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Pioneering innovation: The Role of Higher Education Institutes in Advancing Innovation Hubs in in the Region

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 Arthur D. Little (ADL) presents its latest findings, highlighting the pivotal role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in fostering innovation and supporting the national agendas or visions of regional countries. Emphasizing the significant advancements in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the critical importance of HEI-led innovation hubs in driving socioeconomic development and national competitiveness, the insights also provide an overview of the innovation landscapes of the UAE and Qatar.

Higher Education Institutions as Catalysts for Innovation

ADL’s analysis emphasizes the foundational role that HEIs play in advancing innovation hubs. These hubs are integral to achieving the ambitious goals outlined in national agendas or visions, which aim to transform countries into  diversified, knowledge-based economies. HEI-led innovation hubs significantly contribute to national competitiveness by accelerating research and development (R&D), fostering collaboration, supporting entrepreneurship, and promoting socioeconomic development.

Dr. Raymond Khoury, Partner, Head of the Public Sector Practice at Arthur D. Little, Middle East and a member of the firm’s Global Innovation Practice, stated, “KSA is pushing the limits on the innovation front in the region. The Kingdom’s impressive advancements highlight the importance of strategic investments in education and innovation ecosystems. Our insights provide essential guidelines to help KSA harness the power of HEI-led innovation hubs to continuously drive sustainable growth and development.”

Ben Thuriaux-Alemán, Partner and a leader in Arthur D. Little Global Innovation Practice, added, “our research shows HEIs are uniquely positioned to lead innovation hubs that align with their national strategic objectives. By focusing academic research on real-world applications, and by creating places where academia-industry collaboration can thrive these institutions can deliver the boosts to economic growth that we have seen in OECD countries. This environment will undoubtedly contribute to advancing towards delivering diversified, knowledge-based economies.”

KSA: A Unique Opportunity in the Global Innovation Ecosystem

As nations acknowledge the pivotal role of innovation, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a unique opportunity to address socioeconomic challenges and carve out a niche in the global innovation ecosystem. According to the 2023 Global Innovation Index (GII), KSA achieved significant advancements, ranking 48th globally and second among its Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) peers. The Kingdom has already announced a target of SAR 60 billion (~US $16 billion) in R&D contribution to GDP by 2040. By encouraging R&D investment, stakeholder collaboration, entrepreneurship/start-ups, and talent development, innovation hubs can play a significant role in enhancing KSA’s regional and global positioning.

The UAE and Qatar: Regional Innovation Leaders

According to the 2023 GII, the United Arab Emirates topped the GCC countries, with 1.5% of gross expenditure on R&D as a percentage of GDP. The UAE was ranked 32nd globally and first in the region. There is also an opportunity for the UAE to climb higher on the global scale, with HEIs again playing a crucial role in setting the ecosystem foundation and advancing innovation hubs to achieve this goal.

Qatar, on the other hand, came third among GCC countries with 0.7% of gross expenditure on R&D as a percentage of GDP, ranking 50th globally. Similar to KSA and the UAE, the role of HEIs is paramount when it comes to enabling the supporting ecosystem and advancing innovation hubs for Qatar to advance in the innovation race.

Strategic Vision and Success Factors

The insights in ADL’s viewpoint outline key success factors for the effective development of HEI-led innovation hubs in regional countries, including:

  • Strategic Vision and Leadership: Clear goals and effective leadership are essential for aligning efforts and attracting stakeholders.
  • Collaborative Ecosystem: Forging partnerships with industry, government, and educational partners to foster a dynamic network for shared resources and innovation support.
  • Diverse Talent Pool: Attracting and retaining a diverse pool of talented individuals to enrich the innovation ecosystem.
  • Supportive Regulations: Ensuring a regulatory environment that promotes innovation through streamlined processes and R&D incentives.
  • Infrastructure and Resources: Providing access to state-of-the-art facilities, technology, and resources to expedite innovation.
  • Flexibility and Adaptability: Maintaining an agile approach to stay relevant in a dynamic landscape.

Advancing Vision 2030

In the context of KSA, the successful development and operation of HEI-led innovation hubs is critical for realizing the strategic objectives of Vision 2030, including nurturing an innovation and entrepreneurship culture, developing local companies into global leaders, cultivating the digital economy, attracting foreign direct investment, and increasing SME contributions to the economy.

Arthur D. Little’s insights provide a comprehensive roadmap for the successful realization of these innovation hubs, emphasizing the need for close cooperation with government entities, corporations, and entrepreneurs to achieve sustainable and impactful innovation.

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كروت GeForce RTX 5060 مُتاحة الآن مع تحديث جديد لتعريفات Game Ready Driver

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تتوفر الآن كروت الشاشة الجديدة GeForce RTX 5060 لأجهزة الكمبيوتر المكتبي وأجهزة اللابتوب، وسيحتاج أي شخص يقتني هذه الكروت الجديدة تثبيت آخر إصدار من تعريفات Game Ready Driver الجديدة، يوفر هذا التعريف أيضًا دعمًا للعبتين الجديدتين Dune: Awakening و F1® 25، واللتين تطلقان بدعم من اليوم الأول لتقنية DLSS 4 مع توليد الإطارات المتعددة (Multi Frame Generation) بالإضافة إلى ذلك، ستكون هناك تحديثات للعبة Portal with RTX لدعم DLSS 4 بتوليد الإطارات المتعددة، ولعبة NARAKA: BLADEPOINT لدعم التتبع الكامل للأشعة (Full Ray Tracing).

تبدأ أسعار بطاقات GeForce RTX 5060 المخصصة لأجهزة الكمبيوتر المكتبي من 299 دولارًا، وتتوفر بنسخ ذات سرعات طبيعية ونسخ أخرى مع كسر السرعة وذلك على حسب الشركات المصنعة بين شركات: ASUS، Colorful، Gainward، Galaxy، GIGABYTE، INNO3D، MSI، Palit، PNY، وZOTAC. كما تتوفر أيضًا أجهزة مكتبية جاهزة من مختلف الشركات المتخصصة في تقديم أجهزة متكاملة، تقدم هذه البطاقات ضعف أداء الجيل السابق GeForce RTX 4060 في الألعاب التي تستخدم DLSS 4 مع توليد الإطارات المتعددة، وقفزة أكبر في الأداء والاستجابة للمستخدمين الذين يقومون بالترقية من بطاقات أقدم مثل GeForce GTX 1660 أو GeForce RTX 2060.

تبدأ أجهزة اللابتوب المزودة بكروت GeForce RTX 5060 بالتوفر اليوم بأسعار تبدأ من 1099 دولارًا من جميع الشركات المصنعة الكبرى. تأتي هذه الأجهزة بسماكة تصل إلى 14.9 ملم فقط، وتمنح اللاعبين ضعف أداء الجيل السابق بفضل قوة معمارية NVIDIA Blackwell وتقنية DLSS 4. كما تتيح تقنيات Blackwell الحديثة وتقنيات Max-Q الجديدة للمستخدمين العمل أو اللعب لفترات أطول باستخدام البطارية.

 

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PeopleStrong accelerates GCC expansion following majority stake investment from Goldman Sachs alternatives

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Today, PeopleStrong, a leading regional human capital management (“HCM”) SaaS provider, announced that the Private Equity business within Goldman Sachs Alternatives has acquired a majority stake in the company. This acquisition underscores the company’s ambitious growth strategy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (‘GCC”) region, with a particular focus on key markets such as UAE and Saudi Arabia. The expansion aligns closely with national priorities around Emiratisation, Saudization and the broader push for workforce digital transformation across the region.
PeopleStrong is uniquely positioned at the intersection of three transformative shifts: the digitization of enterprise HR, the adoption of AI, and the rise of SaaS innovation. The company offers a comprehensive, AI-powered HCM platform with robust capabilities across applicant tracking systems (ATS), payroll, employee experience and talent management. It serves leading organizations across key industry verticals, including Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BSFI), Retail, Aviation, Healthcare and Manufacturing. With multi-country payroll capabilities and over 1.5 million paychecks processed monthly, PeopleStrong is recognized as one of the largest and most trusted cloud payroll providers in the region.
PeopleStrong’s clientele includes many of the Middle East and South Asia’s most respected enterprises, including Flydubai, Azizi, Tamkeen, Sobha, Transom Catering, Alamar, Omantel, Life Pharmacy, Oman Air, Axiom, Aditya Birla Group, L&T, TATA, Mahindra Rise, Kotak Mahindra Bank, HDFC Ergo, Paytm and Air India.
Currently, the company serves over two million individual users and aims to significantly expand its scale and geographic footprint, targeting 10 million users globally over the next five years.
“We have remained focussed on balanced, sustainable growth and are proud to stand out today as one of the few EBITDA-positive SaaS companies with a leading market position,” said Sandeep Chaudhary, CEO of PeopleStrong. “We are excited to join forces with Goldman Sachs. With their global expertise in SaaS and AI, we look forward to driving the next phase of our growth together through continued innovation and operational excellence.”
Rajat Sood, a Managing Director in Growth and Corporate Equity Investing at Goldman Sachs, said, “PeopleStrong stands at the intersection of talent and technology —delivering real, measurable value to its customers at scale through its technology-led human capital management solutions. We look forward to supporting this management team and company’s next stage of growth by leveraging the global resources and network of Goldman Sachs.”
“We’ve seen tremendous momentum in HR tech adoption across the Middle East, which has been a core part of our regional strategy,” said Mrigank Tripathi, President – Growth, PeopleStrong. “To support our long-term expansion, we’re investing in R&D to tailor solutions for the Middle East’s evolving regulatory and operational landscape. PeopleStrong is also actively pursuing strategic partnerships to deepen our footprint across the GCC and broader MENA region. To support this growth, we will continue to strengthen our on-the-ground team across sales, support and key functional areas.”
PeopleStrong maintains operational teams in Dubai with strategic engagements across key Emirates and major cities in Saudi Arabia. This presence uniquely positions the company to support regional enterprises in achieving their ambitious HR digitalization and workforce transformation goals.
PeopleStrong’s is the highest-rated HR mobile app globally, with a 4.8 out of 5 rating across iOS and Android platforms. It has consistently been featured in Gartner’s ‘Voice of the Customer’ report and has been voted the Customers’ Choice for Cloud HCM Suites for enterprises with over 1,000 employees from 2022 to 2024.

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PROVEN Solution Signs MoU with University of Tabuk

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 Proven Solution is a leading technology company specializing in AI, robotics, and digital transformation solutions, along with its robotics division, Proven Robotics, has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. The collaboration aims to enhance students’ learning experience by equipping them with advanced robotics and AI knowledge aligned with future market demands.

Under the agreement, PROVEN Robotics will introduce Advanced Robotics Training, STEM Robotics Courses, and Research & Innovation Initiatives for students in the University. It will focus on developing an advanced robotics program to prepare students for future needs, contributing to Saudi Vision x§x2030’s digital transformation objectives.

Commenting on the partnership, Mohammed Aldousari, Regional Robotics Lead at PROVEN Robotics said, “By partnering with one of the leading universities in the country, we are focused on reinforcing our commitment to advancing robotics education and supporting Vision 2030. This partnership will expand our impact, develop future-ready talents, strengthen academia-industry collaboration, and position us as leaders in the robotics industry in Saudi Arabia.”

 “As we aim towards equipping our students with industry-driven curriculum, we are thrilled to partner with PROVEN Robotics.  Their regional expertise in robotics and AI, pre-developed university-focused programs, and a strong track record in STEM education and technology integration make them an ideal partner to bridge the gap between academia and industry,” said Dr. Anas Bushnag, from University of Tabuk.

PROVEN Robotics will deploy its Advanced Robotics Program which will provide designed training with practical experience in various robotics applications. The program will be delivered through multiple learning formats, including classroom sessions, and hybrid approaches, ensuring accessibility and flexibility.

Additionally, courses on STEM Robotics and other Research and Innovation initiatives will offer hands-on learning experiences, exposure to AI-driven robotics, and industry-relevant skills, equipping students with the expertise needed to excel in the evolving fields of automation, and robotics technology.

The key benefits for students include real-world industry engagement, skill development aligned with industry needs, and opportunities for research and innovation.

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