Author: Editorial Team
Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has launched five new logistics routes designed to enhance supply chain efficiency and integrate various transport modes. These routes link Arabian Gulf ports with the Kingdom’s central and northern regions, extending to the Red Sea and northern neighboring countries. By utilizing a multimodal network of road and rail, the initiative supports the National Transport and Logistics Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030 goals to establish the Kingdom as a global logistics hub. Managed through an integrated system, including the Riyadh Dry Port and key cargo yards in Dammam, Jubail, Ras Al-Khair, Al-Kharj, Hail, and Al-Qurayyat, the new…
Benny Czarny, Founder and CEO, OPSWAT, and Yiyi Miao, Chief Product Officer, OPSWAT. New OPSWAT Predictive Alin AI engine prioritises near-zero false positives to enable immediate, confident action in operationally sensitive environments. Dubai – OPSWAT, a global leader in critical infrastructure protection (CIP) cybersecurity solutions, has announced OPSWAT Predictive Alin AI, its first proprietary AI-based threat detection engine for the MetaDefender Platform. This AI-based innovation introduces a new category of capability within the MetaDefender Platform, a high-confidence predictive layer that works alongside existing detection and prevention engines to assess malicious intent before execution, driving greater efficiency across the platform. This enables organizations to act immediately, while…
RIYADH — Two Public Investment Fund (PIF)-backed companies, Neo Space Group (NSG) and Alat, have appointed Saudi executives to lead their next phase of growth. NSG announced the appointment of Eng. Haithem Alfaraj as Chief Executive Officer, effective April 9, 2026, succeeding Martijn Blanken, who has led the company since its inception. Alfaraj brings more than two decades of experience in telecommunications and technology. He most recently served as Group Chief Technology Officer at stc, where he led major transformation initiatives including network modernization, digital platform development, cloud adoption, and cybersecurity capabilities. Earlier in his career, he held senior roles…
RIYADH — FIFA has selected a Saudi refereeing team to officiate matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 18. The Saudi team includes referee Khalid Al-Turais, assistant referee Mohammed Al-Abakri, and video assistant referee Abdullah Al-Shahri. Their selection follows strong performances in regional, continental and international competitions, including a notable appearance at the FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Chile last year. Yasser Al-Misehal, president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, congratulated the officials and wished them success at the tournament. He said the…
New model from Meta strengthens multimodal intelligence, faster reasoning, and ecosystem integration across its platforms. Meta Superintelligence Labs has introduced Muse Spark, its first large language model in a new generation of AI systems designed to bring more personalised, context-aware intelligence to users across its ecosystem. The launch marks a significant step in Meta’s ambition to build what it describes as “personal superintelligence” — an AI assistant capable of understanding and supporting users in real-world scenarios. Muse Spark is engineered specifically for Meta’s family of applications, including its AI assistant, and is expected to enhance performance across platforms such as…
NEW DELHI — The Indian government has proposed amendments to existing IT rules targeting a wider range of online news voices, including influencers and podcasters on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and X, drawing sharp criticism from digital rights activists and independent news creators. Last week, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) suggested amendments to India’s IT rules, which govern digital media content. The legislation, dubbed as the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Second Amendment Rules, 2026, will strengthen existing IT rules and curb fake news, hate speech and deepfakes, the government said, inviting…
Al-Ukhdood archaeological site in Najran is a significant heritage location in southern Arabia, recognized as an ancient trade hub on the Incense Route since the mid-1st century BC. The site features a central city enclosed by a wall measuring 235 meters long and 220 meters wide, with building foundations of hewn stone blocks and upper sections of mud brick. Excavations that began in 1979 revealed various architectural units, including Najran’s oldest mosque, and the discovery of the “Najran Treasure,” which contains silver coins and other artifacts such as pottery, incense burners, and religious tablets. Historical records show that Najran has…
WASHINGTON — NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has told European governments that US President Donald Trump wants concrete commitments within days to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, diplomats said on Thursday. Rutte, known in Europe as a “Trump whisperer”, is working to defuse a crisis after Trump said he was considering withdrawing from the 32-member transatlantic alliance, arguing that European allies have relied on US security guarantees while providing inadequate support for the US-Israeli bombing campaign in Iran. Any operation would likely involve deploying military vessels and personnel to the region. Rutte has informed key member states of Trump’s…
President of the Arab Gulf Program for Development (AGFUND) Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz signed strategic partnership agreements with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), represented by UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States Abdallah Al Dardari. The agreements aim to renew support for the Arab Human Development Reports and to strengthen cooperation in development finance and innovation, thereby advancing development pathways across the Arab region. The agreements also include support for the ‘Green Financing Platform – Arab Region’ and efforts to expand investments in innovative development finance, with particular focus on countries…
CNME Editor Mark Forker managed to secure an exclusive interview with Rahul Misra, SVP and Managing Director MEA, at IFS, in an effort to better understand how they are equipping businesses that operate in asset-intensive industries with the tools to succeed, their unique approach to AI, the opportunities that remain untapped for them across the Middle East marketplace – and the capabilities that makes Nexus Black uniquely different. Rahul Misra, SVP and Managing Director MEA, at IFS, believes IFS has the product portfolio, industry expertise and partnership model to really expand their presence across the Middle East region. Rahul Misra…