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Saudi Innovation Zones: Building a Knowledge-Based Future

Innovation zones aim to strengthen their role in transforming Saudi Arabia into a globally competitive innovation hub (SPA)
Innovation zones aim to strengthen their role in transforming Saudi Arabia into a globally competitive innovation hub (SPA)
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Saudi Innovation Zones: Building a Knowledge-Based Future

Innovation zones aim to strengthen their role in transforming Saudi Arabia into a globally competitive innovation hub (SPA)
Innovation zones aim to strengthen their role in transforming Saudi Arabia into a globally competitive innovation hub (SPA)

Saudi Arabia is rapidly transforming into a global hub for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, thanks to the establishment of more than 10 Innovation Zones across the Kingdom.

The zones are key components of the national strategy for research, development, and innovation (RDI), which was launched in 2022 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Designed as integrated ecosystems, Innovation Zones aim to support innovators, develop patents, and turn theoretical ideas into market-ready solutions. They offer advanced infrastructure, tailored facilities for startups, and a range of support services such as funding, mentorship, and training. By doing so, they not only stimulate local investment but also attract international partnerships.

All Saudi Innovation Zones are officially registered with the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP). They operate under the four national RDI priorities: human health, environmental sustainability and essential needs, leadership in energy and industry, and future economies.

The zones are overseen by the Research, Development and Innovation Authority (RDIA), established in 2021 to coordinate and accelerate innovation efforts across the country.

In April 2024, the RDIA launched the “Innovation Zones in Saudi Arabia” platform in partnership with existing innovation clusters. The platform seeks to strengthen support for entrepreneurs and create specialized zones aligned with national research goals.

Innovation Zones are distributed across major cities and academic institutions, including King Saud University, KAUST, University of Tabuk, Prince Mohammed bin Fahd University, and King Faisal University. They also include corporate-driven hubs such as Aramco’s innovation zones in Dhahran and the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) in Riyadh.

The zones serve a wide range of functions, from encouraging tech transfer and supporting the knowledge economy to fostering collaboration between academia and industry. By narrowing the gap between researchers and investors, they provide an ideal environment for innovation to thrive.

The impact is already visible. In 2024, the Innovation Zone at King Saud University reported notable success, transforming several research projects into economically viable ventures. The zone registered more than 16,000 scientific publications, nearly 2,000 patents, and supported over 200 startups within the year.

Looking ahead, Jeddah will host the first National Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Saudi Universities in October 2025. The event will focus on enhancing university-industry collaboration, promoting a culture of innovation in higher education, and supporting the development of a knowledge-driven economy. It will provide a platform for researchers and entrepreneurs to present their work, exchange ideas, and explore investment opportunities.

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Study Questions Melatonin Use and Heart Health but Don't Lose Sleep Over it

FILE - The label for a bottle of melatonin pills is seen in New York on Thursday, June 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)
FILE - The label for a bottle of melatonin pills is seen in New York on Thursday, June 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)
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Study Questions Melatonin Use and Heart Health but Don't Lose Sleep Over it

FILE - The label for a bottle of melatonin pills is seen in New York on Thursday, June 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)
FILE - The label for a bottle of melatonin pills is seen in New York on Thursday, June 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)

Don’t lose sleep over headlines linking melatonin to heart failure.

That’s the message after some scary-sounding reports about a preliminary study involving the sleep-related supplement. It raised questions about the safety of long term use of melatonin for insomnia.

Doctors have long known that too little or interrupted sleep raises the risk of heart disease. But heart experts say this kind of so-called observational study can't prove that melatonin use plays any role — instead of the insomnia patients were trying to treat.

“We should not raise the alarm and tell patients to stop taking all their melatonin,” said Dr. Pratik Sandesara, an interventional cardiologist at Emory Healthcare who wasn’t involved with the research.

Our bodies naturally produce melatonin, a hormone that regulates our sleep cycles. Levels normally increase as it gets darker in the evening, triggering drowsiness.

People may take lab-produced melatonin to help them fall asleep or to adjust for jet lag or time changes.

The new study used international electronic health records, tracking adults diagnosed with insomnia who had a melatonin prescription that suggested they used the supplement for at least a year.

Over five years, 4.6% of the chronic melatonin users developed heart failure compared to 2.7% of insomnia patients whose charts showed no melatonin use, the researchers found. The study is being presented at an American Heart Association meeting but hasn’t undergone peer review.

But only certain countries require a melatonin prescription. It’s over-the-counter in the US, meaning Americans in the study might have used the supplements without it being recorded, said Northwestern University cardiology chief Dr. Clyde Yancy, who wasn't involved in the study. The study also did not show dosages, The Associated Press reported.

Also, US supplements don’t require government approval, meaning brands can vary in their ingredients. The researchers, from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, characterized the findings as a call for more research.

Meanwhile, patients wondering about melatonin should talk it over with their doctors, said Emory’s Sandesara. Generally doctors recommend it for short-term use, like for jet lag.

Yancy noted that while the study doesn't prove there's a danger from long term melatonin use, there's also no evidence that people should use melatonin indefinitely.

And one key to better shut-eye is to practice better sleep hygiene, like making sure your room is dark.

“When we expose ourselves to blue light in particular at night, we are diminishing our melatonin levels. That’s science,” he said. Sleep problems aren’t about “just being sleepy and tired — they’re putting yourself at risk.”

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Prince Harry Apologizes to Canada Over Hat

Prince Harry (right) and Meghan Markle sit during the eight inning between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game 4 of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium (Shutterstock)
Prince Harry (right) and Meghan Markle sit during the eight inning between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game 4 of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium (Shutterstock)
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Prince Harry Apologizes to Canada Over Hat

Prince Harry (right) and Meghan Markle sit during the eight inning between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game 4 of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium (Shutterstock)
Prince Harry (right) and Meghan Markle sit during the eight inning between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game 4 of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium (Shutterstock)

The Duke of Sussex has apologized to Canada for wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers hat while attending a World Series game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Prince Harry joked that he was “under duress” when he wore the bright blue cap during the epic Game 4 of the World Series in Los Angeles.

He thought it was “the polite thing to do” after being invited to the game by the Dodgers' owner.

According to BBC, his headgear choice upset many in Canada - a Commonwealth nation- who criticized him for not showing his allegiance to the realm, or to the only Canadian team in Major League Baseball.

Prince Harry's father King Charles is the head of state of Canada and of 13 other Commonwealth realms.

“Firstly, I would like to apologize to Canada for wearing it,” he said in a CTV interview. “Secondly, I was under duress. There wasn't much choice.”

The prince - wearing a Blue Jays hat during the interview - quipped that “when you're missing a lot of hair on top, and you're sitting under flood lights, you'll take any hat that's available.”

He plans to wear a Blue Jays hat from now on and rooted for the Toronto team in subsequent games, appearing to do so in a clip posted on social media by the Duchess of Sussex - a Los Angeles native - when the Dodgers won the series in Game 7 a few days later.

Prince Harry, who was given a Blue Jays hat while meeting with Canada's oldest veterans for a Remembrance event on Thursday, also said that admitting that he is a Toronto fan would likely make his reception in California more difficult.

The prince and his wife, a former actress who lived in Canada while filming her TV drama Suits, moved to California after stepping back as full-time royals in 2020.

The couple's presence in the Chavez Ravine-set stadium in Los Angeles also disgruntled many Dodgers fans in the US.

They took to social media to voice their upset over the couple's plum front-row seats during the 18-inning game, while local legends such as Magic Johnson and former pitcher Dodgers Sandy Koufax were seated behind them.

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Gilead's Breast Cancer Drug Fails to Meet Main Goal of Late-stage Study

Gilead Sciences Inc pharmaceutical company is seen in Oceanside, California, US, April 29, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
Gilead Sciences Inc pharmaceutical company is seen in Oceanside, California, US, April 29, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
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Gilead's Breast Cancer Drug Fails to Meet Main Goal of Late-stage Study

Gilead Sciences Inc pharmaceutical company is seen in Oceanside, California, US, April 29, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
Gilead Sciences Inc pharmaceutical company is seen in Oceanside, California, US, April 29, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

Gilead Sciences said on Friday its breast cancer drug Trodelvy did not significantly lower the risk of disease progression in patients when used as a first-line treatment, failing to meet the main goal of a late-stage study, Reuters reported.

Gilead said an early trend for extending overall survival, a key measure of treatment efficacy, was observed favoring patients treated with Trodelvy, compared to chemotherapy.

The data for overall survival, however, was not mature at the time of the primary analysis, the company said, adding that the study will continue to assess this secondary goal.

Trodelvy was being tested in patients with HR+/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, the most common subtype of the cancer, as a first-line treatment following hormone therapy.