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.



Dell Raises Forecasts as Demand Surges for Nvidia Powered AI Servers 

The logo of Dell Technologies at the Milipol Paris in Villepinte near Paris, France, November 15, 2023. (Reuters)
The logo of Dell Technologies at the Milipol Paris in Villepinte near Paris, France, November 15, 2023. (Reuters)
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Dell Raises Forecasts as Demand Surges for Nvidia Powered AI Servers 

The logo of Dell Technologies at the Milipol Paris in Villepinte near Paris, France, November 15, 2023. (Reuters)
The logo of Dell Technologies at the Milipol Paris in Villepinte near Paris, France, November 15, 2023. (Reuters)

Dell Technologies raised its annual revenue and profit forecasts on Thursday, buoyed by demand for its AI-optimized servers that are powered by Nvidia's powerful chips, sending its shares up about 3% in extended trading.

Dell's infrastructure solutions group, which includes Nvidia-powered servers, surged 38% to a record revenue of $11.65 billion in the second quarter.

The company's servers are engineered to handle AI systems' intense computational demands, including training large language models.

"Enterprise remains a significant opportunity for us, as many are still in the early stages of AI adoption," Chief Operating Officer Jeff Clarke said in a post-earnings call.

Clarke said that Dell sees an emerging opportunity in "sovereign AI" by leveraging the company's strong relationships with governments globally.

Nvidia on Wednesday said nations building AI models in their own languages were turning to its chips, and that this would contribute about low double-digit billions to its revenue in the financial year ending in January 2025.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang called out the partnership with Dell earlier this year, saying they were helping businesses create their own "AI factories."

Dell's stock has risen 45% this year.

Dell said on Thursday it now expects annual revenue outlook to be between $95.5 billion and $98.5 billion, up from $93.5 billion and $97.5 billion previously. It also raised its annual adjusted profit per share forecast to $7.80, plus or minus 25 cents.

Demand for its AI-optimized servers rose about 23% sequentially to $3.2 billion in the second quarter. The backlog for these AI servers was $3.8 billion.

"Our pipeline has grown to several multiples of our backlog," Clarke said in a statement.

Revenue for the second quarter ended Aug. 2 rose about 9% to $25.03 billion, beating analysts' average estimate of $24.14 billion, according to LSEG data. It reported adjusted profit per share of $1.89 per share, compared with estimates of $1.71 per share.

While AI server demand soared, Dell's PC business struggled, losing market share to rivals. However, a strong refresh cycle for

AI PCs are expected next year after Microsoft ends support for Windows 10.

Revenue for the client solutions group - home to PCs - fell about 4% to $12.41 billion.

"Dell lost PC shipment shares in key markets in the second quarter. It is the top vendor in the US business market, but its competitors have shown growth and gained more shares than they did a year ago," said Mikako Kitagawa, director analyst at Gartner.

The company took a $328 million charge for workforce reductions in the second quarter.

Separately, Reuters exclusively reported earlier on Thursday that Dell is again exploring a possible sale of cybersecurity firm SecureWorks, following previous unsuccessful attempts to find a buyer.