Saudi Arabia based IR4LAB, a specialized firm in disruptive technologies such as Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence with a MENA presence is implementing the first Blockchain enabled registration and certificate of attendance solution for the inaugural Blockchain Research Institute (BRI) Web3 summit being held on October 19 th at the Four Seasons hotel in Riyadh KSA. IR4LAB will be utilizing its blockchain based solution DocCerts to manage registration, and certificates of attendance for the inaugural Web3 Blockchain and beyond summit organized by the globally renowned Blockchain research Institute. The Blockchain Research Institute Middle East, with branches all around the world, is known for their yearly summits led by their partner, the legendary Dr Don Tapscott who will be flying for the first time to the Kingdom addressing C-suites audience focusing on the topics of Blockchain for Oil&Gas, Supply chain & logistics, Smart Cities, Banking &Finance and Women...

    Saudi Arabia is moving forward with Blockchain and Web3 with partnerships such as the one between Indian Beyond Imagination technologies, a blockchain Web3 tech company and Saudi Aba’ad Alkhayal software company Co-founded by Princess Hesah Al Saud. With this partnership Beyond Imagination technologies will expand into the Middle East. Aba'ad Alkhayal is a Saudi-based software company that leverages the latest technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence to help businesses thrive in the digital age. The partnership aims   to ideate, develop, and deploy solutions that will help Middle East clients with blockchain. The move comes as part of the company's commitment to fostering blockchain adoption and innovation across various industries in the region. "We are thrilled to embark on this exciting journey, committed to reshaping the future of technology," said Princess Hesah Al Saud, Co-Founder, Aba’ad Alkhayal. "With this partnership, we en...

  Saudi based SABIC, one of the world’s largest petrochemicals manufacturers has launched a blockchain pilot project to trace the carbon footprint of specific material streams from end to end. SABIC will work with Circularise, a blockchain software provider. According to SABIC release, blockchain technology has emerged as a potentially efficient solution to improve the process that can bolster transparency and accountability while minimizing risk across supply chains. SABIC’s project will employ Circularise’s technology to capture emissions across the value chain by deploying a consistent methodological and reporting framework accepted by the industry. Scope 1 and Scope 2 data captured at the material level can be used to generate Scope 3 CO2 emissions for the full value chain of targeted industries. In addition to increased transparency, the use of Circularise’s Smart Questioning technology will benefit SABIC’s entire value chain by reducing the administrative efforts assoc...

    USA based Meer Energy, Co-Founder Abdullah Han , was one of the speakers in June 2023’s 10 th Arab China Business Conference, in Riyadh KSA, under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, where he met with positive feedback for his concept of developing a Blockchain AI Bitcoin and carbon credit mining datacenter in the country. In an interview with LaraontheBlock, Han explains why he participated at the Arab China Business Conference and how his business model was received. According to Han, Meer Energy a US based company for Bitcoin mining which utilizes flared gas to power its datacenters is working to expand its business model which includes Blockchain, AI datacenter as well as Carbon Credit tokenization to the Middle East, African and Asian region. Han believes that the future of industrialization will be driven by blockchain and AI (Artificial Intelligence) and this requires energy ...

  The senior advisor of Saudi Central Bank   Anthony Butler   for blockchain, AI and digital assets recently posted   on LinkedIn new job positions opening up in Riyadh KSA. The roles he mentioned included sSoftware engineers with hands-on experience working with DLT  ( Distributed Ledger Technology) protocols and applications. According to Butler the role requires someone with experience implementing solutions using tech such as Ethereum, Hyperledger Besu, Hyperledger Fabric, and/or R3 Corda.” He adds   these talents should particularly   be knowledgable of solutions involving tokenisation of real world assets. The job applicant should understand the functional and non-functional aspects of designing such solutions and be able to work with broader engineering teams to lead design and implementation. Understanding of DeFi and emerging areas, such as self-sovereign identity. Also required are software engineers/full-stack developers at all levels ...

  The Blockchain Research Institute – Middle East (BRI-ME), the exclusive partner of The Blockchain Research Institute, an independent, global think tank, dedicated to exploring and sharing knowledge about the strategic implications of blockchain on business, government, and society co-founded by Dr Don and Alex Tapscott, has signed a partnership agreement with KSA based IR4LAB, a Saudi-based company specialized in disruptive technologies such as Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence, to develop and spread the blockchain adoption in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region. The signing ceremony was held under the auspices of the Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communication and IT (MCIT) in Center of Digital Entrepreneurship (CODE) Riyadh headquarters. In attendance live from Canada was Dr Don Tapscott, well renowned global blockchain author and expert, and founder of BRI. Key representatives from several Saudi governmental and private entities were present including MCIT, Communications s...

  During Gitex Africa, held in Morocco from 31 May – 2 June 2023, IR4LAB, a Saudi-based company specialized in disruptive technologies such as Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence., announced that it would be expanding its operations into Africa. The announcement was made during Gitex Africa.  The expansion is part of IR4LAB’s commitment to the African continent and their aim to spur innovation in deep technologies and implement use cases utilizing IR4LAB’s Blockchain solution, DocCerts as well as other solutions offered. Mohamed El Kandri, CTO and Co-Founder of IR4LAB, who made the announcement at the event, stated, “We are happy to be expanding into the African market. We believe that Africa’s digital economy will grow and we want to be part of this growth in innovation and digitization, but also building local capabilities right from Morocco to Africa”. According to Mckinsey & Company, Africa’ digital economy should top $712 billion by 2050 fostered by its youth...

  Saudi Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University department of computer Science and Saudi Aramco Cybersecurity chair, published in MDPI a study for a solution for Smart Flood Detection to save lives using the integration of AI (Artificial Intelligence), Blockchain and drones. According to the study, floods pose a serious risk and require immediate management and strategies for optimal response times. The Saudi city of Mecca has been impacted by climate change in the last decade as floods have increased despite the city’s location in the Arabian Gulf, which has a hot and wet climate. According to the General Authority for Statistics in Mecca, since 2010, the average peak rainfall has increased by 350%. Mecca experienced torrential rains on 23 December 2022, at least partly because of its location, surrounded by mountains, causing numerous vehicles to be swept away. The authors propose a secure method of flood detection in Saudi Arabia using a Flood Detection Secure System (FDSS) ...

  Saudi Arabian unified national platform for government services recently carried out an interesting survey on twitter . It posted a general consultation request by the Ministry of telecom, Space and IT with regards to which emerging technology would citizens of Saudi Arabia like to see implemented in KSA. People were asked to choose between IoT (internet of things), Blockchain, 3D printing and VR/AR/XR. 7895 votes were casted with 49 percent of them choosing IoT, with 10 percent choosing blockchain, 16 percent choosing 3D printing and 24 percent choosing VR/AR/XR. This is interesting and shows that Internet of things and AR are the most popular emerging technologies among those who voted. In addition it seems that the Saudi government is interested in these four technologies. This comes at a time when the Saudi Central Bank is moving forward to CBDCs, digital assets, and more. In addition recently many blockchain use cases have been launched in KSA. But more eye opening...

  UAE based WadzPay Blockchain enabled Hajj Pilgrim Digital payments solution has been chosen as a finalist at Currency Research’s second annual Advancement in Digital Currency Awards, being presented at the Digital Currency Conference in Mexico City, on May 18th, 2023. WadzPay’s solution was chosen under the category for Best Innovation in Digital Currency. WadzPay is competing against top international blockchain fintech providers such as Stellar. According to Parv Aggarwal , Vice President for CBDCs and Partnerships, “We are super excited to represent WadzPay and our novel cross border Hajj Pilgrimage token.” Currency Research awards are presented to digital currency initiatives that advance the platform as a payment instrument. Currency Research chooses entities who are working on all types of digital currencies at all stages of developments. The award categories include “Outstanding Advancement in Digital Currency” whose category finalist for this year include, Crunchf...

  Saudi Arabian Tuwaiq Investment Fund part of Jadwa Investment Fund has invested a substantial amount in OPNX tokenized crypto exchange for bankrupt crypto companies. KSA based Tuwaiq Investment Fund is a real estate opportunistic fund managed by Jadwa Investment yet as per OPNX they are also a digital asset fund. The statement was made in an OPNX tweet as they expressed their thanks to investors who had participated in the $25 million raise. As per the tweet, “As we approach the launch of claims for our first estate, Celsius, we'd like to express gratitude to everyone who believed in our mission of helping 20M+ claimants. A special thank you goes to our major investors, including AppWorks, Susquehanna (SIG), DRW, MIAX Group, Merchant Bank International, Token Bay Capital, Nascent, Tuwaiq Limited and many more.” The tweet goes on to state, “They contributed not just capital, but also incredible feedback throughout the process of refining our vision, product offerings, tokeno...

  KSA based Nine66, a Savvy Games Group company and South Korean Blockchain game developer Wemade jointly participate in the first edition of University Gamedev League which finals will be held in Riyadh KSA. The University Gamedev League is a competition for university student game developers from across the world. Over 50 teams from 30 universities and 10 countries have registered to participate in the five-month contest. The initiative provides a unique opportunity for aspiring game developers to showcase their talents, collaborate with others, network, and receive mentorships from globally recognized gaming experts. The top two teams will fly to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, to compete in the final held during Gamers8, an esports tournament and gaming festival which runs for eight weeks and previously gathered over 1.5 million visitors in 2022. This partnership comes after the two entities signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Wemade and Nine66 and is in line with b...

  Saudi Arabia’s Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), in cooperation with KSA’s Digital Government Authority (DGA), has conducted a Proof of Concept (POC) using blockchain technology and HALAL certificates built as NFTs for tracking the journey of products from the farm to point of sale as well as certifying them.  As per the news, this experiment is one of the first of its kind in tracing the movement of products on a large scale using blockchain technology. The solution will provide   end-users with complete transparency regarding the parties involved in the supply chain, such as the farm, the slaughterhouse, and the retailer. By recording data in a decentralized manner, the end consumer can have confidence in the product's journey, ensuring security and immutability. Additionally, the POC also included displaying other information about the supply chain partners, including the "Halal" certificate from the Saudi Halal Center, which documents the work of slaughterhouses...

  USA based Everything Blockchain Inc, a technology company that is blending blockchain, DBMS and Zero Trust to deliver disruptive new ways to store, manage and protect data, has partnered with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Rushaid Technologies (ART) IT subsidiary of Al Rushaid Group. ART will become a non-exclusive reseller of BuildDB, EBI's next-generation database powered by a advanced private blockchain architecture that delivers superior performance, reduced latency, zero trust and unmatched resilience. As per the press release, the two companies will work to deliver highly-differentiated data protection solutions to countries in the Middle East and North Africa. ART offers a variety of innovative IT solutions suitable for companies of all sizes and across various industries. The five-year distribution deal with a combined total of $47 million in performance based milestone payments to EBI will position ART as the exclusive agent of the company's EB Control platform in several MEN...

Saudi Arabian Blockchain and AI development startup IR4LAB,  is tracking food packages distributed to families during the holy month of Ramadan as part of charity donations.  The Blockchain solution leverages DocCerts,  which has been utilized to issue a unique authenticity card for each package and assigned a unique ID and QR code to it. Recipients can scan or enter the ID to obtain real-time details about the package delivered, including its source and contents. Once the package is verified, an entry is added to the transaction history, allowing confirmation of receipt in real-time and eliminating the need for time-consuming reporting back to the donors. In addition, the system has an approval workflow feature, which is especially useful for transactions that involve multiple stakeholders. This is often the case with charity initiatives that involve various organizations, including government entities, private corporations, and non-profit organizations. Charity initiati...

  During the Financial sector conference 2023 in Riyadh KSA, Mohsen Al Zahrani, Virtual assets and CBDC Program Director at Saudi Arabia’s Central Bank, told Anna Tutova, CEO of Coinstelegram media platform when asked about the regulation of cryptocurrencies in the country, that there is a current forum looking into  that, yet no policy decision has been made yet on different virtual asset types. He noted in his reply during a panel discussion on CBDC, public money in the digital age, “We are working on a policy decision with the Saudi Central Bank and other relevant governmental agencies.” KSA appointed AlZahrani in September 2022 to lead the virtual assets and digital currency program at the Central Bank.   In January 2023, The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) confirmed that the Central Bank is continuing to experiment on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC).   SAMA is currently working on a project that focuses on domestic or national wholesale CBDC use case in ...

  Shipsy, a leading global SaaS-based logistics management platform provider which utilizes technologies such as blockchain has signed an MOU with Monsha'at, the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to support Saudi Vision 2030. This development took place at the sideline of Biban 23 Forum.   The MoU highlighted that Shipsy would offer its technology at a significant concession for all customers channeled through Monsha’at. The logistics SaaS provider also earmarked an investment worth USD 10 million over 5 years in the region to drive technology innovation and research and development. This MoU’s objective will be to develop and support SMEs and entrepreneurship under the laws and regulations in force in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and commensurate with the available resources, aiming to drive growth and economic diversification. "We are honored to partner with Monsha'at and thrilled to be a part of KSA's Vision 2030. ...

    Saudi’s first NFT marketplace platform, Nuqtah has raised a seed round of millions of dollars from Blockchain platform Polygon and Animoca Brands. As per the release the new funding will scale Nuqtah’s business over the next 12 months. In 2022, Nuqtah had announced it was planning to raise $5 million in upcoming seed rounds. Licensed by the Saudi Ministry of Communication and Information technology and the Ministry of Investment, Nuqtah aims to to empower its creators, businesses, and users to unlock the new opportunities that the Web3 space offers to the region. Nuqtah allows individuals and businesses to easily build, deploy and monetize NFT collections without having to navigate complicated blockchain infrastructure. Yat Siu, the executive chairman and co-founder of Animoca Brands, commented: “Our investment into Nuqtah is another meaningful step in our commitment to build up the Web3 industry in MENA as well as develop our own capabilities in the region. Nuqtah ...

  WEMADE, the South Korean game developer shifting to blockchain NFTs, DeFi and metaverse has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with KSA based Nine66, a Savvy Games Group ("Savvy") company, to drive the development of the gaming industry in Saudi Arabia. Savvy's long-term objective is to drive the long-term growth and development of the games and e-sports sectors in Saudi Arabia. The group consists of five independent entities covering areas such as game development, e-sports, investments and more. KSA based Nine66 is committed to building and investing in the thriving gaming ecosystem in Saudi Arabia. Nine66 is driving growth and success in the region's gaming industry through a range of initiatives and partnerships, such as publishing, incubator and accelerator programs, training and events, as well as supporting virtual and real-life game development communities. Saudi Arabia is a strong foothold in the Middle East's gaming market, with over 80% of its...

  KSA born Nuqtah NFT marketplace has signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Saudi Telecom group (STC) to tokenize photographs from stc’s Sarha project and mint them in the form of non-fungible assets exclusively on the Nuqtah NFT marketplace. As per the blog, STC is committed to delivering the best customers experience through its advanced technology and innovative solutions. Sarha, the world's first content-generating camel, is set to take its viewers on a journey of discovery. The camel travelled around Saudi Arabia in tandem with the most skilled photographers, capturing stunning images and videos that will be shared with the world. Sarha's journey will take its viewers further than ever before with the broadest network and widest coverage. This unique project provided by stc  has be used to create amazing experiences for people all over the world. As such Nuqtah and stc have come together to create a unique collaboration that will bring the world of phot...