Ƶ

Who’s Who: Mazen Elyas, chief business development officer at OFOQ Insurance Broker

Mazen Elyas
Mazen Elyas
Short Url
Updated 05 December 2023

Who’s Who: Mazen Elyas, chief business development officer at OFOQ Insurance Broker

Mazen Elyas

Mazen Elyas is a chief business development officer at OFOQ Insurance Broker and a participant in Misk’s 2030 leaders’ program.

His job involves utilizing market analytics, business strategy development, and sales management to fuel exponential revenue growth in Ƶ.

He has more than 15 years of experience staging business turnaround strategies, market analytics programs, and sales optimization initiatives in highly competitive markets.

From January 2019 until February this year, he was a key accounts relationship director at Malath Insurance Co. and a customer relations director for six months prior to that. During his time at the company, he was nominated to lead business-critical tier-one accounts.

He has been an advisory board member at OFOQ Insurance Broker since November 2018, providing financial support, business guidance and frameworks to help toward the transformation of the firm’s market and organizational vision.

In 2019, he served as a member and vice president on Al-Ittihad Club’s investment committee and was on the Ministry of Sport’s investment automation committee from January to June of the same year.

Elyas has been a board member of several organizations, including as chair at the Ninety Degree company since 2017. In September, he became advisory board member at the University of Business and Technology and has been a board member of the Veblen Director Programme based in Singapore since May, and Human Wisdom in the UK since July.

He gained a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from the University of Business and Technology in 2010 and a master’s degree in business administration and marketing from the same university in 2015.


KSrelief provides shelter, winter clothing in Lebanon, Somalia

KSrelief provides shelter, winter clothing in Lebanon, Somalia
Updated 30 min 25 sec ago

KSrelief provides shelter, winter clothing in Lebanon, Somalia

KSrelief provides shelter, winter clothing in Lebanon, Somalia

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has distributed shelter and winter clothing to displaced people in Lebanon and Somalia, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

Orphans and those with special needs in Lebanon’s Akkar Governorate received vouchers to purchase winter clothes from approved stores.

The beneficiaries also included Syrian refugees and vulnerable members of the host community.

In Somalia, 920 shelter kits, 80 tents and 1,000 clothing kits benefited 6,000 displaced people in several camps in the Banaadir region as part of a project aiming to provide 7,600 shelter and clothing kits and 215 tents in the area.

Both initiatives are part of the ongoing humanitarian assistance provided by KSrelief to countries and people in need around the world.


Saudi foreign minister meets with US Secretary of State at Brazil G20

Saudi foreign minister meets with US Secretary of State at Brazil G20
Updated 19 November 2024

Saudi foreign minister meets with US Secretary of State at Brazil G20

Saudi foreign minister meets with US Secretary of State at Brazil G20

RIO DE JANEIRO: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations, developments in the Middle East, and the efforts being made in these regards.
The meeting was attended by the Director-General of the Office of the Foreign Minister Abdulrahman Aldawood.


Ƶ FM calls for peace, addresses global challenges at G20 Summit opening

Ƶ FM calls for peace, addresses global challenges at G20 Summit opening
Updated 19 November 2024

Ƶ FM calls for peace, addresses global challenges at G20 Summit opening

Ƶ FM calls for peace, addresses global challenges at G20 Summit opening
  • Prince Faisal bin Farhan leads Kingdom’s delegation on behalf of crown prince

RIO DE JANEIRO: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan led the Kingdom’s delegation at the first session of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, which opened on Monday.

Prince Faisal, who is leading the delegation on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, spoke at the summit’s opening session which was called “Social Inclusion and Combating Hunger and Poverty.”

Prince Faisal highlighted pressing global challenges, noting that increasing tensions, military conflicts, and humanitarian crises were significant obstacles to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, adding: “Development and prosperity cannot be achieved on the ruins of death and destruction.”

Moving on to the ongoing crises in the Middle East, Prince Faisal pointed to Israeli military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, describing them as sources of severe human suffering and catalysts which were pushing the region toward broader conflict.

He said: “The ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza and Lebanon has caused unprecedented levels of human suffering; is pushing the region to the brink of a wider war … and is undermining the credibility of international law and institutions.”

Prince Faisal reiterated Ƶ’s commitment to peace, stating the Kingdom’s unwavering stance on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza; unrestricted access to humanitarian assistance; the release of hostages; and a serious commitment to lasting peace based on the two-state solution according to the 1967 borders, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The minister also addressed the situation in Sudan, expressing concern over the severe human toll due to the conflict, and obstacles preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid to affected communities.

In addition to political challenges, Prince Faisal commended Brazil’s initiative in launching the International Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, which aligns with Ƶ’s development and humanitarian objectives. He announced the Kingdom’s participation in the alliance, which resonates with its long-standing global efforts.

He said: “The Kingdom is pleased to be part of this alliance that is in line with its development goals and its global role in this regard, which is expressed by the programs of the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (and) the Saudi Fund for Development, in addition to its global contributions to the programs of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to support developing countries.”

The Kingdom’s delegation included Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Deputy Minister of Finance (Saudi Sherpa for the G20) Abdul Mohsen bin Saad Al-Khalaf, and Ambassador to Brazil Faisal bin Ibrahim Ghulam.

The G20 Summit in Brazil serves as a platform for the world’s leading economies to address global challenges and promote collective solutions aimed at fostering sustainable development and social equity.

On the sidelines of the summit, Prince Faisal met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. During their meeting they discussed US-Saudi relations, as well as regional developments and the efforts made in this regard.


Saudi defense minister meets governor of US State of Indiana

Saudi defense minister meets governor of US State of Indiana
Updated 18 November 2024

Saudi defense minister meets governor of US State of Indiana

Saudi defense minister meets governor of US State of Indiana
  • The two discussed bilateral ties and other issues of common interest

RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman met with Governor of the US state of Indiana Eric Holcomb in Riyadh on Monday.

During the meeting, the two discussed bilateral ties and other issues of common interest, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Saudi Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Abdulrahman bin Ayyaf and Chief of Staff Gen. Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili were among the Saudi officials present.

Commander-in-Chief of the Indiana National Guard Maj. Gen. Roger Lyles and head of the US Military Training Mission in the Kingdom Col. Dirk Smith were among the US officials present.

 


Misk City, Samsung Ƶ to collaborate in smart city technology

Misk City, Samsung Ƶ to collaborate in smart city technology
Updated 18 November 2024

Misk City, Samsung Ƶ to collaborate in smart city technology

Misk City, Samsung Ƶ to collaborate in smart city technology
  • Partnership forms part of vision to create ‘integrated system that supports innovation and creativity among Saudi youth’

RIYADH: Mohammed bin Salman Nonprofit City, which is also known as Misk City, on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding with the tech giant Samsung Electronics to cooperate in the sectors of smart city technology, sustainability, and youth empowerment.

Misk City’s CEO David Henry signed the memorandum with the President of Samsung Electronics Ƶ Hendrick Lee, on the sidelines of the Misk Global Forum in Riyadh, which finishes on Tuesday.

Henry said that the partnership with Samsung “represents an important step in line with Misk City’s strategic vision of creating an integrated system that supports innovation and creativity among Saudi youth,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.

He stressed the importance of working with Samsung “to create a vibrant and innovative environment that presents a unique model for smart cities.” 

Lee said that Samsung’s “cooperation with Misk City represents our unified commitment to leading innovation and sustainability with the aim of developing transformative solutions that enhance urban life and empower future generations in the field of technology, which benefits our communities.” 

The two parties will also collaborate on developing training programs specifically designed to hone the skills of Saudi’s youth to help enhance smart city experiences. These programs will later be hosted and delivered in Misk City, the SPA added.

Samsung Electronics is also considering setting up a showroom in Misk City to showcase its latest artificial intelligence-powered smart technologies, providing visitors with a firsthand experience of smart homes and understanding of future innovations.