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Saudi Arabia’s Largest Cultural Group Officially Launches in Riyadh

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Seven Companies and Twenty Brands Unite to Accelerate Private Sector’s Role in Achieving Saudi Vision 2030 Cultural Goals

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In a landmark moment for the Kingdom’s cultural and creative industries, the Cultural Assets Group has officially launched as Saudi Arabia’s largest cultural consortium. Headquartered in Riyadh, with strategic offices in AlUla, Jeddah, London, Paris, and Unaizah, the group consolidates seven leading companies and over twenty innovative brands, including Backyard Symphony, Knowliom, Knowliom Museum Studio, Sign, Haal, Operal and Backyard Immersions, under a unified platform, to accelerate the development of private sector enterprises operating in the cultural domain.

This strategic formation is in direct response to Saudi Vision 2030, which clearly articulated ambitious goals for the cultural creative economy, establishing robust government initiatives that laid the groundwork for substantial private sector investment. Cultural Assets Group leverages this momentum, becoming a critical engine and a catalyst for sector growth, investment attraction, and innovation, aligning seamlessly with the Kingdom’s vision for cultural and economic transformation.

Chairman Abdullah Khalid Al Zamil emphasized the significance of this step: “Our vision at Cultural Assets Group aligns with Saudi Vision 2030’s ambitious objectives, where culture acts as a catalyst for innovation and sustainable economic development. We are committed to building a future rooted in authenticity and driven by excellence, leaving a lasting impact across the global cultural ecosystem.”

With a dedicated workforce of over 250 specialized professionals, including a nearly even gender split of 51% male and 49% female, Cultural Assets Group boasts comprehensive expertise, including museum design and construction, destination development, cultural events and exhibitions, experience design, community engagement, activation programs, interactive visual production, marketing and communications, and cultural retail. The group collaborates closely with leading national stakeholders such as the Ministry of Culture, Royal Commission for AlUla, Diriyah Gate Development Authority, ROSHN, and Mohammed Bin Salman Foundation (Misk), providing robust capabilities to deliver high-impact projects of national significance. Cultural Assets Group’s launch coincides with the exponential growth of Saudi Arabia’s cultural and tourism sectors, as Saudi Arabia’s cultural and creative industries are expected to contribute approximately $47.9 billion to the GDP by 2030. It is strategically positioned to enhance the Kingdom’s global cultural visibility, empower local creative talent, and drive sustainable growth within the sector, aligning closely with Saudi Vision 2030 objectives. 

“Cultural Assets Group represents a unified, purpose-driven platform committed to advancing the Kingdom’s cultural priorities,” said CEO Abdulaziz AlSulaim. “We exist to grow the sector, back ambitious ideas, and support the scale and sustainability of cultural enterprises. This is more than a business, it’s an engine for empowering transformation, deepening the Saudi cultural identity, and leading through cultural and creative progress.”

The group is poised to offer a compelling developmental model, highlighting Saudi cultural potential globally and underscoring the Kingdom’s commitment to cultural excellence and economic diversification through Saudi Vision 2030.

About Cultural Assets Group

Cultural Assets Group is Saudi Arabia’s largest privately-owned cultural enterprise, uniting seven companies and over twenty brands across the cultural and creative industries. Headquartered in Riyadh, with offices in AlUla, Jeddah, Unaizah, London, and Paris, the Group operates at the intersection of culture, innovation, and economic development.

Established in alignment with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, Cultural Assets Group is committed to advancing the Kingdom’s cultural renaissance and supporting the growth of the creative economy. The Group offers comprehensive services in museum design and construction, destination development, cultural events and exhibitions, experience design, community engagement, activation programs, interactive visual production, marketing and communications, and cultural retail.

With a team of over 250 specialized professionals, Cultural Assets Group collaborates closely with national stakeholders – including the Ministry of Culture, Royal Commission for AlUla, Diriyah Gate Development Authority, ROSHN, and Misk – to deliver high-impact cultural initiatives.

Cultural Assets Group is dedicated to building an inspiring and sustainable cultural narrative that deepens community connections and transcends time, reflecting the Kingdom’s rich culture and dynamic future.

For Media Enquiries:
Cultural Assets Group
Email: pr@culturalassets.sa
https://www.culturalassets.sa/en
Online Media Resources: 
https://www.culturalassets.sa/en/media-center-page#Visual-identity-sec

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pulQ5PeECUs
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2691842/Cultural_Group_Officially_Launches.jpg

 

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KUN Group Secures Hong Kong SFC Licence for Type 1, 4 and 9 Activities, Expanding Digital Financial Services

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HONG KONG, Nov. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A Hong Kong subsidiary of KUN Group has been granted a licence by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) to carry on Type 1 (Dealing in Securities), Type 4 (Advising on Securities) and Type 9 (Asset Management) regulated activities. Following approval-in-principle in September 2026, the formal licensing marks a significant step in KUN’s plans to expand its securities, virtual asset and asset management businesses in Hong Kong.

The Type 1 licence includes permission to provide virtual asset dealing services, enabling KUN to expand its regulated virtual asset dealing capabilities in Hong Kong through SFC-licensed trading platforms, subject to applicable licence conditions. The Type 4 licence also covers securities and virtual asset advisory services, while Type 9 supports asset management services for professional investors.

KUN is also targeting Q1 2027 for the initial rollout of its tokenised investment product distribution services. The planned offering includes tokenised money market funds, tokenised bond funds and tokenised gold-related investment products. Acting as a distributor, KUN aims to broaden the investment options available to eligible clients, subject to applicable product eligibility and distribution requirements, while addressing their asset allocation and financial management needs.

KUN will participate in Singapore FinTech Festival 2026 (SFF 2026) from 18 to 20 November, engaging with global financial institutions and ecosystem partners on developments in digital finance. On 20 November, KUN Founder and Group CEO Dr. Louis Liu will join Vidit Agrawal, Vice President, Partnerships & Business Development, APAC at Circle, for an official SFF fireside chat, Making Stablecoin Payments Work for Business — Powered by Circle, exploring the practical application of stablecoin payments in business operations.

About KUN

KUN is the trusted vertical digital payments platform for real economies, focused on digital payments and embedded finance. Backed by a global licensing, compliance and risk-management framework, KUN connects Asia with emerging markets worldwide. KUN operates across Cross-Border Digital Payments, On-Chain Finance and Global Card Issuing, leveraging KUN Nexus™, a 24/7 global liquidity network linking fiat and digital assets, to serve enterprises across commodity trading, B2B cross-border trade, digital services and AI applications.

Learn more about KUN: www.kun.global

CONTACT: brandmkt@kun.global

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/kun-group-secures-hong-kong-sfc-licence-for-type-1-4-and-9-activities-expanding-digital-financial-services-302938677.html

SOURCE KUN Global

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Showcasing AI-Driven Grid Transformation: Huawei Demonstrates Atlas 950 Infrastructure and Industry Insights at GCC POWER 2026

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MUSCAT, Oman, Nov. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As AI moves into production, what ultimately determines how much intelligence a power company can deliver is the compute underneath.

AI infrastructure is precisely where Huawei has its strengths. The Atlas 950 SuperPoD full-stack platform supports all the applications showcased. It has three core advantages.

First, the efficiency revolution. The new cluster’s FLOPS utilization has increased by 1.6 times, inference latency has been reduced by 5 times. Through 80% of the liquid cooling design, the full lifecycle operational costs have been significantly reduced.

Second, safety and reliability. The mean time between failures has been extended by 10 times.

Third, the architecture and scale are leading. The fully configured system can support up to 8,192 Ascend 950DT chips. The system can be continuously expanded, protecting customer investments.

Atlas 950 not only provides powerful computing capabilities but also embodies our vision for green energy and smart grids.

Jacky Wang, Vice President of Huawei Electric Power Digitalization BU, stated: “The implementation of technology can’t be achieved without the support of open standards. We are actively participating in international standard organizations such as CIGRE, IEEE, and IEC. The IEEE 2413.2 reference architecture standard, which Huawei has led in contributing to, has significantly simplified the complexity of power grid systems. Meanwhile, Huawei’s contribution to IEEE 1901.5 provides a solid technical specification for power line communication. At the same time, we also call for increased efforts in cultivating AI talent in the power sector. Because we all know that “technology is just a tool, and talent is the core engine driving innovation.”

Jacky Wang highlighted in his speech: “The future of AI relies on power; the future of power is powered by AI.” He called for collaboration: “Let us join hands and work together. On one hand, we should promote the optimization of regulatory mechanisms and increase AI investment. On the other hand, we should deepen the co-construction of standards and empower the modernization of the power grid through an open ecosystem.”

The event organizer, GCC, expressed gratitude to Huawei for its contributions. Huawei looks forward to working more closely with local utilities and CIGRE in the GCC region to build a secure, resilient, and inclusive digital energy transformation model for the Gulf.

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Mastercard opens its largest Innovation Centre of Excellence in Asia Pacific to drive the intelligence economy

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New 7,200+ sq ft Singapore facility brings together global expertise to turn ideas into solutions for more than 40 Asia Pacific markets and beyond, with plans to create over 250 specialist roles by 2029.

SINGAPORE, Nov. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Mastercard today opened its largest Innovation Centre of Excellence (ICoE) in Asia Pacific, creating a new regional hub where financial institutions, merchants, governments and technology partners can work alongside Mastercard specialists to shape the future of commerce in the intelligence economy.

The 7,200+ sq ft facility brings together expertise in AI, cybersecurity, customer experience and rapid prototyping, turning promising ideas into real-world solutions faster. More than 55 specialists are already working across the ICoE to help partners address emerging challenges, strengthen resilience and create better digital experiences.

Mastercard plans to add over 250 specialist roles in Singapore by the end of 2029, expanding the talent and capabilities needed to advance responsible AI, trusted digital commerce, cybersecurity, data and payments across the region.

“Mastercard’s Innovation Centre of Excellence brings together banks, merchants, technology companies and governments to develop and test new solutions. By combining expertise in AI, cybersecurity and fraud intelligence, it will help turn emerging technologies into solutions that businesses and consumers can trust,” said Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry), Singapore, at the launch. “I hope the ICoE will become a lighthouse for payments innovation in Asia Pacific, where new solutions are developed and proven in Singapore, before being adapted and deployed across ASEAN, India and beyond.” 

“Mastercard’s Innovation Centre of Excellence marks a new chapter in our long-standing and multi-faceted partnership. By deepening its capabilities in AI, cybersecurity and threat intelligence, Mastercard will tackle emerging challenges and seize new opportunities across Asia Pacific. Singapore will continue to be a key hub where companies like Mastercard can innovate and pioneer the next generation of technologies for global markets, and create high-value jobs for Singaporeans,” said Png Cheong Boon, Chairman, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).

Bringing together the capabilities to build what’s next

Designed to evolve with changing technologies, risks and business models, the ICoE brings four complementary spaces together in one facility:

AI Centre of Excellence: advancing responsible AI solutions that can make commerce safer, smarter and more intuitive, including applications in agentic commerce, fraud and scam prevention. Fusion Centre: bringing together expertise across cyber, fraud and physical security to identify emerging risks, coordinate response efforts and strengthen resilience across the ecosystem.Mastercard Experience Centre: giving financial institutions, merchants and public sector partners an immersive way to explore emerging technologies and new possibilities for their businesses. Makerspace: providing a hands-on environment to rapidly prototype, test and refine ideas, shortening the journey from concept to reality.

“Singapore continues to distinguish itself through its ambition, talent and ability to stay ahead of change. Mastercard has been proud to grow its presence here. This new investment reflects our confidence in Singapore’s future and Mastercard’s commitment to being a partner for the long term,” said Jon Huntsman, Vice Chairman and President, Strategic Growth, Mastercard.

“Asia Pacific is moving quickly into a more intelligent and interconnected economy. The opportunity is to turn new technology into real-world value, securely and at scale,” said Richard Wormald, President, Asia Pacific, Mastercard. “The ICoE builds on Mastercard’s longstanding collaboration with EDB and Singapore’s strength as a proven testbed for innovation. It unites capabilities that traditionally sat apart, supporting the region in tackling shared challenges and moving promising ideas into practice faster.”

From Singapore, shaping the future of commerce across Asia Pacific 

The opening of ICoE in Singapore comes as businesses across Asia Pacific look to close the gap between technology experimentation and adoption. By 2030, more than one in 10 online shoppers are projected to routinely use AI agents to make purchases on their behalf, while US$3 trillion to US$5 trillion in global consumer commerce could be influenced or orchestrated by agentic AI. Realizing this opportunity will require businesses to deploy new technologies responsibly, with security, governance and human oversight built in from the outset, particularly in a region where cybercrime already accounts for over 30% of recorded crime.

The ICoE will connect Mastercard expertise and insights across more than 40 Asia Pacific markets. From Singapore, it will develop solutions for the region’s diverse needs, with the potential for the strongest ideas to scale globally. 

Mastercard has more than 850 employees in Singapore, home to its Asia Pacific headquarters and a key market support centre for the region, with the workforce expected to exceed 1,000 by the end of 2029. This growth will deepen the expertise needed to shape a more intelligent, connected and secure future for commerce.

Download high-resolution visuals and supporting materials of the ICoE in Singapore here.

About Mastercard

Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re building a resilient economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.

www.mastercard.com

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SOURCE Mastercard

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