Intelligent CIO Kuwait Issue 4 | Page 7

NEWS Kuwait’s Cubical Services collaborates to boost technical entrepreneurship Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). The partnership will allow them to provide access to the local market, network and potential investors in their respective countries. Additionally, Badir and Cubical Services will collaborate on several issues to support start-ups, to generate employment opportunities and boost the national economies of both the GCC countries. Mohammed Alhouzimi said: “Our partnership with Cubical Services aligns with the Badir Program strategy, which aims to create a thriving ecosystem for start-ups through joint initiatives and activities, as we strive to promote entrepreneurship in line with the Vision 2030 program.” C ubical Services, a Kuwait-based business incubator, and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost start-up collaboration between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The MoU was signed by Abdulrahman J Al-Fawaz, CEO of Cubical Services, and Mohammed Alhouzimi, Shared Services Department Director of the Badir Program for Technology Incubators and Accelerators which was representing King Al-Fawaz said: “This strategic partnership with the Badir Program will provide Kuwaiti entrepreneurs and start-ups access and growth opportunities in Saudi Arabia, which is the biggest market in the region.” The Badir Program was established in 2007 to improve and support technical entrepreneurship throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ///////////////// Gulf Bank introduces new contactless credit card in ‘first’ for Kuwait G ulf Bank in collaboration with Mastercard has launched Kuwait’s First Metal World Elite Credit Card offering contactless payments. The World Elite card, which is enabled with NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, allows cardholders to make contactless transactions for purchases, removing the hassle of inserting or swiping cards at check-out. Ahmad Al Amir, Assistant General Manager of External Communications at Gulf Bank, said: “We are pleased to continue working with our partners in the banking industry to offer innovative and creative services, exclusively for Gulf Bank clients. We are very proud to be able to launch this card, the first of its kind in Kuwait.” Somu Roy, General Manager for Kuwait and Qatar, Mastercard, said: “The Gulf Bank Metal World Elite card is the first of its kind in Kuwait. The cardholder experience is further augmented by the addition of contactless payment capabilities, ensuring fast and convenient payments for cardholders on their everyday purchases.” www.intelligentcio.com NFC technology is a short-range wireless connectivity standard that uses magnetic field induction to enable communication between devices when they are touched together or brought within a few centimetres of each other. INTELLIGENTCIO 7