Saudi defense minister meets with Spanish counterpart in Madrid

RIYADH: Consumers have an appetite for fashion items produced in a circular economy model, an executive said on Monday at a Riyadh conference.

“When it comes specifically to the fashion industry, we all know that we contribute to 10 percent of CO2 emissions, and (it) is the second-largest consumer of water,” Florence Bulte, chief sustainability officer at Chalhoub Group, said during a panel discussion at the World ESG Summit.

“We have been looking for a solution to change this aspect,” Bulte added.

She highlighted how the company realized that there was “an appetite” among consumers for green fashion.

One example Bulte noted is second-hand luxury items which are repaired before being resold — recycling materials and lowering costs while appealing to the demand for high-quality goods.

The conference highlighted how many businesses are working to switch from traditional to circular economy models.

This approach is presented as a sustainable alternative to the linear economy, which mainly focuses on taking, making and disposing.

In a linear model, resources are extracted, used and discarded, leading to an unsustainable depletion of natural resources and increased waste, whereas a circular economy focuses on designing products and systems that minimize waste, promote resource efficiency and extend the life cycle of materials.

This approach not only addresses environmental challenges, but also opens new avenues for economic growth and innovation.

As the Kingdom continues to promote sustainable development, the World Environment, Social and Governance Summit in Riyadh highlighted various ESG topics and investment opportunities.

During the event, one of the panel discussions focused on the transition to the circular economy and some of the strategies used by companies.

Among the panelists was SAWACO Water Group CEO Nizar Kammourie, who discussed how the company maintains sustainable practices in private water utility, including by launching AI in its water digitalization initiative.

“The purpose of this AI implementation is to have productive maintenance in place, so we know exactly what needs to be repaired before emergency shutdown,” said Kammourie.

The initiative reduced power consumption and maintenance costs, he added, preserving water resources and minimizing waste.

“So, less carbon emissions and more water,” Kammourie said.

RIYADH: Saudi-based tech company Maqsam has unveiled the region’s first phone bot powered by artificial intelligence capable of handling customer service calls entirely in Arabic and English, including several dialects.

Speaking to Arab News at LEAP 2025 Tech Conference, Fouad Jeryes, cofounder and chief business officer of Maqsam, said the innovation tackles a central challenge businesses face when trying to provide a seamless Arabic-language customer service.

“Most global AI solutions do not support Arabic well,” Jeryes said. “There aren’t solutions that actually speak Arabic, so it’s a big gap here.”

The smartphone bot developed by Maqsam transcribes speech, understands intent, and responds fluently in Arabic, offering 24/7 automated support. 

Unlike existing machine-learning solutions, which are predominantly optimized for English, the bot handles linguistic variations across the Arab world, ensuring a more natural and effective customer experience.

Despite Arabic being one of the world’s most widely spoken languages, businesses have struggled to implement tech-powered customer service solutions that accurately process different dialects.

The bot’s ability to recognize and adapt to different Arabic dialects makes it particularly valuable for businesses operating in several markets in the MENA region.

“Good customer service is crucial for customer retention and trust, as it takes many positive experiences to offset one negative one. Better service leads to happier customers, reducing time wasted and improving overall customer experience,” Jeryes said. 

Maqsam’s bot has the potential to transform customer interactions, making services faster and more accessible, while reducing operational costs.

“If you can get to someone where you don’t have to be on hold, where they pick up every single time and service you immediately, it’s going to be easier — less time wasted, more efficiency, and better service overall, which keeps you happy as a customer,” Jeryes added.

The bot also acts as a co-pilot for human agents, reducing their workload and improving efficiency.

“The agent speaking to the customer doesn’t have to know all the information or handle every process. The bot listens in real time and translates that information into necessary actions,” Jeryes said.

However, automation will not completely replace human agents.

“There will be fewer human agents and more bots in the future,” he said. “But the human element needs to be there, because the bots will not be able to service all the scenarios.”

While the technology presents significant advances, risks and regulatory concerns surrounding AI-powered customer services remain.

“There’s a lot that’s going to come into the realm of regulation in this space in particular,” Jeryes said. “In general, humans will remain a very integral part of this community.” 

As Saudi Arabia continues to advance its digital economy under Vision 2030, such innovations contribute to the development of a more tech-driven business landscape, enhancing efficiency and supporting the Kingdom’s push for digital transformation.