萝莉视频

Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences after flooding in Thailand

Since Aug. 16, flooding and run-off in Thailand has affected 23 provinces, killed 22 people, and injured 19 others. (File/AFP)
Since Aug. 16, flooding and run-off in Thailand has affected 23 provinces, killed 22 people, and injured 19 others. (File/AFP)
Short Url
Updated 01 September 2024

Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences after flooding in Thailand

Since Aug. 16, flooding and run-off in Thailand has affected 23 provinces, killed 22 people, and injured 19 others. (File/AFP)
  • Flooding and run-off has affected 23 provinces, killed 22 people, and injured 19 others in Thailand since Aug. 16

RIYADH: 萝莉视频鈥檚 king and crown prince offered their condolences to Thailand鈥檚 King Maha Vajiralongkorn after flooding and landslides killed over 20 people in the second half of August.

In separate cables of condolences, King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered their condolences to King Vajiralongkorn, the families of the deceased, and the people of Thailand. They also wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Since Aug. 16, flooding and run-off has affected 23 provinces, killed 22 people, and injured 19 others, the Bangkok Post reported on Sunday.


Saudi interior minister visits Interpol head office

Saudi interior minister visits Interpol head office
Updated 57 min 59 sec ago

Saudi interior minister visits Interpol head office

Saudi interior minister visits Interpol head office

LYON, France: Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif visited Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France on Thursday where he was received by the organization鈥檚 president, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi.

During the visit, Prince Abdulaziz affirmed the Kingdom鈥檚 ongoing support for Interpol and its efforts to strengthen international cooperation in combating transnational crime.

He praised its role in supporting international security efforts and enhancing cooperation among security agencies around the world.

Interpol's current president is from the United Arab Emirates. Al-Raisi was elected at the 89th General Assembly in Istanbul, Turkiye, in November 2021. His term ends this year.

 


萝莉视频 welcomes 1.2 million聽Umrah pilgrims聽

萝莉视频 welcomes 1.2 million聽Umrah pilgrims聽
Updated 01 August 2025

萝莉视频 welcomes 1.2 million聽Umrah pilgrims聽

萝莉视频 welcomes 1.2 million聽Umrah pilgrims聽
  • Number of Umrah visa holders entering 萝莉视频 this year up 30 percent from last year鈥檚
  • Pilgrims have been able to secure Umrah permits directly through the Nusuk mobile application

JEDDAH:  萝莉视频鈥檚 Ministry of Hajj and Umrah reported that more than 1.2 million pilgrims have arrived in the Kingdom to perform Umrah since the season launched. The faithful have traveled from 109 countries worldwide, reflecting surging international interest and the Kingdom鈥檚 enhanced service capabilities for religious visitors.

Ministry data shows a significant 30 percent jump in Umrah visa holders entering 萝莉视频 this year compared to the same period last year. Visa issuances also climbed 27 percent, while more than 4,200 partnership agreements were executed between domestic Umrah service providers and international agents, bolstering the Kingdom鈥檚 capacity to accommodate the influx of pilgrims.

The Umrah season was launched with digital visa processing handled through the government鈥檚 Nusuk platform. The scheme represents the latest advancement in 萝莉视频鈥檚 efforts to streamline religious tourism as part of Vision 2030, the Kingdom鈥檚 comprehensive modernization blueprint.

Pilgrims have been able to secure Umrah permits directly through the Nusuk mobile application, which functions as a centralized digital gateway for pilgrim services. The platform offers streamlined booking and permit processing, complemented by additional digital tools designed to improve the overall pilgrimage experience.
 


Focus on emotional power of movie soundtracks at Riyadh Film Music Festival

Focus on emotional power of movie soundtracks at Riyadh Film Music Festival
Updated 31 July 2025

Focus on emotional power of movie soundtracks at Riyadh Film Music Festival

Focus on emotional power of movie soundtracks at Riyadh Film Music Festival
  • When music is played in front of an audience, the spotlight is directly on its role as a hidden narrator that expresses emotions, enhances the plot and deepens the visual experience鈥
  • The event explores the scores of 4 movies in particular: 鈥楾op Gun: Maverick,鈥 鈥楶irates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,鈥 鈥楤ack to the Future鈥 and 鈥楾he Lion King鈥

RIYADH: The second annual Riyadh Film Music Festival began at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University鈥檚 Red Hall Theater on Wednesday. The opening night featured a live orchestral performance that blended visuals with sound as music from 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick鈥 was performed live on stage alongside a screening of the film.

The event, which is organized by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and continues until Aug. 9, features composers, directors, filmmakers and enthusiasts from the Kingdom and beyond.

The event is attracting 鈥渄iverse audiences, (providing) opportunities for local talent, and (contributing) to building a thriving cultural economy in line with Vision 2030,鈥 said Ahmed Al-Ghaith, a live-performance advisor at the commission.

Ahmed Al-Ghaith, advisor at the RCRC. (Supplied)

Talking about the powerful effects of a live performance of a film score, he added: 鈥淲hen music is played in front of an audience, the spotlight is directly on its role as a hidden narrator that expresses emotions, enhances the plot and deepens the visual experience.鈥

He explained that the festival aims to promote an appreciation of the movie soundtrack as an art form in its own right, and encourage young talent to explore the fields of musical composition and sound production.

The Riyadh Film Music Festival is taking place this year in conjunction with the hosting in the capital of the Esports World Cup, as part of the commission鈥檚 efforts to foster cultural and artistic momentum in line with the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan for national development and diversification.

The second annual Riyadh Film Music Festival which organized by RCRC scheduled to run until August 9. (Supplied/RCRC)

The event aims to deepen the audience鈥檚 appreciation of the musical dimension in films through explorations of four movies in particular: 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick,鈥 鈥淧irates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,鈥 鈥淏ack to the Future鈥 and 鈥淭he Lion King.鈥

Each film is being screened accompanied by a live orchestral performance of its score, allowing audiences to experience the films in a new way and discover the power of music in cinematic storytelling.

The commission said the festival forms part of its work to enhance cultural and entertainment offerings for residents and visitors to the capital, while reinforcing Riyadh鈥檚 status as a global destination for arts and culture.
 


Mauritanian prime minister arrives in Madinah to visit Prophet鈥檚 Mosque

Mauritanian Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Djay (C) arrives in Madinah on Thursday. (SPA)
Mauritanian Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Djay (C) arrives in Madinah on Thursday. (SPA)
Updated 31 July 2025

Mauritanian prime minister arrives in Madinah to visit Prophet鈥檚 Mosque

Mauritanian Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Djay (C) arrives in Madinah on Thursday. (SPA)

RIYADH: Mauritanian Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Djay arrived in Madinah on Thursday, Saudi Press Agency reported.

He will visit the Prophet鈥檚 Mosque in the holy city and pray inside it.


How the public and private sector are navigating AI integration in the modern workplace

How the public and private sector are navigating AI integration in the modern workplace
Updated 59 min 40 sec ago

How the public and private sector are navigating AI integration in the modern workplace

How the public and private sector are navigating AI integration in the modern workplace
  • AI is transforming how governments and businesses operate, streamlining services and boosting long-term efficiency
  • 萝莉视频 is advancing fast in AI adoption, aligning with its Vision 2030 goals for digital leadership and innovation

RIYADH: As artificial intelligence transforms the modern workplace, public and private sector organizations in 萝莉视频 are leaning into its potential to revolutionize how they operate.

From automating workflows to training digital employees, AI has moved from buzzword to backbone in national efforts to modernize systems and boost efficiency.

But with rapid innovation comes a familiar hurdle 鈥 adapting without breaking what already works.

鈥淓very country has old systems that are doing important work. They can鈥檛 get rid of them, they need to continue, so they need to find a way to have a single pane of glass that connects them,鈥 Casey Coleman, vice president of Global Public Sector at ServiceNow, told Arab News.

That challenge is particularly acute in government institutions, where outdated IT systems often clash with modern digital tools. Legacy infrastructure, varying data formats, and bureaucratic complexity can make large-scale upgrades difficult.

Still, 萝莉视频 is making notable progress.

ServiceNow 鈥 which has operated in the Kingdom since 2011 鈥 has helped modernize operations in the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

More than 180 automated processes now support the Ministry of Justice, while an integrated portal for public-sector employees has streamlined communication and speeded up problem-solving.

The gains are real. But Coleman notes that transformation requires more than just new code.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to change the way that work gets done because it becomes kind of just your muscle memory,鈥 she said. 鈥淭o change that is like an athlete learning to change their golf swing or learning to change their basketball shot.鈥

The key, she says, is empathy. 鈥淚t calls for empathizing with people and understanding their work from their perspective. It takes a human approach. It鈥檚 not just about the systems.鈥

Instead of replacing legacy systems outright, ServiceNow offers a way to integrate them, preserving existing structures while cutting down inefficiencies.

One major pain point is what Coleman calls 鈥渟neaker net鈥 鈥 employees manually switching between platforms and reentering information. Some 40 percent of productivity is lost due to these inefficiencies, she says 鈥 and likely more in the public sector.

鈥淧eople who join government are there to make a difference. They鈥檙e not there to serve data between one system to another,鈥 Coleman said.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e there to help people, and by taking away the toil of the administrative work that is just a drain on our productivity, we can liberate their time to do the public-facing work.鈥

That liberation is also playing out on the industrial front. In one of ServiceNow鈥檚 largest partnerships, the firm is working with Saudi Aramco to modernize its operations safely using 鈥渄igital twins鈥 鈥 virtual models of physical systems.

The approach allows engineers to simulate changes at oil refining plants before implementation. 鈥淪erviceNow has taken some part of the value chain in helping those companies to make safe changes to their systems and safe upgrades and modernization,鈥 said Coleman.

Opinion

This section contains relevant reference points, placed in (Opinion field)

This year, the company opened its first regional headquarters in 萝莉视频, cementing its long-term commitment to a market it views as digitally mature and globally influential.

鈥溌芾蚴悠 has a very clear strategy, and that鈥檚 important,鈥 Saif Mashat, area vice president for ServiceNow in the Middle East and Africa, told Arab News.

鈥溌芾蚴悠 is part of the G20, one of the biggest economies in the region, one of the biggest economies in the world. 萝莉视频 is a very influential country globally, and is very, very advanced when it comes to the digital era.鈥

Private tech leaders are also seeing an acceleration in AI adoption across the Kingdom.

According to IBM鈥檚 regional vice president Ayman Al-Rashed, more than 70 percent of CEOs in 萝莉视频 have already created entirely new AI-based roles 鈥 a higher figure than the global average.

鈥淭hese are jobs that didn鈥檛 exist last year. These are new jobs,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his shows you that there鈥檚 a lot of interest in KSA, more than elsewhere around the globe, because the global average is between 50 and 60 percent.鈥

Al-Rashed explained that IBM has automated 95 percent of its internal HR functions, slashing costs by 40 percent 鈥 savings equivalent to $3.5 billion in productivity gains. That same tech, he said, is now being offered to clients.

鈥淲e came up with something we called the 鈥榳atsonx Orchestrate,鈥欌 said Al-Rashed. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a lot of agents, assistants, and tools. There are actually more than 80 enterprise applications out there, and they鈥檙e all out of the box. You can immediately go and use them and have the same experience.鈥

One standout example is 鈥淎skHR,鈥 a virtual assistant that helps IBM staff navigate complex tasks like creating job requisitions or scheduling interviews.

鈥淚 used AskHR when I joined IBM. It was great. I always felt that someone was talking to me, but it was just AI,鈥 said Al-Rashed.

These shifts align closely with the Kingdom鈥檚 Vision 2030 plan, which prioritizes digital transformation and workforce upskilling as key pillars of national development.

鈥淲hat we鈥檝e done is we鈥檝e looked at our operations in HR, and we wanted to do things such as enhance the efficiency of it, reduce the cost of it, free up the time of the employees themselves,鈥 said Al-Rashed.

The message is clear: As 萝莉视频 races toward its digital future, the integration of AI is not just a competitive advantage 鈥 it is a national imperative.

For now, success lies not just in smart software, but in making technology work with, not against, the systems already in place.