Lebanon central bank must counter money laundering and terrorist financing, new governor says
Lebanon central bank must counter money laundering and terrorist financing, new governor says/node/2595887/business-economy
Lebanon central bank must counter money laundering and terrorist financing, new governor says
Lebanon's newly appointed central bank governor Karim Souaid takes office in a handover ceremony in Beirut. Reuters
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Updated 04 April 2025
Reuters
Lebanon central bank must counter money laundering and terrorist financing, new governor says
Updated 04 April 2025
Reuters
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s central bank must focus on fighting money laundering and terrorist financing, its newly appointed governor said on Friday, as he began the job of salvaging the fragile banking sector and getting it off a global watchdog’s “grey list.”
The Financial Action Task Force placed Lebanon on its list of countries requiring special scrutiny last year in a move many have worried could discourage the foreign investment it needs to recover from a 2019 financial crisis that is still felt today.
Terrorist financing and money laundering are top concerns for the US, which wants to prevent Hezbollah from using the Lebanese financial system and cash flows through the country to re-establish itself.
Karim Souaid, who was appointed last week, listed his main priorities during his official handover with the outgoing acting central bank governor who preceded him.
“The most important of these are combating money laundering and terrorist financing, and identifying and disclosing politically and financially influential individuals, their relatives, and those associated with them,” he said.
Souaid replaces interim chief Wassim Mansouri, who has been overseeing the bank since long-serving governor Riad Salameh’s tenure ended in disgrace in 2023 due to the financial implosion and accusations of embezzlement, which Salameh denies.
Triggered by widespread corruption and profligate spending by the ruling class, the financial crisis in Lebanon brought the banking system to a standstill, creating an estimated $72 billion in losses.
Souaid said the central bank would work to reschedule public debt and pay back depositors, while calling upon private banks to gradually raise their capital by injecting fresh funds.
Those banks unable or unwilling to do so, should look to merge with other institutions. Otherwise, they would be liquidated in an orderly manner, with their licenses revoked and depositors’ rights protected, he said.
Souaid also pledged to safeguard the central bank’s independence from political pressure and prevent conflicts of interest.
“I will ensure that this national institution remains independent in its decision-making, shielded from interference, and grounded in the core principles of transparency and integrity,” he said.
New permit promises to revolutionize regional tourism and business mobility
Updated 20 September 2025
Miguel Hadchity
RIYADH: Two years after its initial approval, the Gulf Cooperation Council’s long-awaited unified visa has entered its final approval phase — and Ƶ is positioned to emerge as its biggest winner, experts told Arab News.
The new permit, which will allow seamless travel across all six Gulf states, promises to revolutionize regional tourism and business mobility.
But while the entire bloc stands to benefit, the Kingdom’s unique advantages — from its booming religious tourism sector to its aggressive Vision 2030 economic reforms — could make it the visa’s prime beneficiary.
First proposed in 2023 and officially approved last year, the unified GCC visa will enable travelers to move freely between Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Ƶ, and the UAE under a single permit.
GCC Secretary General Jassem Al-Budaiwi confirmed earlier in September that the visa is in its final stages, marking a major leap toward a Schengen-style system for the Gulf.
For Ƶ, the timing couldn’t be better. The Kingdom has been expanding its tourism infrastructure as part of Vision 2030, with mega-projects such as Neom, the Red Sea resorts, and AlUla’s cultural oasis.
The new visa will amplify these efforts by making it easier for travelers to combine Saudi stops with visits to Dubai’s luxury hubs and Qatar’s cultural landmarks — turning the Gulf into a multi-destination hotspot.
Ƶ’s strategic edge
Ƶ has a strong religious tourism base. As home to Islam’s two holiest sites in Makkah and Madinah, the Kingdom already hosts millions of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims each year. The unified visa creates an opportunity to extend their stays and attract them to explore Ƶ’s growing cultural and leisure offerings.
in an interview with Arab News, Raymond Khoury, partner and head of technology and innovation management practice at Arthur D. Little Middle East, said: “The GCC unified visa system offers to enhance the experiences of these visitors by encouraging longer stays and facilitating travel to other cultural and historical sites, such as AlUla, Neom, and Diriyah to name a few.”
Raymond Khoury, partner and head of technology and innovation management practice at Arthur D. Little Middle East. (Supplied)
He added: “Major airports such as Riyadh and Jeddah can serve as transit hubs offering short-stay cultural excursions to nearby sites like Diriyah or Qiddiya. The Kingdom can also promote multi-country itineraries — such as Jeddah to AlUla to Dubai or Muscat — using regional rail and low-cost air travel.”
The unified visa comes at a pivotal moment in Ƶ’s Vision 2030 tourism drive, aligning with the goal of attracting 150 million visitors a year by 2030.
Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial, told Arab News: “The Kingdom’s exceptional scale of tourism infrastructure, advanced digital and visa capabilities, and a calendar of globally recognized events collectively provide it with a competitive edge over its regional peers.”
He cited the “marquee events” of Formula 1 in Jeddah, Riyadh Season, and the Asian Winter Games in Trojena, as elevating the Kingdom’s global profile.
Khoury added that the unified visa is expected to accelerate Ƶ’s tourism and business diversification goals by attracting a larger number of international visitors. This would help fast-track the target of 150 million annual visits by 2030.
He noted that as traveling between various Gulf nations became easier, Ƶ would likely capture a greater share of regional tourism, positively impacting non-oil revenue growth.
Geographic primacy as a regional hub is rooted in Ƶ’s central location in the Arabian Peninsula and its extensive land borders with multiple GCC states, making it the natural nexus for regional travel itineraries.
Khoury said: “Combined with its diversified offerings — from religious and cultural tourism to futuristic mega-developments — the Kingdom is set to gain the most from increased regional mobility and multi-country travel enabled by the GCC unified visa.”
Valecha noted that Ƶ’s strategic location enhanced its connectivity to the GCC and the Middle East and North Africa regions, being bordered by the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and the Red Sea — serving as a vital link to Egypt and Africa.
“Thus, KSA is well-positioned to capitalize on the GCC Unified Visa by serving as an indispensable connector between critical trade locations, tourism magnets, and other strategically significant destinations in the region,” Valecha added.
Infrastructure boost
The successful implementation of the unified visa’s potential requires substantial infrastructure development, and Ƶ is making unprecedented investments in this area.
“The unified visa is expected to accelerate flagship initiatives such as the GCC Railway, smart borders, and regional transport corridors. The aviation sector will play a central role in enhancing KSA’s hub status,” said Valecha.
He added that King Salman International Airport aims to attract 120 million passengers by 2030. He also noted that Riyadh Air’s first commercial flight is set to launch this year, and maintaining high-frequency connections to major GCC hubs will be key to facilitating cross-border travel.
Khoury said: “Critical infrastructure developments, such as enhanced aviation networks and rail systems, within the Kingdom and across the GCC, will be essential for capitalizing on this opportunity, allowing seamless travel between major locations.”
He added: “This includes developing Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam airports into regional connectors, launching Riyadh Air in 2025, and enhancing low-cost carrier networks to support short-haul intra-GCC travel.”
Khoury stated that completing the GCC Railway and connecting it with domestic lines such as Haramain and Ƶ Railways would enable seamless land mobility across the Kingdom and Gulf states.
Economic ripple effects
The implementation of the unified visa is expected to create widespread economic benefits extending far beyond the tourism sector.
“The tourism and hospitality sector is poised to witness significant growth due to heightened demand across hotels, transportation, and dining, boosting occupancy rates and spending per visitor,” Valecha said.
Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. (Supplied)
He noted that the new visa would directly boost international arrivals, citing a UN Tourism report showing Ƶ’s 102 percent increase in the first quarter of 2025 in tourist arrivals compared to 2019.
Khoury added: “Beyond hospitality, sectors like logistics and entertainment stand to benefit significantly. The anticipated spike in travel will lead to increased demand for hotel capacity and mid-tier accommodations in key Saudi cities.”
He added that Saudi airlines and regional transport networks would likely expand routes and frequency, improving domestic and regional connectivity.
The ADL official also noted that integrated travel platforms, covering bookings, visas, and itinerary planning, would create opportunities for tech innovation, highlighting potential growth in experience-based tourism, with rising demand for curated cultural, wellness, adventure, and religious-leisure packages.
Strategic business opportunities
The unified visa presents numerous opportunities for investors and businesses positioned to capitalize on the expected surge in regional travel.
Valecha noted the visa reforms would ease business travel for multinationals across GCC states, boosting trade and regional logistics.
“The faster mobility of residents and nationals within the region would be conducive for business travel, significantly promoting the ease of doing business of GCC states globally,” he said.
Khoury emphasized the strategic implications, noting that businesses that deliver “seamless, cross-border offerings” will be best positioned to lead in this new era of regional tourism integration.
“Additionally, the unified visa can significantly advance the Kingdom’s broader strategic ambitions over the next decade by enhancing talent mobility, regional economic integration, and soft power positioning.”
He added that the visa would attract global professionals, easing cross-border recruitment of skilled talent for key sectors like tech, healthcare and finance, directly supporting Ƶ’s Vision 2030 goals to become a regional innovation hub.
Long-term implications
The unified visa’s impact may extend well beyond immediate tourism and business benefits, potentially reshaping the Gulf’s geopolitical and economic landscape.
On the economic front, Khoury explained, smoother cross-border access will facilitate trade, joint ventures, and supply chain integration, especially in logistics, manufacturing, and small and medium-sized enterprises, reinforcing the Kingdom’s push to lead in varied and resilient regional manufacturing and supply frameworks.
“Politically, Ƶ can strengthen its geopolitical influence by positioning itself as the central node of a more interconnected, mobile, and economically unified Gulf — further amplifying its leadership in regional policy, investment flows, and digital infrastructure alignment,” he added.
As the GCC unified visa moves from concept to reality, Ƶ stands at the threshold of a transformative opportunity to cement its position as the Gulf’s premier tourism and business hub.
With its unique combination of religious significance, geographic centrality, and visionary economic planning, the Kingdom is uniquely positioned to emerge as the primary beneficiary of this historic regional integration initiative.
Tencent Cloud accelerates Saudi expansion with new data region, AI services
Dowson Tong, senior executive vice president of Tencent and CEO of the Cloud and Smart Industries Group, said the new Saudi data region marks a “major growth opportunity”
Tencent’s expansion dovetails with Ƶ’s Vision 2030 goals to build a world-class digital economy
Updated 20 September 2025
Rahaf Jambi
RIYADH/SHENZHEN: Chinese technology giant Tencent is accelerating its cloud and AI push into Ƶ, positioning the Kingdom as its primary hub for the Middle East under Vision 2030.
On the sidelines of the Tencent Global Digital Ecosystem Summit 2025 in Shenzhen, senior executives told Arab News that the company is finalizing the launch of its first Middle East cloud region in Riyadh, part of a $150 million investment announced earlier this year.
Riyadh data region: a strategic hub
Dowson Tong, senior executive vice president of Tencent and CEO of the Cloud and Smart Industries Group, said the new Saudi data region marks a “major growth opportunity” for the company.
“We already serve many Chinese companies that are increasing their investments in the Kingdom, and several of our partners are lined up to benefit from the new center,” Tong told Arab News. “This will allow us to expand not only within Ƶ but across the region as a whole.”
He said Tencent is working to secure the necessary approvals and certifications to provide cloud services for both public and private sector clients in the Kingdom.
“We are pushing to accelerate this process because we want to move at full speed in serving the Saudi market,” Tong said. “Ƶ is central to our strategy in the region, and we see cloud as a foundation for broader digital transformation.”
Vision 2030 alignment
Tencent’s expansion dovetails with Ƶ’s Vision 2030 goals to build a world-class digital economy, expand its data infrastructure, and attract global technology leaders.
According to Tong, Tencent’s Saudi investment goes beyond infrastructure. “Localization is key,” he said. “We are adapting our technologies to serve sectors such as digital media, e-commerce, gaming, tourism, telecommunications, and financial services. We are also building local teams and working with system integrators to ensure our solutions are fully aligned with Saudi business and regulatory environments.”
He also praised the Kingdom’s fast-growing gaming and esports ecosystem, underscored by the Esports World Cup in Riyadh earlier this year.
“This is one of the main reasons we are accelerating the establishment of our data center — to provide lower latency, faster response times, and an overall better user experience for players and streamers,” Tong said.
Industrial AI
Eric Li, director of AI Global Commercialization at Tencent, highlighted how the company’s AI solutions could be applied to Saudi industries.
“Right now, we are building server rooms in Ƶ. Once those are completed and ready for use, we will be fully equipped to serve local industries in Ƶ, the wider Middle East, and beyond,” Li told Arab News.
He noted that Tencent is tailoring products that could be implemented in Ƶ to meet demand in sectors prioritized under Vision 2030.
“For example, E-KYC could be adopted in finance and telecom operations, while Palm AI could be applied in cloud services as well as in the culture and tourism industry,” Li said.
He also revealed that Tencent will launch its new data center in Ƶ by the end of the year, which will strengthen service delivery and integration for enterprises in the Kingdom.
Supporting startups, new markets
Li said Tencent Cloud’s AI Agent Development Platform will be particularly valuable for Saudi startups and SMEs, many of which lack in-house AI development teams.
“With our ADP platform, local enterprises and startups in places like Ƶ can build and operate their own AI agents more easily,” he said. “It provides ‘brain support’ for generating ideas and implementing them on the ground.”
He added that such platforms could benefit not only large enterprises but also Saudi gaming startups and event-tech companies, helping them scale with advanced AI tools.
Tencent’s digital human technology, already deployed by Abu Dhabi’s tourism department, is another solution that could be replicated in Ƶ to enhance cultural tourism experiences in multiple languages, Li said.
KSA as the main gateway
Dan Hu, vice president of Tencent Cloud International for the Middle East and North Africa, said Ƶ will serve as the company’s “main gateway” into the region.
“The new cloud region represents a strategic pillar of our investments in the Kingdom, accelerating digital transformation and boosting smart city growth,” Hu said.
He cited advanced solutions such as edge computing and AI-powered analytics, which enable real-time applications in predictive maintenance, urban planning, and smart building management.
A milestone in Saudi’s digital journey
For Tencent, the Saudi launch is more than an infrastructure project; it is a chance to apply lessons from China’s AI and cloud commercialization to one of the world’s fastest-growing digital economies.
“Ƶ is not just another market — it is a partner in building the future of intelligent industry,” Li said.
As the Kingdom pushes ahead with Vision 2030, Tencent’s investment signals growing confidence that Riyadh is on track to become a global hub for cloud and AI solutions.
Startup wrap — Early stage funding maintains growth momentum in MENA
Startup funding witnessed a 74% year-on-year increase in August
Updated 20 September 2025
Nirmal Narayanan
RIYADH: Startups across the Middle East and North Africa region witnessed multiple funding rounds in the past week, as companies across a wide range of industries continue to expand their operations.
The sustained momentum in early stage funding reflects continued investor interest in the region amid global economic headwinds.
A report released by Wamda revealed that startup funding in the MENA region witnessed a 74 percent year-on-year increase in August, with $337.5 million secured across 47 deals.
Ƶ led the region for the second consecutive month, attracting $166 million across 19 deals, while the UAE followed with $154 million raised by 11 startups.
Spare secures $5m
Riyadh-based Spare, an open banking infrastructure provider, raised $5 million in a pre-Series A funding round, led by anb Seed Fund, the venture capital fund of ANB Capital.
Other investors included Vision Ventures, SEEDRA Ventures, 500 Global, Boubyan Ventures, and Middle East Venture Partners, according to a press statement.
The company said that the new capital will be used to scale Spare’s Open Banking platform and API integrations, accelerate product development, and drive expansion across the Gulf Cooperation Council region.
“We’re building the financial rails for the next generation of businesses in MENA. This investment allows us to move faster, doubling down on product innovation, deepening our integrations with regional banks, and accelerating adoption of secure, localized fintech infrastructure solutions across the region,” said Dalal Al-Rayes, CEO and co-founder of Spare.
Omar Ardati of anb seed Fund said: “Spare is setting a new standard financial infrastructure in MENA. Their commitment to speed, simplicity, and security — combined with a deep understanding of local market dynamics — makes them a standout company in the region’s fintech landscape.”
HALA raises $157m
Saudi-based fintech firm HALA has raised $157 million in a series B round led by the Rise Fund, TPG’s multi-sector global impact investing strategy, and Sanabil Investments, wholly owned by the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund.
The funding round also witnessed the participation of QED, Raed Ventures, and Impact 46, as well as Middle East Venture Partners, Isometry Capital, Arzan VC, and BNVT Capital.
Other participants in the round were Kaltaire Investments, Endeavor Catalyst, Nour Nouf Ventures, Khwarizmi Ventures, and Wamda Capital.
In a press statement, the company said the funding will be used to position itself in the Saudi market and offer more embedded financial services and lending products catered to support the growth of MSMEs in the Kingdom.
The financial assistance will be also used to expand HALA’s presence regionally.
“This landmark investment is a turning point for HALA, reflecting on our relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence in serving small businesses. We are honored that our new investors recognize the potential of our vision and the impact we aspire to make in the MSME landscape. Our journey is just beginning, and this support fuels our drive to create meaningful change,” said Esam Alnahdi, co-founder and chairman of HALA.
“This investment underscores our belief in HALA’s potential to reshape the future of financial services for SMEs and aligns with Sanabil’s mission to support visionary companies with patient capital and strategic guidance. We look forward to partnering with HALA and the other investors in supporting their continued success and expansion,” said a spokesperson for Sanabil Investments.
LDUN secures $4.8m
LDUN, a Ƶ-based fintech firm, raised $4.8 million in a seed round led by Sadu Capital, with participation from Suhail Ventures and Nomu Angel Investment.
The funding will be used to expand digital financial services for MSMEs across the Kingdom.
The financial assistance will also help LDUN grow its product suite, strengthen regional partnerships, and simplify complex financial processes with technology.
Founded in 2021 by Firas Al-Hamdan and Faisal bin Dukhail, LDUN focuses on offering factoring solutions for MSMEs.
The company also offers a range of financial services, including Shariah-compliant buy now, pay later, trade credit, factoring, and reverse factoring.
Fintologya closes $1m seed funding round
Bahrain-based Fintologya, a provider of cloud infrastructure solutions for payments, has successfully closed a $1 million seed funding round led by a Gulf holding company.
The funding is expected to help the company create secure, modular, cloud-native payment platforms that empower banks, fintechs, and financial institutions in the region.
The company is currently active in Ƶ and Bahrain, and with such funding, it aims to expand further across Gulf markets.
Amaani raises $3m
Amaani, a beauty and wellness firm from the Middle East, has raised $3 million in seed funding for its debut Arab beauty brand AÏZA, according to a press statement.
The funding round was led by Peak XV’s Surge, formerly Sequoia Capital India & SEA, marking their first consumer and seed investment in the MENA region.
Founded by Shubham Poddar, a former Sequoia India investor who helped drive its expansion in the Middle East with investments across fintech, food tech, and property tech, Amaani is built on a vision to create global beauty brands from the Arab region.
“With the region boasting among the highest per capita beauty spend globally, growing online penetration, and an increasing demand for local relevance, Amaani is poised to meet a generational shift in how consumers shop and what they seek: brands that reflect their identity, values, and aspirations,” said Poddar.
GV Ravishankar, managing director at Peak XV, said that Amaani is well positioned to lead the beauty and personal care market in the Arab region.
“The GCC beauty and personal care market is already a $12 billion industry, growing at over 12 percent annually, with some of the highest per capita spends globally. We believe the region is now primed to produce the next wave of culturally resonant, globally admired consumer brands. Amaani is well positioned to lead this movement,” said Ravishankar.
Through the funding, Amaani plans to scale AÏZA across the region and globally, both online and through retail, while also developing a portfolio of future brands in the sector.
UAE-based Armoir raises $500k
UAE-based luxury luggage brand Armoir has raised $500,000 in a seed round led by Salica Oryx Fund, with participation from Plus VC and leading global angel investors.
The new capital will be deployed to launch additional collections, expand footprint across MENA and Europe, and scale the team to strengthen design innovation, customer experience, and global growth, according to a press statement.
“Partnering with Salica Oryx Fund, Plus VC, Chalhoub Group, and our angel investors brings world-class expertise in scaling consumer and lifestyle brands globally. This funding gives us the runway to accelerate design innovation, expand globally, and establish Armoir as a leading brand in premium travel,” said Martial Dahan, founder and CEO of Armoir.
RIYADH: The Saudi edition of Money20/20 Middle East this week offered a snapshot of how rapidly artificial intelligence is moving from hype to hard deployment in the Kingdom’s financial sector.
With more than 450 fintech companies and over 1,050 global investors gathering under the theme “Where Money Does Business,” the event showed how central AI has become to Ƶ’s Vision 2030 ambitions and how urgent the conversation around regulation, infrastructure and talent has become.
The message across panels was clear: AI is no longer an experiment. It is increasingly embedded in every corner of finance, from fraud detection and onboarding to risk modeling and compliance. The more AI promises to accelerate growth, the more scrutiny it invites.
For Ƶ, the challenge now is scaling adoption while maintaining trust, regulatory alignment and data integrity.
The Kingdom is projected to reap nearly $135.2 billion from AI by 2030, equivalent to about 12.4 percent of gross domestic product, according to PwC. That potential is driving urgency, with nearly all financial-sector leaders saying the pressure to deploy AI has grown over the past six months. Regulators are responding in parallel.
The Saudi Central Bank has expanded its sandbox programs and is introducing clearer guidelines to ensure innovation happens under strong consumer-protection and data-governance frameworks. Industry insiders at the event said this collaboration between regulators and the private sector is essential if the Kingdom is to balance speed with safety in AI rollouts.
Khalid Al-Sharif, CEO of Abdul Latif Jameel Finance, said the next stage of AI adoption in finance will depend on coordination between regulators, financial institutions and technology providers.
“The next phase is about coordination,” he said. “Regulators must keep issuing workable standards, financial institutions must document and monitor models, and technology providers must build for local requirements rather than import generic systems.”
Khalid Al-Sharif, CEO of Abdul Latif Jameel Finance. LinkedIn
He added that enabling micro and small businesses is central to Vision 2030 and pointed to Abdul Latif Jameel Finance’s Bab Rizq Jameel Microfinance program, which has issued loans to nearly 300,000 beneficiaries since 2004 — 81 percent of them women. “Our goal is to empower entrepreneurs and women-led enterprises so they can contribute more strongly to national GDP,” he said.
Al-Sharif also emphasized the importance of building trust as technology advances. “Ƶ’s financial sector is ready for this leap,” he said. “But success will depend on responsible innovation that protects consumers and uses data ethically while enabling growth.”
Among the announcements at the Money20/20 conference in Riyadh was Singapore-based Dyna.Ai’s decision to expand in the Kingdom with the launch of its Agentic AI Suite and Arabic-first AI Employees.
These digital teammates, including an AI credit underwriter, knowledge partner and recruiter adviser, are designed to integrate into enterprise workflows and support compliance, customer service and operational efficiency.
“AI Employees are advanced digital teammates that augment human capabilities,” said Tomas Skoumal, chairman and co-founder of Dyna.Ai. “They deliver faster, more accurate, and personalized customer experiences while collaborating directly with human workers.”
The company says its tools deliver more than 95 percent accuracy with response times under 200 milliseconds. Importantly, the suite was built with Arabic capabilities from day one, meaning it can understand dialects, cultural nuances and regulatory requirements specific to the Kingdom.
Tomas Skoumal, chairman and co-founder of Dyna.Ai. Facebook
While announcements like Dyna.Ai’s show confidence in the market, Ƶ’s journey toward AI at scale still faces hurdles. Executives at Money20/20 pointed to a shortage of AI specialists and data scientists even as universities and training programs accelerate talent development.
Infrastructure gaps also persist, with demand growing for high-performance computing, sovereign data centers and faster data-processing capabilities.
Regulatory certainty is another area to watch. Though sandboxes and ethical frameworks are already in place, binding rules for algorithmic transparency, privacy and bias mitigation are still being developed.
Industry experts warn that without clear, enforceable guidelines, trust in AI systems could be undermined before they are fully mainstream.
Money20/20 is more than a showcase. It is one of the few places where regulators, legacy banks, fintech startups and investors meet under one roof to compare strategies and align on priorities.
This year, announcements such as Google Pay’s launch in the Kingdom, Alipay+ acceptance by 2026, and a series of capital markets reforms highlighted the pace at which Ƶ is trying to modernize its financial ecosystem.
For companies including Dyna.Ai, the event serves as a stress test, a chance to prove whether their solutions can meet Saudi-specific expectations for speed, accuracy, compliance and cultural fit.
For regulators and policymakers, it is an opportunity to gauge market readiness and identify where rules and infrastructure must catch up with innovation.
Ƶ’s AI story is now entering what many at the conference called its execution phase.
The big-picture goals have been set: billions of dollars in AI-driven GDP impact, a skilled workforce of 20,000 specialists by 2030 and a digitally transformed financial system. What comes next is a test of implementation, how quickly these ambitions can translate into measurable outcomes.
Dyna.Ai’s Arabic-first approach offers one glimpse of what the future might look like: instant, personalized and compliant digital interactions that support growth while keeping human workers focused on higher-value tasks. But it is just one piece of a much larger transformation.
The Kingdom’s AI moment is no longer just a promise. Its success will be measured by the ability to build trust, close infrastructure gaps, nurture talent and ensure every algorithm deployed works for both the economy and the people it serves.
AI adoption is already demonstrating its potential to reshape work across the Kingdom.
Companies must ‘redesign workflows to cut through digital noise, unlock focus’
Updated 18 September 2025
Waad Hussain
ALKHOBAR: At 10 p.m. in Riyadh, a marketing executive checks her inbox one last time. She has already answered over 100 emails, managed a constant stream of Teams messages, and sat through five back-to-back meetings. By 6 a.m., she will be back online.
This “infinite workday” is becoming the norm. According to Microsoft’s latest Work Trend Index, nearly 30 percent of employees check email late at night, while 40 percent are online by early morning. The average Saudi worker now faces a flood of 117 emails and 153 Teams messages daily, with interruptions every two minutes — a pattern that has blurred the line between work and rest.
For Turki Badhris, president of Microsoft Arabia, this is precisely why organizations must move beyond basic digitization toward full transformation.
“AI is not a passing trend. It’s a generational shift that is redefining how work gets done, how decisions are made, and how value is created,” Badhris told Arab News. “The organizations that thrive will be those that are willing to reimagine, not just automate, how work works.”
Turki Badhris, president of Microsoft Arabia. (Supplied)
He calls this the “Frontier Firm mindset,” where companies redesign workflows to cut through digital noise and unlock focus, rather than simply adding new technology on top of old processes.
Human resources professionals are seeing the human cost of this always-on culture firsthand.
“With digital transformation under Vision 2030 and the shift to flexible work models after the pandemic, it’s becoming harder for people to switch off,” said Aminah Alalaiwi, assistant manager HR Business Partner at Bupa Arabia.
“Over time, that takes a real toll on the employee and induces burnout, stress, and lower engagement,” she said.
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To address this, Alalaiwi completed Mental Health First Aid training, an initiative her company encouraged.
“It gave me the tools to spot early signs of struggle and respond in a way that actually helps,” she added. “That’s why I believe HR has to go beyond policies. We need to actively create cultures where well-being and performance reinforce each other.”
AI adoption is already demonstrating its potential to reshape work across the Kingdom. At Obeikan Investment Group, the O3ai platform — built on Azure OpenAI and IoT — analyzes production data in real time, boosting operational efficiency by 30 percent and cutting costs by a similar margin across 20 factories.
Aminah Alalaiwi, assistant manager HR Business Partner at Bupa Arabia. (Supplied)
At Ma’aden, Microsoft Copilot and Azure OpenAI are used to summarize policies, draft documents, and automate governance workflows, saving employees more than 2,200 hours every month. At Sanabil Investments, structured adoption of Copilot led to 70 percent employee uptake in just two months, cutting content creation time by 50 percent.
Badhris emphasizes that Microsoft’s role is to help companies go beyond merely deploying tools.
“We work hand-in-hand with leaders to align technology adoption with business priorities, governance frameworks, and change management strategies,” he said. “Our approach is about co-creating roadmaps for responsible innovation.”
To support this transformation, Microsoft is investing heavily in local infrastructure. Its new cloud datacenter region in Ƶ will provide enterprise-grade services with low-latency access and full compliance with data residency requirements, enabling organizations to scale AI securely.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Microsoft Arabia has committed to training 100,000 Saudi nationals in AI skills by 2025.
• The initiative has been launched in partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and SDAIA Academy.
• AI adoption is already demonstrating its potential to reshape work across the Kingdom.
But as Alalaiwi warns, even the best tools can backfire without clear boundaries.
“AI can automate repetitive tasks, prioritize communications, and support smarter scheduling, reducing stress and allowing employees to disconnect after hours,” she said. “However, without clear policies, these same tools can generate more notifications, blur boundaries, and increase the expectation of being ‘always available.’”
Skilling remains a cornerstone of this shift. Microsoft Arabia has committed to training 100,000 Saudi nationals in AI skills by 2025, in partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and SDAIA Academy. Programs like the Microsoft AI Academy and the Center of Excellence for AI and Cloud Computing aim to prepare Saudi talent with globally recognized certifications and hands-on skills.
Microsoft Arabia has committed to training 100,000 Saudi nationals in AI skills by 2025, in partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and SDAIA Academy. (Supplied)
Badhris advises business leaders to act now rather than wait for a perfect plan.
“Start small but start now,” he said. “Identify where AI can cut through the noise, reduce repetitive tasks, and unlock focus. These quick wins often become the catalyst for deeper cultural change.”
As Ƶ accelerates toward Vision 2030, the pressure to transform digitally is rising. But Badhris believes the real competitive edge in the AI era will come not from being the busiest, but from being the smartest—and the most human.
“We can let work spill endlessly into our evenings,” he said, “or we can reclaim time for the things that matter.”
