibition, the oldest and most prestigious regional event dedicated to corrosion science, is being hosted in the Kingdom for the first time.

This year’s edition marks the largest in the conference’s history since its inception in 1979, drawing more than 5,200 participants from 45 countries, featuring over 300 research papers and 25 specialized workshops. The event also includes the first-ever hackathon focused on innovation in corrosion and materials science, with the participation of more than 1,500 students.

Technology

Brazil's Central Bank Vows Tougher Rules after Surge in Financial System Cyberattacks

A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (Reuters)
A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (Reuters)
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Brazil's Central Bank Vows Tougher Rules after Surge in Financial System Cyberattacks

A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (Reuters)
A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (Reuters)

Brazil's central bank is preparing to advance tighter regulation of the financial system to curb a rise in cyberattacks, the bank's supervision director, Ailton Aquino, said on Wednesday.

This year, 68 incidents have been reported through October, including 37 cases of fraud, he said at a press conference in Sao Paulo.

That represents the highest number since the central bank began tracking such data in 2018 and is already above the 59 cases recorded in all of last year, according to the bank's Financial Stability Report released earlier in the day, Reuters reported.

Aquino cited the need for stronger oversight of third-party services and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), which act as bridges allowing different software systems to communicate securely and automatically with each other.

He said the central bank was finalizing rules for direct connections to the financial system's network and expected to release them soon.

"The agenda remains strong," Aquino said.

In September, the central bank issued new rules to strengthen the security of the country's financial system, and earlier this week it regulated the crypto assets market to help prevent money laundering and fraud.

Technology

Yield-bearing Crypto Assets Poised to Grow after Regulatory Clarity, Report Says

(FILES) This illustration photograph taken on November 22, 2024 in Istanbul shows coin imitations of Bitcoin. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / AFP)
(FILES) This illustration photograph taken on November 22, 2024 in Istanbul shows coin imitations of Bitcoin. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / AFP)
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Yield-bearing Crypto Assets Poised to Grow after Regulatory Clarity, Report Says

(FILES) This illustration photograph taken on November 22, 2024 in Istanbul shows coin imitations of Bitcoin. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / AFP)
(FILES) This illustration photograph taken on November 22, 2024 in Istanbul shows coin imitations of Bitcoin. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / AFP)

Yield-bearing assets in the cryptocurrency market are expected to grow rapidly as institutional adoption accelerates after the passage of the GENIUS Act, blockchain firm RedStone said in a report on Wednesday.

 

CONTEXT

 

The US has enacted the GENIUS Act, a stablecoin law that creates a regulatory framework for dollar-pegged cryptocurrencies, sparking a surge in interest-bearing stablecoins, Reuters reported.

However, institutional investors have remained cautious despite tokenization making transactions cheaper and faster, largely due to the absence of clear risk metrics.

 

WHY IT MATTERS

 

Unlike traditional finance, where capital routinely earns interest, most crypto assets do not provide any returns beyond their rise in prices. Yield-bearing crypto assets could unlock significant funds and encourage major financial firms to enter the space as regulations improve.

 

BY THE NUMBERS

 

The market size of interest-bearing stablecoins has jumped 300% over the past year as new projects emerge to compete with Tether and Circle, the report said.

"Yield-generating assets make up just 8% to 11% of crypto, compared to 55% to 65% of traditional finance," underscoring how underdeveloped crypto's yield infrastructure remains, the report said.

While crypto's total market capitalization was about $3.55 trillion, only $300 billion to $400 billion of those assets generated any yield, the report added.

This gap is crypto's "greatest opportunity," the report said.