Walid Abukhaled has retired as CEO of the state-owned defense company Saudi Arabian Military Industries. Abukhaled took over as chief of the Saudi defense business in 2020, succeeding Andrew Schwer, a German national and former executive at Rheinmetall. Before leading SAMI, Abukhaled was CEO of the Middle East unit of Northrop Grumman. Under his leadership,...
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Category: Middle East
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US to Help Boost Jordan’s Disease Response Capability With Pathogen Analysis Training
The United States will help strengthen Jordan’s response capability to disease outbreaks under a joint requirements implementation plan with the Royal Medical Services of the Jordanian Armed Forces. The plan calls for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency under the Department of Defense to mobilize its Biological Threat Reduction Program in collaboration with RMS to organize training...
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UK Blocks Some Arms Sales to Israel Over Human Rights Concerns in Gaza
The British government has suspended 30 arms export licenses to Israel after a review determined that the military equipment covered by the permits might be used to commit international humanitarian law violations amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The suspended items, which the Israeli Defense Forces uses, include fighter aircraft, helicopters and drones and products...
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Advisory Report: Iran-Based Ransomware Actors Targeting US, Foreign Organizations
A joint U.S. advisory from the FBI, the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has identified Iran-based cyber actors conducting ransomware attacks on U.S. and foreign organizations. The cybersecurity advisory warned that the cyber actors, known as Pioneer Kitten, UNC757, Parisite, Rubidium and Lemon Sandstorm, perform ransomware and...
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Convergint Middle East Expansion to Support Saudi Arabia’s Digital Transformation Goals
Schaumburg, Illinois-based global systems integrator Convergint has entered the Saudi Arabian market as part of its expansion plans in the Middle East and Africa regions. The company said it offers security, automation and internet of things solutions that will support Saudi Arabia’s digital evolution involving the development of smart cities, cybersecurity enhancements and tech-driven economic...
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Casper Klynge Joins Zscaler to Lead Government Partnerships Business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa
Zscaler has appointed Casper Klynge as vice president and head of government partnerships for the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions. In a LinkedIn post, Zscaler said Klynge will drive public policy work and strategic relationships with governments, international and regional organizations, and senior leaders across EMEA. His responsibilities also include helping countries, organizations and...
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US Approves Potential $19B Sale of F-15 Jets, Upgrades to Israel
The U.S. Department of State has authorized the potential sale of F-15 fighter jets and related equipment to Israel for an estimated $18.82 billion. Israel requested 50 new F-15IA aircraft and “mid-life modification kits” to upgrade its 25 existing F-15Is to F-15I+s. The package also includes engines, radars, missiles and other military equipment, with deliveries expected...
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U.S., Israel Award Grant for Quantum Computing Collaboration
California-based quantum software firm BlueQubit and Israeli hardware developer Quantum Art have secured a $2.2 million grant from the U.S.-Israel BIRD Foundation to advance quantum computing technology. Under a partnership, the two companies will seek to develop and optimize quantum machine learning algorithms and quantum processor configurations over the next two years to accelerate advancements...
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Turkey Develops ‘Steel Dome’ to Rival Israeli Air Defense System
Turkey said it now has an artificial intelligence-powered. network-centric air defense system to protect the country from regional threats. The system, dubbed “Steel Dome,” was developed by defense electronics manufacturer Aselsan, Roketsan, Sage and Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corp. under the coordination of the Defense Industry Agency, or SSB. According to an SSB announcement, the...
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Oracle Expands Mideast Footprint, Opens New Public Cloud Region in Riyadh
Oracle has launched a second public cloud region in Saudi Arabia, part of the company’s $1.5 billion investment to help advance the kingdom’s cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence-based economy. The Austin, Texas-based cloud services provider, which already operates a public cloud region in Jeddah, added the new center in Riyadh, with plans to set up...