From consumer to exporter, Saudi Arabia uses anime to spread Arab culture around world
Updated 14 February 2024
Arab News Japan
TOKYO: The Arab world, and particularly Saudi Arabia, is one of the biggest consumers of Japanese anime and manga.
In recent years, local talent has helped the Kingdom become a creator of the animated content.
CEO of Manga Productions Essam Bukhary told CNN Arabic Business that the region had gone from being a consumer to an exporter of anime on a global level, thanks to its young Arab talent.
The Saudi company is a subsidiary of the Misk Foundation and in 2019 produced the “Future’s Folktales” series. Two years later it released the first-ever Japanese-Saudi anime film “The Journey” as part of a cooperation initiative with Japanese company Toei Animation.
In November, Manga Productions launched three new video game titles including “UFO Robot Grendizer: The Feast of the Wolves,” “The Smurfs 2: The Prisoner of the Green Stone,” and “Flashback 2.”
With the releases, Saudi Arabia aims to compete on a global level in the anime and video game market.
CEO of Manga Productions Essam Bukhary
Bukhary noted that in 2022 the number of anime viewers in Saudi Arabia was around 13 million and that the figure had reached approximately 60 million in the Arab world.
He said: “This huge market increases the need to create a competitive advantage locally and globally.”
While the produced content was successful, it did not mean there were no challenges.
Bukhary pointed out that previously there had been few opportunities for Arab and Saudi talents to work on anime projects.
He added that the existing works of anime in the Arab world did not present the correct image of Arab culture, and that Manga Productions was attempting to overcome such challenges in its work on animation, video games, and manga writing.
The company’s partnership with Toei Animation helped Japanese experts train Saudi talents, before recruiting them to work on the production of its projects.
Manga Productions also launched a training program with the Saudi Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission, in which trainees learn the intricate art of manga through a professional program that incorporates Japanese techniques.
More than 1,700 trainees registered for the virtual workshops. Of those, 75 qualified for the intensive training program and produced 75 comic stories. Fourteen trainees were sent to Japan to further develop their skills.
Additionally, the program received 130 and 70 applications, respectively, for two competition events focused on transforming Arabic poems into manga.
The commission, in collaboration with Manga Productions, aims to enrich the creative content industry in the Kingdom.
Bukhary said the Saudi anime and video game industry was expected to exceed $6.5 billion by 2030, up from around $1 billion now.
On an international level, he noted that the “Future’s Folktales” series gained more than 100 million views on at least 40 international platforms.
The Saudi anime “The Journey” has been translated into six languages on 52 international platforms since its release.
First AlUla World Archaeology Summit Symposium 2024 unearths past for the present and future
Updated 3 sec ago
Jasmine Bager
ALULA: Antiquity came alive here at the first AlUla World Archaeology Summit Symposium 2024 titled “Moving Forward: Past, Present and Future in the Archaeology and Heritage of Mobile Communities.”
Held on Oct. 30 and 31, it was organized by the Royal Commission for AlUla and is a part of the new biennial series aimed at fostering global dialogue among experts in archeology and cultural heritage.
This year’s symposium provided a platform for in-depth discussions on the interactions between mobile and settled communities, with participants sharing global research, case studies and best practices.
The event took place at Maraya, the world’s largest mirrored building, which has 9,740 glass panels reflecting AlUla’s desert and landscape.
Built in 2019, Maraya has become an iconic part of AlUla’s cultural scene, hosting concerts, exhibitions and events that showcase both modern and traditional Saudi Arabia culture.
It was the perfect place to quite literally reflect on the past, while living in the present and looking to the future.
Reflecting on the symposium’s theme of mobility, organizers also addressed the global experience of halted movement during the recent COVID-19 global pandemic.
The theme of this year’s symposium encouraged critical examination of past and present mobility, from prehistory onward, as people have moved for various reasons; to access scarce resources, adapt to environmental pressures and respond to socio-political instability.
Speakers from six continents gathered to discuss topics including trade, commerce, climate change and conflict — all of which have shaped mobile communities throughout history.
The symposium highlights included keynote addresses by Willeke Wendrich from the University of California, Los Angeles, Stefano Biagetti from Pompeu Fabra University, UNESCO’s Peter DeBrine, and Khalid Alasmari from King Saud University.
Attendees visited archeological sites in Khaybar and Tayma and participated in panels and workshops focused on Saudi Arabia’s expanding role in archaeology.
In addition, the symposium program featured a new, specially-curated showcase of recent archaeological discoveries in AlUla, along with a preview of a world-first exhibition that will include artifacts from the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli in Italy.
Ekhlass Al-Qananweh, who holds a doctorate in Northwest Semitic epigraphy, expressed delight at attending the symposium.
“I have a deep interest in antiquities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and journeyed here from Jordan to the architectural marvel that is Maraya to attend this gathering of the sharpest minds in the world of archaeology,” she told Arab News.
“In addition to the talks, I look with keen interest at the extremely qualified upcoming generation of archeologists — many of whom are in attendance — and I’m particularly interested in the vital participation of Saudi women in the field of archeological studies and in managing heritage and preserving it.”
During an Arab News interview, Adam Ford, cultural-heritage content expert at the royal commission, emphasized AlUla’s global significance and why it was chosen as host of the symposium.
“It is the World Archaeology Summit — it’s not an AlUla Summit. We want the world to come to us to discuss the world,” he said.
“The local community should be regarded as research partners with us,” he said, reiterating the RCU’s commitment to involving indigenous populations in preserving their heritage and amplifying it worldwide.
Ford also shared personal insights on the continuity of human experience across millennia. “We stand on the shoulders of giants … millions of actions and decisions and mistakes made by people of the past all culminate to now.”
He said that “although we will never meet these people,” their stories and choices continue to shape humanity’s present, emphasizing a universal pattern to endure, overcome challenges and pass on knowledge to future generations.
Certainly, if the lands could speak, they would echo stories that date back thousands of years when Lihyanite and Nabataean kingdoms reigned.
Today, AlUla contains lush oases, mountains and ancient heritage sites — as well as a thriving modern society. The best-known location in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A 52-hectare ancient settlement, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean kingdom. It comprises more than 100 well-preserved tombs, many with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement.
In addition, AlUla is home to ancient Dadan, the capital of the kingdoms of Dadan and Lihyan, which is considered to be one of the most developed cities of the first millennium B.C.E. in the Arabian Peninsula.
There is also Jabal Ikmah, an open-air library with hundreds of inscriptions and writings, which has been listed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.
AlUla Old Town, a hodgepodge, labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes, dotted with small businesses developed from at least the 12th century, was selected as one of the world’s Best Tourism Villages in 2022 by UN Tourism.
Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, vice president of culture at the RCU, spoke about AlUla’s unique heritage in light of the symposium, describing it as “a crossroads for connection, cultural and knowledge exchange.”
“Today, AlUla is one of the world’s most active areas for archeological exploration, with over 30,000 areas of archeological interest identified and more than a dozen active research projects,” he said.
“We established this event to become a progressive and leading platform for dialogue and collaboration, holding the first gathering in 2023 with an alternate format of symposium one year and summit the next.
“We are already laying the groundwork to build on the momentum of this event and for AWAS 2025.”
How AI and fintech are redefining the banking landscape in Saudi Arabia
Generative AI in banking is enabling personalized services, predictive analytics, and faster customer support
Saudi fintech leader MOZN is driving the financial AI transformation through its platforms FOCAL and OSOS
Updated 13 min 46 sec ago
Sulafa Alkhunaizi
RIYADH: The financial industry is undergoing a seismic transformation, with artificial intelligence and fintech reshaping everything from regulatory compliance and customer experience to counter-fraud measures.
Across the globe, banks are adopting generative AI and machine learning to drive innovation, reduce costs, and enhance security. Saudi Arabia is emerging as a key player, with local tech companies like MOZN spearheading change.
Speaking to Arab News, Mohammed Alhussein, MOZN’s founder and CEO, highlighted the “enormous improvements in how financial institutions offer their services to customers” over the last decade.
“There are more products that reach more people. Those products are better, faster, and are being offered online,” he said. At the same time, however, the growth of online banking services has also “opened the door for fraudsters.”
Banks are rapidly integrating AI for a host of benefits, including predictive analytics, automated compliance, and fraud detection.
A key driver is the need for real-time, data-driven insights. The ability of AI to analyze vast amounts of data quickly is transforming how banks assess risk, manage assets, and engage with customers.
For instance, AI has enabled high-speed trading and personalized customer services by leveraging machine learning to identify individual preferences and optimize service offerings.
Shutterstock illustration image
AI’s predictive capabilities also allow for better risk assessment, making it easier for banks to anticipate and mitigate potential financial risks.
Generative AI is also playing a significant role in areas like customer service and product development.
In the banking sector, it powers “intelligent banking” systems that enhance customer experience by summarizing customer conversations and improving support agent responses.
It also assists advisers in retrieving essential product information quickly, thereby reducing the response time and elevating service quality for clients.
Furthermore, AI-driven tools are automating compliance processes, making it easier for banks to adhere to evolving regulatory standards, potentially saving financial institutions from costly penalties and reputational damage.
DID YOUKNOW?
• Saudi fintech leader MOZN has driven financial AI transformation through its platforms FOCAL and OSOS.
• Generative AI in banking is enabling personalized services, predictive analytics, and faster customer support.
• Banks leverage AI-driven fraud detection systems, identifying transactional anomalies in real time.
• MOZN was recently listed among the Top 250 Fintech Companies globally by CNBC and Statista.
With online banking services expanding, banks face an increased risk of fraud. AI is essential in developing sophisticated fraud detection systems that can identify anomalies in real time.
For example, fintech platforms now monitor large volumes of transaction data to identify potentially fraudulent activity instantaneously, helping mitigate risks before they escalate.
“Everything is digital. This means that financial institutions must now make identity-related decisions in real-time,” said Alhussein. “AI is really good at identifying anomalous behavior analysis patterns and doing it really quickly.”
MOZN founder and CEO Mohammed Alhussein highlighted the “enormous improvements in how financial institutions offer their services to customers” over the last decade. (AN photo/by Abdulrahman bin Shalhoub)
Advanced AI-driven compliance systems are also evolving. These systems are designed to constantly adapt to regulatory changes and identify emerging threats.
The automation of regulatory compliance processes allows banks to operate more efficiently, focusing on growth without compromising security.
Such systems are critical in Saudi Arabia, where financial institutions are expanding their services rapidly to keep up with the country’s Vision 2030 goals of a diversified, innovation-driven economy.
MOZN’s flagship compliance platform, FOCAL, is a prime example of AI in action, tailored to combat financial fraud through a unique blend of real-time identity verification and anomaly detection.
Mozn announced its FOCAL Anti-Fraud product at Saudi Arabia's LEAP 2023 tech conference at Riyadh Front Expo Center. (Supplied)
FOCAL actively screens and analyzes both customer and transactional data, immediately flagging suspicious activity that may indicate fraud or compliance breaches.
“We work with the financial sector specifically on one challenge, which is navigating and protecting against the risks of financial fraud,” said Alhussein.
“FOCAL is an AI-powered risk and compliance platform that financial institutions use to help protect their assets and their customers’ assets.”
MOZN has also developed OSOS, a generative AI platform specifically designed for Arabic language users.
MOZN's generative AI platform Osos is specifically designed for Arabic language users. (Supplied)
As Arabic content on the web grows, OSOS provides a culturally relevant solution, handling Arabic linguistic nuances and serving enterprises across the region.
Equipped with anti-hallucination features, OSOS minimizes bias and enhances accuracy by training on a diverse, balanced dataset. This feature is crucial as it ensures outputs are relevant and reliable, which is especially important for business and regulatory contexts.
“In developing OSOS, two of the main cornerstones of the values we are adding are minimizing both bias and hallucinations,” said Alhussein.
“OSOS has performed exceptionally well in different benchmarks that we’ve tested, and we’re very optimistic about where this is going.”
MOZN’s advancements have not gone unnoticed. The company was recently listed among the Top 250 Fintech Companies globally by CNBC and Statista — a testament to its influence in the fintech industry.
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This achievement underscores the company’s success not only in technology but also in meeting the specific needs of financial institutions in the region.
By achieving a 350 percent increase in customer acquisition since 2022, MOZN exemplifies the upward trajectory of Saudi fintech.
MOZN office in Riyadh. (AN photo/by Abdulrahman bin Shalhoub)
Its success reflects a broader regional trend of fintech growth, as countries in the Middle East and North Africa increasingly embrace digital transformation in banking, and advances in AI across all sectors and industries.
“The future of AI in Saudi Arabia is extremely exciting,” said Alhussein.
“We’re incredibly fortunate to be a company born in Saudi Arabia and to witness the amazing transformation happening in the country, specifically regarding technology and artificial intelligence.”
King Salman, crown prince offer condolences to Spain following deadly flooding
The flash floods, which occurred late Tuesday and into Wednesday, have claimed at least 158 lives
Updated 17 min 29 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have extended their condolences to King Felipe VI of Spain in the aftermath of catastrophic flash floods that have ravaged the country’s southeastern region, resulting in extensive loss of life and leaving many unaccounted for.
In separate cables to the Spanish monarch, both Saudi leaders expressed heartfelt condolences and deep sympathy to the Spanish people, the families of the victims, and those affected, offering their hopes for the safe return of the missing.
The flash floods, which occurred late Tuesday and into Wednesday, have claimed at least 158 lives, with 155 fatalities recorded in the Valencia region alone.
Spain, which has endured nearly two years of drought, saw its hardened ground unable to absorb the intense rainfall, causing severe flash floods that left vehicles and buildings inundated.
Search and rescue operations continued on Thursday as crews combed through stranded cars and flooded homes for victims.
“Unfortunately, there are dead people inside some vehicles,” Spain’s Transport Minister Oscar Puente stated earlier, as the death toll spiked from 95 on Wednesday night.
Authorities warn that more victims may still be discovered as rescue efforts proceed.
Saudi and Bahraini interior ministers inspect upgrades on King Fahd Causeway
Updated 27 min 51 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: The Saudi Minister of Interior and his Bahraini counterpart visited the King Fahd Causeway on Thursday to inspect ongoing developments aimed at improving transit efficiency between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
During the visit, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud and Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa received briefings on various projects by the King Fahd Causeway Authority, including plans to expand procedure zones and increase the crossing’s capacity, Saudi Press Agency reported.
These upgrades align with directives from the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council to streamline travel between the two nations.
Additionally, the ministers reviewed newly implemented passenger lounges for public transportation users and the prepaid toll routes, which have successfully reduced toll gate waiting times to under 15 seconds.
The improvements are part of broader efforts to enhance travel experiences for the growing number of people using the causeway.
AlUla event discusses effects of climate change on archeology
The workshop was attended by 30 experts in the field
Updated 49 min ago
Jasmine Bager
ALULA: As part of the first AlUla World Archeology Summit Symposium, held in AlUla between Oct. 30-31, an in-depth talk on climate change was held as part of a dedicated workshop.
The results of the event will be published later this year in an upcoming white paper.
Seke Katsamudanga from the University of Zimbabwe presented insights from a cyclone that hit his home country in 2019 and impacted archeological sites.
Since the cyclone destroyed important sites that had not yet been fully researched, it is unknown what was lost, he said.
“We people from different parts of the world with different views at the workshop came together today to continue discussions over the common issues. It is all connected,” Katsamudanga told Arab News.
Hans-Georg Gebel from Freie Universitat Berlin also led the discussion.
“Man should not be going against nature but should go with nature, for a better future,” Gebel told Arab News.
“We cannot change climate change — only to a certain extent — it has to be united by all the nations,” he added, praising the AlUla symposium as a pioneering effort in the field.
He praised the new archeology-centric biennale format, and said that the event offered in hope in tackling the topic of climate change within the archeological context.
The workshop was attended by 30 experts in the field. They explored the challenges presented by climate change and natural disasters on mobile communities and mobility patterns up to the present day.
Arab News also spoke to participant Elinaza Mjema, chair of the department of archeology and heritage studies at the University of Dar es Salaam.
“The light of archeology somehow was fading in some parts of the world, but through the symposium I see that the other part of the world, in AlUla, is now coming up,” Mjema said.
“Here we are looking at climate change as a threat — we are using archeology as a tool to mitigate some of the problems that we are facing as humanity today. Climate change is cutting across — it is all connected, not localized,” he added.
Many of the ceramic artifacts scattered around the ground within the ruins of AlUla are similar to those found in Mjema’s native West Africa, which he assumes is the result of historical trading connections.
“This workshop and site visits have provided climate change discourse relevant to provide lessons from the past,” he said.
