Disprz, a prominent skilling and talent development company based in India, is set to revolutionize Saudi Arabia's workforce through its AI-powered strategy. Following a successful $30 million Series C funding round, Disprz aims to leverage its global expertise and expand its footprint in Saudi Arabia, collaborating with key enterprises such as NEOM, SRMG, and Tawuniya Insurance. The company employs AI to identify specific skills required for different roles, offering tailored training programs to meet evolving industry demands.
Global climate technology investment from the Middle East saw a significant surge of nearly 200%, reaching $5 billion in the year ending September 2023, according to PwC’s Middle East Climate Tech report. Saudi Arabia led the way, contributing over $3 billion to these investments. Despite this global growth, the report notes an 84% year-on-year drop in funding for regional entrepreneurs, with only $152 million directed to local companies. While regional businesses are focusing on global climate tech spending, the report emphasizes the need for increased support for local entrepreneurs to address regional climate challenges. It calls for the establishment of specialized funds, off-take agreements, and efforts to reduce investment risks in the climate tech sector.
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The Asia-Pacific (APAC) cyber security workforce has seen an 11.8% growth, reaching a record high of 960,231 individuals, according to ISC2’s latest Cybersecurity Workforce Study. Despite the increase, there is a demand for 2.6 million professionals in APAC to adequately safeguard digital assets, representing a 23.4% increase from 2022. The study also highlights challenges, including a shortage of cyber security talent, economic uncertainty, AI impact, fragmented regulations, and skills gaps. Overall, the top three skills gaps in APAC were identified as AI and machine learning (33%), cloud security (32%), and penetration testing (29%).
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In a landmark collaboration, technology leaders HP and Google have announced a strategic alliance to commence the local manufacturing of Chromebooks within India. This pivotal move not only underscores the global tech giants' commitment to the 'Make in India' initiative but also holds immense implications for the country's technological landscape.
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OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman is set to return as the head of the company after being fired by the board, a decision that initially led to staff threats of mass resignations. The agreement, still in principle, includes the appointment of new board members. Altman's abrupt dismissal last week, leading to co-founder Greg Brockman's resignation, created turmoil at the prominent artificial intelligence company. Microsoft, OpenAI's biggest investor, offered Altman a role leading a new advanced AI research team. Altman's return is now agreed in principle, with a partially reconstituted board that includes former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor and former US treasury secretary Larry Summers.
The Black Friday sale has kicked off in India, with various e-commerce platforms presenting substantial discounts on sought-after products like the iPhone 15, Dyson V12 vacuum cleaner, AirPods Pro, Samsung Galaxy S23, Sony 4K TV, and more. If you didn't catch the earlier Diwali sales, now is the perfect time to explore some of the finest deals on electronics available during this Black Friday event in India.
Chipmaker Broadcom has successfully concluded its $69 billion acquisition of cloud computing company VMware, marking one of the largest takeover deals in the technology sector. Broadcom, based in San Jose, California, focuses on semiconductor chip design and infrastructure software solutions. Meanwhile, VMware, headquartered in Palo Alto, California, specializes in virtualization software. The acquisition aims to establish a leading infrastructure technology company, fostering the creation of private and hybrid cloud environments for versatile application deployment. The deal received legal merger clearances in various countries, including China, marking a milestone in the context of global trade dynamics and technological competition between the US and China.