Page 38 - SAMENA Trends - Oct-Nov 2023

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

developmental goals. One of the key previous step to support the growth of digital competencies, support the local
topics covered by the MoU focuses on innovation in Kuwait, Zain signed an MoU startups ecosystem, empower Kuwaiti
empowering entrepreneurs and supporting with Sabah Al Ahmad Center for Giftedness inventors and innovators to excel, and
local startups. Certified trainers and and Creativity (SACGC), a KFAS center. The more to serve the nation’s developmental,
experts from KFAS will join in facilitating agreement built a new strategic partnership economic, and social goals. Through its
highly specialized sessions and workshops that focused on elevating the digital journey that started over 46 years ago, the
for entrepreneurs under Zain’s award- literacy of the youth, empowering creativity Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement
winning tech startup accelerator program, and innovation, and enhancing the local of Sciences seeks to harness science,
Zain Great Idea. This agreement goes in startup ecosystem in the community. The technology and innovation in Kuwait, as
line with Zain’s Innovation Nation initiative, partnership resulted in many successful well as to promote modernization, a better
under which all of Zain’s innovation and programs and initiatives, most notably quality of life, and a sustainable future
entrepreneurship programs fall, especially a summer bootcamp that upskilled over for the Kuwaiti people. KFAS continues to
within science, technology, engineering, 800 children and young people through achieve its mission through many of its
and mathematics (STEM) areas. The 130 courses and workshops that covered centers, including the Scientific Center,
initiative mainly targets the youth, and the fundamentals of electronics, robotics, Dasman Diabetes Center, and Sabah Al
centers around a number of pillars, 3D printers, programming, artificial Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity
including entrepreneurship, investment, intelligence, and more. The MoU fostered (SACGC). Zain has had many successful
startup acceleration, supporting inventors, a joint collaboration between the two and fruitful partnerships with these centers.
fostering innovation, and more. In a partners to elevate digital literacy, develop

AT&T Forms Cybersecurity JV

AT&T agreed to create a standalone AT&T stated the JV will comprise “select
cybersecurity services business with security software solutions, associated
a capital investment company, as the managed security operations and security
US-based operator looks to provide consulting resources”. It expects to close
embedded protection for SMEs. The the transaction in Q1 2024. AT&T is in
operator teamed up with WillJam Ventures, the process of building more security
which AT&T stated has cybersecurity capabilities into its core network and edge
industry and leadership experience. locations. “These security services will be

38 OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2023