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Saudi Arabia's stc Group and Research, Development, and Innovation Authority Partner to Launch AI Lab 

Saudi Arabia's stc Group and Research, Development, and Innovation Authority Partner to Launch AI Lab 
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Saudi Arabia's stc Group and Research, Development, and Innovation Authority Partner to Launch AI Lab 

Saudi Arabia's stc Group and Research, Development, and Innovation Authority Partner to Launch AI Lab 

stc Group and the Research, Development, and Innovation Authority signed on Tuesday a cooperation agreement to establish the stc Group Artificial Intelligence Lab. The strategic partnership aims to support and empower pioneering projects in Saudi Arabia.

The agreement was signed by Research, Development, and Innovation Authority acting Supervisor-General Dr. Mohammed Al-Otaibi and stc Group chief technology officer Eng. Haitham Al-Faraj on the sidelines of the Global Artificial Intelligence Summit, which is being held in Riyadh. The summit focuses on developing effective mechanisms to support national projects aligned with Saudi Vision 2030.

The partnership will provide the necessary capabilities to foster innovative ideas and projects that contribute to a knowledge-based economy and solidify Saudi Arabia's position as a global technology hub.

It represents a significant step towards creating a supportive environment for innovation and entrepreneurship, driving sustainable economic growth, and developing national capabilities in various technical fields.

The stc Group's artificial intelligence (AI) lab will serve as a platform for testing and developing innovative technical solutions. It will provide an integrated environment to support ideas and transform them into products and services that enhance Saudi Arabia's global competitiveness and achieve national targets.

This includes increasing the number of startups, supporting entrepreneurs, providing a conducive environment for innovation, and increasing research and development spending through collaboration between government agencies and private-sector companies.

The lab will also contribute to increasing the number of patents, creating new job opportunities, and supporting the transformation of ideas into inventions at the global level.

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Second Day of Workers’ Strike at Samsung India Plant Disrupts Output 

Workers of a Samsung facility listen to a speaker during a strike to demand higher wages at its Sriperumbudur plant near the city of Chennai, India, September 10, 2024. (Reuters)
Workers of a Samsung facility listen to a speaker during a strike to demand higher wages at its Sriperumbudur plant near the city of Chennai, India, September 10, 2024. (Reuters)
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Second Day of Workers’ Strike at Samsung India Plant Disrupts Output 

Workers of a Samsung facility listen to a speaker during a strike to demand higher wages at its Sriperumbudur plant near the city of Chennai, India, September 10, 2024. (Reuters)
Workers of a Samsung facility listen to a speaker during a strike to demand higher wages at its Sriperumbudur plant near the city of Chennai, India, September 10, 2024. (Reuters)

Operations at Samsung Electronics' plant in southern India were disrupted for a second day on Tuesday by hundreds of employees striking for higher wages, in a rare episode of labor unrest for the South Korean company.

The strike at India's biggest consumer goods company comes ahead of the festive season, when sales of electronics items boom, bought by consumers as gifts or for personal use. Samsung competes with LG Electronics and domestic brands.

The plant is one of two factories in India, which Samsung counts as a key growth market. Two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said it contributed 20% to 30% of the company's annual revenue of $12 billion in the South Asian nation.

Posters reading "Indefinite Strike" went up outside the factory in Sriperumbudur near the city of Chennai, where hundreds of workers in company uniforms set up tents to shade them from the heat.

"We are striking for the second day," said union leader E. Muthukumar.

About half of the factory's daily production was affected when many workers stayed away on Monday, and the protest continues to press their demand for higher wages, better working hours and company recognition for the union.

Samsung India did not respond to a request for comment. On Monday, a spokesperson said it actively engaged with workers "to address any grievances they may have and comply with all laws and regulations".

Samsung employs about 1,800 workers at the plant, which makes items such as refrigerators, washing machines and televisions, while a bigger plant in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh turns out smartphones.

In South Korea, the 36,500 members of Samsung Electronics' biggest worker union who have been demanding higher wages and benefits, held a strike for several days in July and August.

In late July, however, the company said the action did not disrupt production there.

In India, its workers are demanding equal remuneration for those with the same length of experience, according to at least half a dozen employees Reuters spoke to on condition of anonymity.

One poster outside the factory exhorted state labor officials not to support the management, advising instead: "Discuss and solve demands from the labor union with union officials."