Filmathon
The Filmathon initiative was launched with the aim of supporting the growth of the film industry and stimulating the production and development of innovative technologies in the industry, by attracting technical talents at the local and global levels and enabling them to design and develop initial technical products/concepts that contribute to solving a number of film industry challenges in the Kingdom. The qualifiers participated in two tracks; the track of developing digital solutions to empower the film industry sector and the track of building 3D digital film sets in the metaverse. The initiative provided an intensive 66-hour training program for 126 participants, which included a virtual training camp and an in-person hackathon. The program was led by a select group of 20 Saudi, regional and international experts, in which Mr. Redha Al-Haider, Mr. Hamza Jamjoom, Nico Lumma and Paul Dawalibi participated. The training program resulted in the development of 20 initial technical products/concepts, and concluded with an in-person final ceremony on the sidelines of the Saudi Film Forum, where cash prizes worth 650,000 thousand riyals were awarded to 6 winning teams.
Digital Innovation Award – Second Edition
The Digital Innovation Award was launched with the aim of enriching the culture of digital innovation and research and development, by motivating digital researchers and holders of technical patents to develop distinguished innovations and enhance entrepreneurial capabilities, in addition to accelerating the process of commercialization and launching their projects and providing them with the required technical and advisory support. The award provided an intensive training program of more than 2,000 training and advisory hours for 144 participants, which included a virtual training camp and an in-person presentation day. The program was led by a select group of 58 Saudi, regional and international experts, and resulted in the development of 20 prototypes and patents, and the granting of digital empowerment incentives worth 500,000 thousand riyals to the best 20 teams.
Soudah Season
Soudah Season was a festive event held in the enchanting Asir region of Saudi Arabia, showcasing the beauty of the Kingdom’s highest peak and the immense tourism potential it offers. The season offered adventure activities such as mountain climbing, paragliding and bungee jumping, in addition to hosting cultural events showcasing local traditions, embodied by the “Rijal Al Tayeb” Festival and the historic Rijal Almaa Village. The season attracted +400,000 visitors from all over the world, in addition to creating seasonal job opportunities for more than 500 young Saudis. The Beyond team managed the season, established and operated a project management office, managed a solidarity of +40 local, regional and global partners, and managed stakeholders at the executive level, resulting in an exceptional customer journey.
ThinkTech Forum
In partnership with the Saudi Electronic Sports Federation and Zain, the ThinkTech Forum was launched as part of the (Gamers Without Borders) initiative. This forum was organized to bring together those interested, experts, entrepreneurs and investors in the field of electronic game development to communicate and share their global and local experiences, with the aim of spreading awareness about the world of electronic game industry and development. The forum hosted the most prominent global electronic game development experts and highlighted their inspiring and motivating experiences in this field. The forum was attended by the Undersecretary of Future Jobs and Digital Leadership at the Ministry; Dr. Ahmed Al-Thunayan, and the CEO of the Saudi Electronic Sports Federation; Turki Al-Fawzan. In addition to a select group of international experts, the forum included Trip Hawkins, Founder and CEO of Electronic Arts (EA), Marcus Dimpfel, Partner at EY-Parthenon Strategy, and Chester King, CEO of British Esport.
Angel Investment Forum
Launched in 2020, the Angel Investment Forum is the first angel investment forum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The forum was organized to increase deal flow between Saudi entrepreneurs and investors, provide guidance to the startup and investment community locally and regionally, and bring together experts, investors, businessmen and interested parties to connect and receive local, regional and international insights on the latest trends in early-stage investments. Attended by +4,000 people from +40 countries, the virtual forum hosted a select group of 28 local, regional and international experts, investors and entrepreneurs. The forum was attended by His Excellency Eng. Saleh bin Ibrahim Al-Rasheed; Governor of Monshaat; His Excellency Dr. Nabil Koshak; CEO of the Saudi Venture Capital Company; His Excellency Mr. Mohammed Al-Gwaiz; Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Capital Market Authority; and Ms. Amal Dokhan; General Partner at 500 Global and CEO of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) at the time, as well as top angel investors in the space, including David Rose, investor, entrepreneur and CEO of Gust, Brad Feld, co-founder of Techstars and managing director of VC Foundry, and A. Faris Al-Rashed; founder of Oqal Group.
StartSmart Competition
StartSmart Competition is an annual event designed to empower entrepreneurs and enhance the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in partnership with the International University (MIT). The competition included 4 tracks: Ideas Track, Startups Track, Social Enterprise Track, and Environment Track. The competition provided an intensive 202-hour training and mentoring program for 191 participants, which included a virtual bootcamp, a demo day, and an in-person conference. The program was led by a select group of 60 Saudi and international trainers, speakers, judges, and investors. The journey concluded with an in-person conference, under the patronage of His Highness Prince Saud bin Jalawi, Governor of Jeddah. The conference was hosted at the Jeddah Formula 1 Corniche Circuit, symbolizing the spirit of innovation, precision and excellence associated with Formula 1. The conference welcomed +1,000 visitors, and included workshops and discussion panels, +70 entrepreneurs’ exhibition platforms, +100 investment sessions in the Investment Lab, and +90 judging presentations that contributed to the selection of the winning teams, where cash prizes worth 470,000 thousand riyals were awarded to 12 winning teams.
Open Data Datathon and Saudi Data Forum
The Open Data Datathon was launched to enable the open data ecosystem in the Kingdom and develop capabilities and creativity in the fields of data and artificial intelligence, to find innovative solutions to real-world challenges by enabling young talents to develop and present their ideas. This was done through intensive training in a 27-hour face-to-face hackathon for +200 participants, supervised by +12 trainers and judges. The journey resumed with the launch of the Saudi Data Forum, which included the launch of 3 major initiatives by SDAIA; the first national data index (Nadhi), the open data portal, and the national data management platform, as a step to enhance data and artificial intelligence and stimulate their growth. The forum received +400 visitors and included enriching discussion sessions by hosting +25 experts and speakers from prominent figures, senior data officials from government entities, and local and international speakers. The forum was attended by His Highness Prince Dr. Bandar bin Abdullah bin Mishari; Assistant Minister of Interior for Technology Affairs, His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi; Chairman of SDAIA, and His Excellency Dr. Essam Al-Waqeet; Director of the National Information Center at SDAIA, in addition to a number of Their Excellencies, senior data officers from government agencies and major local and international institutions and companies. The forum also honored the winning teams of the Open Data Datathon initiative, which received financial incentives worth +400,000 thousand riyals and scholarships to prestigious international schools; Draper University in the United States and London Business School.
Machine Learning (ML) and Large Language Model (LLM) Bootcamps
The Machine Learning (ML) and Large Language Model (LLM) Bootcamps were designed to equip and graduate +1,600 trainees with concepts and skills related to machine learning, artificial intelligence, neural networks, optimization techniques, deep learning, and large language models, and qualify them to obtain the Certified Artificial Intelligence Professional (CAIP) and Certified Data Science Practitioner (CDSP) certifications from international institutions. The program, which included 64 virtual bootcamps, included two tracks: the Machine Learning (ML) track and the Large Language Model (LLM) track. The program provided +5,000 hours of intensive training and mentoring, led by a select group of +250 local, regional and international trainers, and concluded with a final exam aimed at qualifying participants to obtain prestigious professional certificates in this field.
iLab
To promote innovation within the organization and improve its performance, the Fund launched the Innovation Lab (iLab) as an internal initiative aimed at fostering a culture of innovation among its employees and encouraging them to provide innovative solutions for the growth and development of the local industry and enhance performance. Prior to establishing the iLab, an assessment was conducted for the Fund to determine the current state of innovation of the organization to create an innovation strategy and operating model. Accordingly, the iLab was launched and operated by the Beyond team for 3 months as an initial launch, where an Innovation Manager was appointed to run the lab. During this phase, fruitful initiatives such as training camps and dialogue sessions were launched, while a team from the Fund was appointed to manage the Innovation Lab (iLab), and proposed initiatives were identified to ensure the success and sustainability of the Fund’s innovation efforts.
Al Baha Artificial Intelligence Hackathon
As one of Sadaia’s initiatives to motivate and develop university students interested in the field of artificial intelligence in the Kingdom, the Al Baha Artificial Intelligence Hackathon was organized in person at Al Baha University, attracting college students in the region. During the hackathon journey, a dedicated mentoring program was organized and implemented to support and develop ideas under the supervision of a group of local and international experts and mentors in the field, in addition to holding 5 workshops in the fields of artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship to provide an integrated model for participants on the technical and entrepreneurial requirements of projects. With the participation of more than 200 beneficiaries from various technical, engineering, administrative and health specialties, the hackathon included challenges in four tracks aimed at improving the quality of life in the cities of the Kingdom using artificial intelligence technologies. The first stage of arbitration included nominating 15 teams out of 50 teams to give them the opportunity to present their presentations to a committee of specialized judges to select the three winning teams and honor them during the closing ceremony of the hackathon.
Code Network
“Code” is a network of digital modeling and innovation labs created with the aim of promoting digital entrepreneurship by adopting and encouraging entrepreneurial skills, developing new digital business models, and launching pioneering companies. This is done by connecting clients with engineers and technicians and providing them with the necessary spaces and tools to develop pioneering digital projects. The center has launched +7 branches across the Kingdom and established +10 technical partnerships with digital innovation labs and world-class companies, including; ORACLE, KPMG Insights Center, KAUST Entrepreneurship Center, and STC Inspire U Center. The Beyond team established and operated the Project Management Office, developed the network’s implementation plan, and conducted a comprehensive market study (+500 pages) on the status of digital modeling and innovation labs globally with a focus on the Saudi market. Based on this, recommendations were made on the infrastructure needed to establish the “Code” network.
Jada 30
Jada 30 is a network of coworking spaces that serves as a platform for launching many entrepreneurial projects across the Kingdom. The network has branches in many Saudi cities, which contributes to enabling entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into successful projects. The Beyond team established and operated a project management office and conducted a comprehensive market study on the status of coworking spaces globally with a focus on the Saudi market, and based on that, recommendations were made regarding the infrastructure needed to establish the Jada 30 network. In addition, the project’s brand, marketing strategy, and website were developed, in addition to the operational plan and administrative and financial policies.
MDL Beast Festival
The MDL Beast Soundstorm Festival 2019 was an exceptional 3-day music festival in Riyadh, bringing together +100 international DJs such as Tiesto, Steve Aoki, Davide Guetta and Salvatore Ganacci. With +450,000 visitors from all over the world, it became an iconic event in the music scene and a pivotal cultural phenomenon. The festival provided an opportunity to connect, celebrate and express oneself. The festival went beyond being just an entertainment event, but rather served as a cultural catalyst for Saudi youth to create a new form of music culture with diverse expressive creative methods, while having a profound impact on the global music industry. The Beyond team established and operated a project management office and managed a collaboration of +100 local, regional and global partners, in addition to managing stakeholders at the executive level, resulting in an exceptional customer journey.
Saudi Cruise Seasons
Saudi Cruise Company is a Public Investment Fund company that aims to develop the infrastructure and services required to expand and support the growth of the cruise tourism sector in the Kingdom, welcoming cruise lines from all over the world to include Saudi Arabia as a port of call on their itineraries and adding new distinctive destinations across the Kingdom’s cities that showcase the rich cultural heritage, history and natural wonders of the country. The 2021 Summer Season and 2021-2022 Winter Seasons welcomed over 42,000 passengers on major international cruise lines; MSC and Scenic. The Beyond team, in coordination with the client, established and supported the operation of the Project Management Office, which included supporting business units in planning and operating for the summer and winter seasons, by developing a comprehensive PMO system to help track and monitor the company’s portfolios as well as sales performance dashboards to enable senior management to monitor performance.
Business Transformation in the Reconstruction Assistance Agency
The Business Transformation Project in the Reconstruction Assistance Agency in the Riyadh Region Municipality is based on two tracks; the services track and the projects track. The services track is concerned with studying the services provided by the Reconstruction Assistance Agency and analyzing their procedures in order to reach weaknesses and seek to improve them, by conducting standard studies on best practices in this field at the regional and international levels, in addition to discussing the future status of services with all stakeholders from general department managers and department managers within the Reconstruction Assistance Agency in order to identify the gaps between the current status and what should be done to reach the future status. On the other hand, the projects track is concerned with studying and following up on existing and new projects in the agency and presenting proposals and studies to solve the problems that these projects suffer from. The Beyond team established and operated the Project Management Office (PMO), in addition to developing the project implementation plan and conducting a comprehensive benchmarking study of services and projects provided by entities similar to the reconstruction assistance agency at the regional and global levels. Based on this, the necessary recommendations were made regarding improving existing services and developing new services to raise the level of those services to the highest levels and achieve the strategic objectives of the Riyadh Region Municipality.
Establishing the Project Management Office
STORY is one of the main arms of MBC Group, specializing in managing and implementing major events in the group. STORY’s goals are to become a leading global multi-activity company with a purely local vision that covers all aspects of the events sector, while benefiting from the most prominent local and international expertise and competencies, with the aim of weaving global success stories. The Beyond team established and operated the Project Management Office to manage all operations and procedures for all departments, provide the necessary support, and take the next steps. The team was also keen to establish the foundations for the office’s governance procedures and prepare templates that will contribute effectively to the work of all departments. The team also prepared the system for the Project Management Office in addition to the performance monitoring board for each department, which shows the most prominent statistics and achievements. The Beyond team also provided support and support services to the various departments during the project period.
Establishing and operating the Project Management Office
As part of the efforts of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to establish a strong and advanced digital infrastructure, the Assistant Agency for Future Skills and Digital Knowledge at the Ministry aims to build a digital environment at a competitive level that achieves economic sustainability and leadership at the regional and global levels. The Beyond team provided Project Management Office (PMO) services and management of various portfolios for the departments affiliated with the Assistant Agency for Future Skills and Digital Knowledge, which included preparing and activating various mechanisms and templates, monitoring and updating the status of brochures and key performance indicators (KPIs & OKRs), and preparing executive reports. A Project Office Manager was also appointed for each department to assume administrative tasks, follow up with the relevant departments and teams, and provide the necessary support to complete the outputs with the highest quality.
