NEWS
KSA’s digital pioneers honoured at IDC CIO
Excellence Awards 2019
delivering game-changing Digital Transformation
initiatives across the Kingdom.
Left to right are: Steven Frantzen, IDC’s Senior Vice President for Europe, the
Middle East, and Africa; Alaa Al Asali – Arab National Bank; Majed Al Tahan,
Co-founder and CEO of Danube Online, BinDawood Group; Dr Saleh AlMugrin
– Ministry of Defense; Hamza Naqshbandi, IDC’s Country Manager for Saudi
Arabia and Bahrain
W
ith more than 100 of the Kingdom’s most influential ICT
leaders in attendance, the IDC Saudi Arabia CIO Summit 2019
closed with a ceremony to mark the second edition of the IDC CIO
Excellence Awards.
At a time when innovation is becoming the hallmark of competitive
success, IDC sought to recognise the efforts of those individuals
and organisations that have excelled in conceptualising and
“CIOs are coming under mounting pressure to disrupt
their organisations in a meaningful and constructive way,
reinventing the experiences of customers, partners, and
employees alike with the help of innovation-accelerating
technologies like Artificial Intelligence, robotics, Blockchain,
and the Internet of Things,” said Hamza Naqshbandi, IDC’s
Country Manager for KSA and Bahrain. “This pressure will
see spending on Digital Transformation initiatives across the
Middle East and Africa top US$25 billion this year, so it’s
only right that the pioneering efforts of the Kingdom’s most
successful and innovative digital leaders are highlighted and
publicly acknowledged in this way.”
IDC had been accepting nominations across three categories since
August and received a total of 50 submissions from 31 different
organisations. IDC’s CIO Advisory Council for Saudi Arabia then
reviewed the nominations, with the winners and finalists in each
category revealed.
Winner of CIO of the Year was Dr Saleh AlMugrin, Ministry of Defense.
//////////////////
STC unveils 10 innovative digital projects
from KSA entrepreneurs
S
TC unveiled 10 innovative digital platform projects created by
young men and women from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
during its participation at GITEX.
Through its strategy, STC is primarily focused on the growth of
services, platforms and digital infrastructure.
The top ten entrepreneurship projects this year were unveiled in the
exhibition. These projects have won STC support through its InspireU
incubator in the field of digital payments, technology, economics,
education, health and sports, including the Solfa project, which is an
electronic platform for lending small amounts up to five thousand
Saudi Riyals within just 15 minutes.
Director General of Corporate Communications, Mohammad bin
Rashid Abalkhail, pointed out that this year’s exhibition showcased
future digital services and solutions that enrich the lives of individuals
and institutions.
He indicated that STC is not just a telecommunications company
but a digital enabler and key player in the Digital Transformation
of the Kingdom according to its Vision 2030. He stated that STC,
through Saudi entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs, told
innovative success stories achieved through the support, training
and relationship building provided to them by STC through
InspireU incubator.
10
INTELLIGENTCIO
www.intelligentcio.com