Author: Editorial Team
Mostafa Zafer, Vice President of Automation, IBM Middle East and Africa, has written a thought leadership article that examines how automation and observability are now the new frontlines of operational continuity. Mostafa Zafer, Vice President of Automation, for IBM Middle East and Africa, has said that resilience is not about getting back to normal, but instead that the new normal keeps moving. Disruption has evolved. It is no longer episodic, a crisis to weather and recover from. It is systemic, unfolding across interconnected layers of infrastructure, supply chains, regulatory environments, and digital ecosystems. For organizations in the Middle East, this…
RIYADH — A maximum fine of SR900 will be slapped as a penalty for driving a deceased person’s vehicle without authorization. The penalty also includes impounding of the vehicle until the violation is rectified. The Public Security Directorate has proposed an amendment to the Traffic Law by adding a clause in this regard. The directorate has presented the proposal via the Istitlaa platform for public feedback before its approval. Amending paragraph four of Article 68 of the Traffic Law adds the offense of driving a vehicle, owned by a deceased person, without authorization to that vehicle as a traffic violation…
JEDDAH — Minister of Transport and Logistics Saleh Al-Jasser visited the dedicated terminal for the Makkah Route Initiative at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah on Saturday. He received pilgrims who arrived under the initiative from Bangladesh. The minister was briefed on the procedures implemented to facilitate pilgrims’ journeys, accelerate processing times, and deliver high-quality services that enable them to perform their rituals in ease and comfort. The Ministry of Interior has been implementing the Makkah Route initiative for the eighth year in 2026. This year the number of beneficiary countries of this initiative rose to 10 with the addition…
The first flight carrying beneficiaries of the Makkah Route Initiative arrived from Istanbul International Airport in the Republic of Türkiye to the Kingdom via the initiative’s terminal at Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah. The Makkah Route Initiative aims to deliver high-quality services to pilgrims from beneficiary countries by receiving them and completing their procedures with ease in their homelands. This begins with biometric data collection and the electronic issuance of Hajj visas, followed by passport formalities at the departure airport after verifying health requirements, and the coding and sorting of luggage in line with transport and accommodation arrangements…
Narimane Kurdi, Director, Revenue Marketing Emerging Markets, at Nintex, has penned an exclusive thought-leadership feature, which examines how AI can help marketing teams ‘finish the job’ – and circumvent the issue of the pipeline that typically dies in the middle of the funnel. Narimane Kurdi is a marketing leader that works for Nintex, and is focused on revenue marketing and AI-driven go-to-market strategy across EMEA. In her op-ed, she outlines the impact AI is having on the field of marketing. Revenue marketing was supposed to fix accountability. It did. Marketing teams can now tie spend to pipeline, track engagement by…
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at expanding access to certain psychedelic substances for the treatment of mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. The directive allocates $50 million in federal funding to improve access to the therapies and instructs the Food and Drug Administration to accelerate reviews of substances such as psilocybin and ibogaine. NPR reported Saturday that the administration is seeking to fast-track regulatory evaluation of psychedelic-assisted treatments. Trump was joined at the signing ceremony by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz. Next week, the…
MADRID — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Sunday that Spain will formally ask the European Union to break its Association Agreement with Israel. Speaking at a campaign rally in Andalusia, Sanchez said a government that violates international law and the principles of the EU cannot remain a partner of the bloc. He urged other EU member states to support Spain’s proposal, which will be raised at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Tuesday. “We are going to do it not because we have anything against the Israeli people, but because we do not agree with their…
DAMASCUS — Syrian authorities said Sunday they foiled a sabotage plot linked to Hezbollah in the southern province of Quneitra aimed at launching rockets across the border. A statement from Syria’s Interior Ministry said the plan was uncovered during a joint operation involving internal security forces and the General Intelligence Service. Authorities said the cell had prepared a civilian vehicle modified to conceal equipment intended for launching rockets in an attempt to carry out a surprise attack. The ministry did not specify the intended target. It said the plot was thwarted after close monitoring and surveillance of the suspects, allowing…
A project to strengthen the agricultural value chain and support food security for smallholder farmers in Yemen was launched, funded by the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) and implemented by Estijabah Foundation for Humanitarian Aid and Relief, benefiting around 2,300 families. The project targets key agricultural governorates, including Abyan, Marib, and Hadramout, with the aim of enhancing production and improving livelihoods. It focuses on supporting smallholder farmers and vulnerable rural families through an integrated approach to developing agricultural value chains, improving production efficiency, increasing income opportunities, and strengthening community resilience. The project includes support for agricultural inputs, capacity building for…
WASHINGTON — US Vice President JD Vance will travel to Islamabad for negotiations involving Iran, a White House official told Anadolu on Sunday, confirming his participation after conflicting statements earlier in the day. The official said Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will also travel to Islamabad. Earlier Sunday, US President Donald Trump said Vance would not attend, telling ABC News that Secret Service concerns over arranging the vice president’s security on less than 24 hours’ notice made the trip difficult. “JD’s great,” Trump said, adding that logistics prevented the visit on short notice. Confusion deepened later as ABC…