Riyadh to Host Third Saudi Forum for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in October

19:01-28 September 2025 AD ـ 05 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1447 AH

Riyadh to Host Third Saudi Forum for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in October

The Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Saudi Arabia (C4IR Saudi Arabia), in partnership with the World Economic Forum (WEF) and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), will organize the third Saudi Forum for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Riyadh from October 29 to 30.

Held under the theme “Frontiers of Global Technology”, the event will bring together experts and innovation leaders from government entities, the business sector, academia, and research centers.

The forum will discuss the impact of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies on the economy, industry, and society, including advanced technologies, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, in addition to smart factories and their role in boosting economic growth, accelerating transformation, and fostering sustainable innovation.

The program will include regional workshops and specialized workshops for members of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Centers Network and forum communities, such as the Young Global Leaders and Global Shapers. Representatives from the Kingdom’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) network, local technology pioneers, entrepreneurs, and innovation communities associated with “The Garage” will also participate.

In its third edition, the forum will focus on deepening engagement through live sessions, high-level dialogues, and specialized workshops covering six main themes: the Intelligent Economy, the Future of Industry, Beyond Digital, Preparing Society for the Future, Responsible Technologies and Ethical Boundaries, and Strategic Resources for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Economy.

Managing Director of C4IR Saudi Arabia Dr. Basma AlBuhairan stated that the forum comes as the Kingdom advances toward an innovation-driven economy, reinforcing its role as a leader in the Fourth Industrial Revolution through its partnership with the World Economic Forum.

She extended thanks to the forum’s partners: Saudi Aramco, the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP), stc Group, Riyadh Municipality, Quantinuum Global Solutions, Alef International, and Al Asila Solutions.

C4IR Saudi Arabia serves as a national platform for developing and applying Fourth Industrial Revolution and advanced technologies in a responsible manner, helping to accelerate the development of governance frameworks, policies, and protocols that support the adoption and scaling of technology, as part of the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

Nvidia Making AI Module for Outer Space

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says artificial intelligence powered by the company's graphics processing units is quickly infusing nearly everything from Disney character robots to data centers that may one day be orbiting the planet. JOSH EDELSON / AFP

Asharq Al Awsat

08:25-17 March 2026 AD ـ 28 Ramadan 1447 AH

Asharq Al Awsat

08:25-17 March 2026 AD ـ 28 Ramadan 1447 AH

Nvidia Making AI Module for Outer Space

Nvidia chief Jensen Huang on Monday said the leading artificial intelligence chip maker is heading for space with a goal of powering orbiting data centers.

An Nvidia graphics processing unit (GPU) was launched into space late last year by startup Starcloud in what was touted as an off-planet debut for the technology, but now Nvidia is creating a module intended as a building block for data centers there.

"We're working with our partners on a new computer called Vera Rubin Space One," Huang said as he kicked off the GPU-maker's annual developers conference in Silicon Valley.

"It's going to go out to space and start data centers."

Partners in the project include Starcloud, which is planning a November satellite launch that will mark the "cosmic debut" of the new Nvidia module.

A Starcloud-1 satellite, about the size of a small refrigerator, is expected to be packed with 100 times more computing power than any previous space-based operation.

"In 10 years, nearly all new data centers will be being built in outer space," predicted Starcloud co-founder and chief Philip Johnston.

The startup explained that it plans to power Google AI with the Nvidia GPUs to show that large language models can run in outer space.

Nvidia described the Vera Rubin module as being optimized for AI, enabling real-time sensing, decision making, and autonomous functioning.

"Space computing, the final frontier, has arrived," Huang said.

"With our partners, we're extending Nvidia beyond our planet - boldly taking intelligence where it's never gone before."

Tech firms are floating the idea of building data centers in space and tapping into the sun's energy to meet out-of-this-world power demands in a fierce artificial intelligence race.

More than a dozen startups, aerospace leaders, and major tech firms are involved in the development, testing, or planning of space-based data centers.

The big draw of space for data centers is power supply, with the option of synchronizing satellites to the sun's orbit to ensure constant light beaming onto solar panels.

Building in space also avoids the challenges of acquiring land and meeting local regulations or community resistance to projects.

Critical technical aspects of such operations need to be resolved, however, particularly damage to the orbiting data centers from high levels of radiation and extreme temperatures, and the danger of them being hit by space junk.

Technology

Samsung Shares Rise After Nvidia’s Huang Flags Tie-up on New AI Chips

10 September 2025, Bavaria, Munich: The Samsung logo can be seen at the Samsung stand during the International Motor Show (IAA Mobility). (dpa)

07:36-17 March 2026 AD ـ 28 Ramadan 1447 AH

Samsung Shares Rise After Nvidia’s Huang Flags Tie-up on New AI Chips

10 September 2025, Bavaria, Munich: The Samsung logo can be seen at the Samsung stand during the International Motor Show (IAA Mobility). (dpa)

Shares of Samsung Electronics rose as much as 5% on Tuesday after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the South Korean company was producing Nvidia's new artificial intelligence chips.

The news fueled expectations that Samsung's foundry division, which makes logic chips for customers including Tesla, Apple and Samsung's phone division, may be able to turn around ‌as early ‌as next year after posting ‌billions ⁠of dollars in annual ⁠losses in recent years, analysts said.

At Nvidia's GTC developer conference in California on Monday, Huang unveiled Nvidia's new AI inference processor based on technology from chip startup Groq.

"I want to thank Samsung who manufactures the Groq LP30 ⁠chip for us and they're cranking as ‌hard as they ‌can," he said, adding the chips were in production, ‌and would be shipped in the second half ‌of this year.

Samsung also showcased the Nvidia chips made using its 4-nanometer manufacturing process at the GTC.

Samsung shares were up 4.3% at 196,800 won ‌as of 0252 GMT, after earlier reaching 198,000 won. The broader market was ⁠up 2.7%.

Sohn ⁠In-joon, an analyst at Heungkuk Securities, expected Samsung's foundry business would be able to reach breakeven later next year. But he said weak demand from mobile phones stemming from surging memory chip prices could weigh on foundry earnings.

Advanced Micro Devices' CEO Lisa Su will meet Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee in South Korea on Wednesday, media reports said, with eyes on whether the two would discuss cooperation in memory chips and logic semiconductors.

Technology

Nebius Signs AI Capacity Deal with Meta for at Least $12 Billion

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Nebius during the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

Asharq Al Awsat

10:34-16 March 2026 AD ـ 27 Ramadan 1447 AH

Asharq Al Awsat

10:34-16 March 2026 AD ـ 27 Ramadan 1447 AH

Nebius Signs AI Capacity Deal with Meta for at Least $12 Billion

Amsterdam-based Nebius Group said on Monday it has signed a new five-year deal with Meta Platforms to provide the social media giant with $12 billion of dedicated AI computing capacity ⁠across multiple locations by ⁠2027.

Under the deal, Meta will also buy an additional $15 billion worth of capacity planned by Nebius over ⁠the coming five years if it is not sold to other customers, giving the contract a total value of up to $27 billion, Nebius said.

Nebius is a so-called "neocloud" company that sells hardware and cloud capacity ⁠as ⁠services to other tech firms. It uses Nvidia processors to provide AI cloud infrastructure.

It signed an initial $3 billion deal with Meta in November.

Riyadh to Host Third Saudi Forum for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in October