AI and intellectual property in the spotlight at Arab League meeting
Updated 28 May 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: Intellectual property and artificial intelligence will be discussed at a regional meeting of the Arab League’s Intellectual Property and Competitiveness Department on Wednesday.
The virtual gathering, which will be hosted via video link, will include experts from the World Intellectual Property Organization and governmental intellectual property offices from several Arab nations, reported Saudi Press Agency.
Key topics on the agenda are optimizing intellectual property frameworks for AI development, the impact of AI on patenting processes, legislative efforts to address legal challenges, and implications of AI for copyright regulations.
Minister Plenipotentiary Dr. Maha Bakheet, director of legal affairs at the Intellectual Property and Competitiveness Department, said the meeting aimed to safeguard AI models through intellectual property mechanisms and enhance services.
It also hopes to drive service delivery and management progress within regional intellectual property offices.
‘Protein is overhyped,’ says top Saudi vegan blogger
Yoga and diet journey led Sukkari Life to become one of Kingdom’s top creators
Cookbook published in September was 5 years in the making
Updated 26 sec ago
Nada Alturki
RIYADH: Around nine years ago, Raoum Al-Suhaibani started a blog with the aim of sharing recipes and articles about her plant-based diet and lifestyle.
Known online as “Sukkari” after the dates from her home region of Al-Qassim, she has gained a prominent following and cultivated more than 640 thousand followers across her social media platforms.
“I knew I had a message that I wanted to share with people. I hated seeing people just dieting for years and yo-yoing on that, and because I struggled at the beginning, finding my journey to eating healthy and actually enjoying it instead of it being a struggle,” she told Arab News.
To critics who say veganism is not a balanced diet, she states: “Protein is overhyped. If anything, people should eat more fiber. No one is getting enough fiber, and they’re all having digestive issues. But instead of looking into that, (they’re) just like ‘keep cutting more food and cutting gluten’.”
Published in September, her cookbook “Tamr wa Tahina” (“Dates and Tahini”) was in the works for five years and includes some of her first blog recipes.
It not only offers cooking instructions, but also explains the nutritional value behind certain ingredients, offers solutions to common digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome, and provides tips for hair and skin care.
Al-Suhaibani was keen to create simple recipes incorporating easily accessible and common ingredients.
“I do have a few unique ingredients in certain recipes, like black garlic or whatnot, but they are always optional, and I always like to try to give alternatives to people, because I know not everyone lives in a big city and has access to things like tofu and almond butter,” she said.
Al-Suhaibani’s journey began when she started posting the vegan recipes she had created. After she discovered vlogging on YouTube, she became intrigued by the idea of creators connecting with viewers.
“With YouTube, you feel really close to the creator. You can relate to them, even if they live a very different life from you,” she said.
She explained the video platform also allowed her to figure out what she wanted her own life to look like by discovering other lifestyles, furthering her horizons beyond Saudi Arabia.
“It helped me figure out what I want, and it’s what gave me a purpose to start a YouTube channel. I was like, oh, it’d be nice to show people that you can live a healthy life in Saudi. You can be vegan. You can be active,” she explained.
Al-Suhaibani decided to try a vegetarian diet for one week while studying in the US.
“I used to absolutely hate vegetables, and I always joked that I would never be a vegetarian. And then, literally the next year, I became vegetarian,” she said.
She wrote a research paper for one of her classes about vegetarianism and its impact on health, the environment, and the economy.
“That played a role in convincing me that it’s not just for my health. After the week finished, I just absolutely could not go back to eating even chicken,” she recalled.
Her decision opened up a world of options and challenged her creativity to switch up ingredients and come up with innovative meal ideas.
“Everyone thought it was going to be a phase,” she said. “After I graduated, I started thinking about dairy and eggs and how they don’t really make sense for us to consume as humans. I started doing my research about that too, because I’m the type of a person that doesn’t commit to something easily, but if I commit, I’m committed.”
She embraced a vegan diet around the end of 2016. “I always tell people who want to be vegan to do it gradually,” she said, emphasizing the importance of educating oneself on nutritional and ethical aspects.
Around the same time, she began practicing yoga after taking a university course and completed her yoga teacher training in India in 2017.
“As someone who had zero knowledge about yoga, it was pretty challenging. But even with that I was still drawn to it afterwards, and I wanted to continue,” she told Arab News.
“Before I started yoga, I had a lot of anger issues, and I think it helped calm me down a lot … No matter what I’m going through, how sad I am, how angry or frustrated, whatever it is, it just centers me,” she said.
“Tamr wa Tahina” is available to purchase at Jarir Bookstore and online at Sukkari Store, which also offers an e-book version.
How AI is transforming Saudi Arabia’s digital services through Tawakkalna
Originally launched for COVID-19 management, the app now offers over 600 government services, streamlining daily tasks
The platform integrates AI to enhance digital governance, user accessibility, and service efficiency, supporting Saudi Vision 2030
Updated 06 February 2025
Rashid Hassan
RIYADH: As governments worldwide embrace digital transformation, artificial intelligence is playing a pivotal role in making public services more accessible and user-friendly.
From streamlining bureaucratic processes to enhancing user experiences, AI-driven platforms are redefining how citizens interact with their governments.
Saudi Arabia is at the forefront of this revolution, with its Tawakkalna app emerging as a model for digital governance and AI integration.
Originally introduced in 2020 to manage COVID-19 restrictions, Tawakkalna has since evolved into a comprehensive digital hub, providing seamless access to more than 600 government services.
Available in seven languages and accessible in 77 countries, the app has become an indispensable tool for Saudi citizens, residents and visitors alike.
From managing personal data, medical records and professional documents to accessing religious, educational,and legal services, Tawakkalna consolidates essential services into a single, user-friendly interface.
Users can request an ambulance, register for organ donation, access weather forecasts, or even find volunteering opportunities — all at their fingertips.
“In the context of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has placed AI at the core of its economic diversification strategy,” Muhammad Khurram Khan, a professor of cybersecurity at King Saud University in Riyadh, told Arab News.
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“The Kingdom aims to become a global leader in AI, positioning the technology as a key enabler of smart cities, digital governance and advanced industries.”
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, which oversees Tawakkalna, has continually updated the platform to improve efficiency and user experience.
In October 2023, the launch of Tawakkalna 2.0 marked a significant milestone in the app’s development, enhancing accessibility and streamlining government services.
Key features introduced in Tawakkalna 2.0 include a redesigned homepage for quick access to essential services and Wakeb services, a real-time update system that keeps users informed about important developments.
The platform also allows government and private sector partners to engage directly with users, further enriching the digital experience.
“Tawakkalna is not just a success story of a government app, but a model of how AI can be harnessed to drive innovation in the public sector, transforming digital governance and significantly enhancing the quality of life for residents and visitors alike in Saudi Arabia,” said Khan.
“As AI continues to drive the evolution of digital services, Tawakkalna stands as an example for other nations, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s growing role as a leader in the global AI race.”
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative places digital transformation at the heart of national development. The government is actively integrating AI across sectors to enhance efficiency, transparency and accessibility.
Tawakkalna exemplifies this vision, allowing users to handle administrative tasks in a matter of seconds — errands that would otherwise require lengthy in-person visits to government offices.
With a focus on continuous improvement, Tawakkalna has expanded to include legal and business services such as Najiz, a Ministry of Justice classification service; university and training institution portals; and business sector support.
Find donation opportunities through Ehsan services on the Tawakkalna app. (X/Tawakkalna)
This reflects the Kingdom’s broader goal of fostering a thriving digital economy.
The success of Tawakkalna has not gone unnoticed. The app was named the top government platform in the Kingdom’s Digital Experience Maturity Index for 2024 and received the UN Public Service Award in 2022 for its innovative response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The app’s journey from a pandemic management tool to a full-fledged super app underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to leveraging AI for public service excellence.
It also highlights how digital governance, when executed effectively, can simplify daily life while boosting efficiency and inclusivity.
As Tawakkalna continues to evolve, the SDAIA is exploring further enhancements to ensure the platform remains at the cutting edge of digital transformation.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Saudi Arabia has digitized 97 percent of all government services.
• The Kingdom ranked fourth globally on the UN’s E-Government Development Index for 2024.
• The Tawakkalna app offers access to over 600 e-government services, including justice, health, education, and tourism.
Plans include expanding AI-driven personalization, integrating more predictive analytics for user needs and leveraging blockchain for greater security in government transactions.
For users in Saudi Arabia and beyond, the message is clear: Digital transformation is no longer a distant vision but a reality shaping everyday life.
Through AI-powered initiatives like Tawakkalna, the Kingdom is setting a precedent for how governments worldwide can embrace technology to create smarter, more efficient societies.
Saudi leaders send condolences to Swedish king after deadly school shooting
King, crown prince condemn attack, extend sympathy to victims’ families
Updated 06 February 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday sent messages of condolence to Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf following a mass shooting on Tuesday at an adult education center in the city of Orebro.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the king strongly condemned the attack, which resulted in 11 fatalities and several injuries. He extended his sympathy to his counterpart in Sweden, the families of the victims, and the Swedish people, while wishing the injured a swift recovery.
The crown prince also conveyed his condolences in a separate message, echoing the king’s sentiments and condemning the attack as a “criminal act,” SPA added.
Swedish authorities identified the suspected gunman as 35-year-old Rickard Andersson, an unemployed recluse who may have been a student at the school.
Police believe he acted alone in the attack, and police described the aftermath as an “inferno.” Officials said Andersson killed nearly a dozen people before taking his own life in what is now considered Sweden’s deadliest mass shooting.
Saudi Arabia elected member of executive committee of IAACA
Saudi Arabia, represented by Nazaha’s President Mazin Al-Kahmous, was elected as a member of the executive committee of the IAACA
Al-Kahmous praised the vital role of the IAACA in promoting international cooperation, transparency, and integrity across nations
Updated 06 February 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia, represented by the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority which is otherwise known as Nazaha, participated in the 14th general meeting of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities, which took place on Thursday via a videoconference.
In the course of the meeting, Saudi Arabia, represented by Nazaha’s President Mazin Al-Kahmous, was elected as a member of the executive committee of the IAACA, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The move reflects the international community’s recognition of the Kingdom’s efforts and global status in combating corruption, mainly at the international level.
Al-Kahmous praised the vital role of the IAACA in promoting international cooperation, transparency, and integrity across nations.
He spoke of the association’s mission to facilitate knowledge and expertise exchange among countries and institutions dedicated to combating corruption, as well as to develop effective strategies for addressing the issue locally and internationally.
The Nazaha president also stressed the importance of building a network of international partners to support the implementation of laws and policies related to transparency and accountability.
Al-Kahmous reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to working alongside member states and all stakeholders to make meaningful and effective contributions toward achieving the objectives of the IAACA.
The IAACA is an independent non-political and anti-corruption organization with over 180 agencies from different countries. It seeks to promote the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption and achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to reduce corruption and bribery in all forms by 2030.
Gathering aimed to foster the exchange of insights, experiences and developments to enhance the role of geospatial information in achieving development goals within Arab countries
Meeting discussed initiatives to empower Arab women in the field of geospatial information
Updated 06 February 2025
Arab News
JEDDAH: The 12th meeting of the Regional Committee of UN Global Geospatial Information Management for the Arab States, hosted by the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information, ended on Tuesday in Jeddah.
The gathering aimed to foster the exchange of insights, experiences and developments to enhance the role of geospatial information in achieving development goals within Arab countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The meeting included a review of the Arab Committee’s 2024 annual report, progress monitoring across working groups, and contributions from international organizations on geospatial information in the Arab region.
Notable efforts by the UN Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence and the UN Global Center of Excellence for Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation were highlighted, along with updates on the Kingdom’s hosting of the UN Global Geospatial Ecosystem Center of Excellence, to be established in Riyadh.
Contributions from other regional committees of the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management were also reviewed, the SPA reported.
The meeting discussed initiatives to empower Arab women in the field of geospatial information.
