As part of its strategy to diversify its economy, Saudi Arabia has set aside $6.4 billion to invest in future technologies, according to minister of communications and information technology Eng. Abdullah Al-Swaha.

Abdullah Alsawaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology (CIT) in Saudi Arabia has appreciated Saudi Telecom Company’s role in implementing the ministry’s plan to deploy broadband all around the Kingdom, after the company delivered FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) to 51K homes in Riyadh.

Saudi Telecom (STC) has agreed to purchase a 10% stake worth $100million in UAE-based ride-hailing service Careem. The acquisition comes just months after Saudia Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) invested a stake in Uber – which is the global rival to Careem.

STC has announced the successful deployment of the first ‘5G Smart Campus’solution in the MENA region.

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) said it increased Wi-Fi coverage in Makkah and Holy Sites to prepare for pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj. The coverage includes tunnels, bridges, and a number of public utilities in Mina which received pilgrims to start their Tarwiah day on August 30.

Saudi Telecom Company (STC), represented by InspirU Business Incubator, announced the signing of an agreement with Riyadah institute to support and provide services for business entrepreneurs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Tarig Enaya, Senior Vice President of the STC Enterprise Business Unit has revealed that smart cities-associated technology investments that will take place in the next four years worldwide will reach USD 158 billion by 2022 in accordance with the IDC Report. The figure is expected to reach USD 2.7 billion (SAR 10.125 billion) in the Middle East and Africa.

Aiming to develop in-car software solutions for Saudi drivers, Saudi Telecom Co. (STC), the Kingdom’s largest mobile network operator, has entered into a partnership with Irish vehicle software firm Cubic Telecom.

Through the partnership, stc hopes to use the software to add a range of in-car services to Saudi vehicles, including an emergency call system which automatically alerts healthcare services in the event of an accident.

Speaking to reporters, Gerry McQuaid, chief commercial officer at Cubic said that they partnered with STC as a premier car integrity partner in Saudi Arabia to enable the customer to benefit from a range of safety, entertainment, and navigation features when they purchase the car.

He also added that the software partnership would help carmakers and third party developers to comply with the strict regulations on connectivity management in Saudi Arabia.

“I can’t give a precise date, but in a not-too-distant future you actually don’t need a driving license, the car will actually drive autonomously for the citizens. That is the big difference,” McQuaid said. “Already software solutions can support this capability, but it does need important regulations to be introduced to start with semi-driving.

Meanwhile, Barry Napier, CEO of Cubic Telecom, said, “We are delighted to be working with STC to help car manufacturers activate new opportunities in a very significant market.”

Dr. Sultan bin Saeed, STC’s vice president of business development, said, “Partnering with Cubic enables STC as a digital enabler to simplify the delivery and management of advanced in-car services and gives us a foundation for innovating and meeting the changing needs of customers as new services evolve.”

Cubic Telecom provides connected software solutions in more than 5 million vehicles and devices to at least 100 countries and has already partnered with some of the Gulf region’s largest mobile operators.

Cubic’s software enables zero-touch device registration and in-car connectivity pre-configured for regulatory requirements in the region.

Saud Alsheraihi, GM New Business Development at stc Enterprise division commented, “Partnering with Cubic Telecom to rollout emerging technologies advanced solutions for car manufacturers will further realize the kingdom’s vision of enhancing quality of life by enabling unique experiences to car owners to enjoy vehicle health diagnostics, entertainment and safety features.”

stc announced the signing of a partnership with dizmo to launch a smart home platform in the future city of NEOM, as one of the set of sustainable solutions for smart cities, based on cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and orchestrated home control.

As part of an important policy goal under the Kingdom's Vision 2030 agenda, the Saudi Telecom Company (stc) and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), represented by the National Center for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) have signed a strategic partnership agreement to develop and improve the Kingdom’s data capabilities.