News

Amazon Is Planning To Create Over 1,500 Jobs In Saudi Arabia

Published

4 years ago

March 23, 2021

Amazon

E-commerce giant, Amazon, has recently announced its plan to open 11 brand new buildings across Saudi Arabia. Once all the new buildings are opened, which should happen by the end of 2021, they will create over 1,500 new jobs.

Right now, Amazon has three warehouses in Saudi Arabia, referred to as fulfillment centers, located in Riyadh and Jeddah. With the planned buildings, Amazon’s total floor area is supposed to reach 867,000 square feet, or about 80,000 square meters.

Amazon wants to enhance its storage capacity by 89 percent and its geographical delivery network by 58 percent to better cope with the growing demand for its services in the region. In addition to building new facilities, the company will also upgrade existing ones to enable faster, smarter, and more consistent deliveries of products to customers.

“These new investments reiterate our commitment to Saudi Arabia, contributing to the local economy through the creation of new job opportunities,” said Prashant Saran, Amazon’s Middle East and North Africa director of operations.

“Our investments in technology and infrastructure align with Saudi’s digital transformation goals, enabling world-class fulfillment offerings to our independent seller partners, and faster delivery on an expanded product selection to our customers,” Saran added.

Amazon is among the biggest winners of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its net profit increased by 84 percent to $21.3 billion as revenue grew 38 percent to $386.1 billion. In January of this year, the company launched its Amazon Prime service in Saudi Arabia, offering many convenient perks to Saudi shoppers, including free same-day and next-day delivery.

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A small survey of nearly 1,000 Saudi shoppers conducted by advertising platform Criteo last year found that 58 percent of Saudis now prefer online shopping to in-store shopping, and 35 percent see the cost of shipping as a big factor in their decision-making process.

With the new facilities, Amazon will be ready to expand its presence in the region even further to meet customers’ growing expectations.

News

Viasat Satellite Messaging Tech Showcased In Saudi Arabia

The direct-to-device (D2D) demonstration highlighted the technology’s potential to revolutionize remote communication.

Published

4 days ago

November 28, 2024

Nour Nasir

viasat satellite messaging tech showcased in saudi arabia

Satellite communications firm Viasat announced yesterday that it had completed its first demonstration of direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity technology in Saudi Arabia. The live broadcast took place during the “Connecting the World from the Skies” event in Riyadh, organized by Saudi Arabia’s Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST) alongside the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Attendees witnessed successful satellite-based two-way messaging and SOS alerts sent using commercial Android smartphones and a combination of Viasat’s robust L-band satellite network and the Bullitt over-the-top messaging app. Signals were transmitted using the company’s L-band spacecraft positioned over the Indian Ocean, while the infrastructure for 3GPP NTN services was deployed by Viasat’s partner Skylo.

Sandeep Moorthy, Viasat’s Chief Technical Officer, emphasized the significance of the demonstration, explaining, “By expanding our direct-to-device innovation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we’re showcasing the potential for D2D services in the fast-growing Gulf and Asia-Pacific region. D2D could help reduce barriers to connectivity in regions where terrestrial services are spotty and unavailable to help transform industries and supply chains, enable new opportunities, and to become more efficient, sustainable and safer. We’d like to thank the CST for their support in carrying out this exciting demonstration”.

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D2D technology allows devices like smartphones, vehicles, and industrial equipment to connect seamlessly to both satellite and terrestrial networks. Unlike traditional satellite setups, D2D eliminates the need for extra hardware, thanks to emerging global standards that are gaining traction among satellite operators, mobile network providers, and tech manufacturers.

What makes this approach particularly promising is that Viasat uses a licensed, dedicated satellite spectrum to deliver its D2D services. This avoids any interference with existing terrestrial networks, allowing smooth integration with mobile network operators in the future.

The demonstration clearly showed the potential of D2D technology to bridge connectivity gaps in remote regions while opening up opportunities for innovation, improved safety, sustainability, and efficiency.