Author: Arabian Media staff
Image: Supplied The Saudi Film Commission (SFC), one of 11 sector-specific bodies under the Saudi Ministry of Culture, has unveiled a cutting-edge virtual production soundstage at JAX Film Studios — the Kingdom’s newest flagship production complex in Riyadh. Designed by Oscar-winning visual effects studio Pixomondo and powered by Sony’s latest VERONA LED technology, the facility represents a major leap in Saudi Arabia’s efforts to build a world-class film production ecosystem. The new custom-built virtual production volume within JAX Studios is now fully operational and equipped to accommodate the most demanding global film and television productions. The stage features: 2,720 Sony…
Image credit: WhatsApp/Website Meta-owned WhatsApp has announced two major updates aimed at expanding its reach and strengthening user security. The company is introducing an all-new WhatsApp app for Apple Watch, while also making it easier for users to secure their chat backups with passkey encryption. Together, these updates reflect WhatsApp’s broader effort to deliver seamless communication experiences while maintaining strong privacy protections. Read more-WhatsApp rolls out new features for businesses: How to benefit from them In what it calls a “big upgrade for your wrist,” WhatsApp has officially launched its Apple Watch app. The new experience lets users stay connected…
Image credit: Getty images Etihad Airways has achieved another milestone in its record-breaking year of expansion, launching four inaugural routes to Tunis, Hanoi, Chiang Mai, and Hong Kong within just three days. The new services cement Abu Dhabi’s position as a key global aviation hub, contributing nearly 45 per cent of the UAE’s total aviation growth in 2025. The airline’s expanding network not only boosts inbound tourism and trade but also adds thousands of new seats to and from Abu Dhabi, creating easier access for travellers from Africa and Asia to experience the emirate’s cultural landmarks, pristine beaches, luxury resorts,…
Image: Supplied Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC) and Siemens Energy have announced a collaboration with Decahydron, a natural hydrogen and carbon mineralisation company, to explore the feasibility of using natural hydrogen for power generation and other industrial applications in the northern Emirates. The initiative builds on ongoing technical studies conducted by Decahydron and SNOC at an existing exploration well in Sharjah, which aim to assess the Emirate’s natural hydrogen potential. Preliminary findings have been promising, with plans to conduct further drilling in 2026 to collect detailed resource data and measure flow rates. The project will evaluate the direct use of…
Liam Hurley, president for the Middle East and Africa at Emerson/Image: Supplied Emerson is intensifying its focus on industrial AI and autonomy as the energy sector races toward digital transformation. At ADIPEC 2025, Liam Hurley, president for the Middle East and Africa at Emerson, outlined how the company’s technology roadmap, regional localisation strategy, and integration of AspenTech are converging to deliver a new era of predictive, data-driven, and sustainable industrial operations. Emerson has long been synonymous with automation technology, from its Rosemount sensors and Fisher valve portfolio to advanced systems that convert plant-level data into actionable intelligence. But as industrial…
MoEngage, a customer engagement platform that works with consumer brands across 75 countries, says it has raised new funding led by its existing investor, Goldman Sachs Alternatives, to ramp up global growth and infuse more AI into its platform. All told, $100 million in shares just traded hands, split roughly 60% primary and 40% secondary, as part of MoEngage’s Series F round. The round marks the entry of Indian venture firm A91 Partners as a new investor. According to MoEngage, it has now raised $250 million in funding altogether. As consumer brands increasingly rely on digital channels to reach customers,…
Image: Getty Images/ For illustrative purposes OpenAI has signed a multi-year strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) valued at $38bn to run and scale its advanced artificial intelligence workloads on AWS infrastructure. Under the agreement, OpenAI will immediately begin using AWS compute capacity, including hundreds of thousands of NVIDIA GPUs connected through Amazon EC2 UltraServers, with the ability to scale to tens of millions of CPUs. All capacity is targeted to be deployed by the end of 2026, with expansion expected into 2027 and beyond. Highlights of the OpenAI-AWS tieup The deal will give OpenAI access to AWS’s large-scale…
Image: Supplied The Middle East has rapidly become a hub of digital transformation, simultaneously embracing cloud adoption, AI integration, and unprecedented business growth. Against this backdrop, cybersecurity has fundamentally shifted from a mere IT concern to a core boardroom priority, with identity emerging as the new, most critical battleground. At the recent GITEX GLOBAL, Gulf Business caught up with Roland Daccache, senior manager, sales engineering, Middle East & Africa at CrowdStrike, to discuss the key insights his team gathered at the event, the escalating threat from cloud-native adversaries, and how the company is tailoring its strategy to defend the dynamic,…
NVIDIA and Qualcomm Ventures have joined a growing coalition of U.S. and Indian investors backing India’s deep tech startups. The group launched in September with more than $1 billion in commitments, timing that aligns with India’s new ₹1 trillion (around $12 billion) research and development initiative. NVIDIA has joined the coalition as a strategic technical advisor, without any financial commitments, while Qualcomm Ventures has come on board alongside six Indian venture firms, bringing additional capital commitments totaling more than $850 million. India is home to more than 180,000 startups and over 120 unicorns. In its early years, much of the…
New York, NY — October 2025:Prominent Turkish businessman and global investor Uğur Akkuş has officially been appointed to the Board of Directors of The Council of Global Change (CGC) at the United Nations. In his new role, Akkuş will serve as a Strategic Advisor in Political and Policy Affairs, contributing to the Council’s mission of developing innovative solutions for global economic and social challenges. His appointment marks a significant recognition of his long-standing commitment to international cooperation, sustainable development, and public-private partnership models. Driving Global Transformation The Council of Global Change is a distinguished international body composed of the world’s…