[gallery size="medium" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" td_gallery_title_input="SAUDI TECHNOLOGIES" ids="97830,97831,97832,97833,97834"] By Layan Damanhouri Saudi Gazette A number of Saudi youth have decided to replace their traditional day job to a full-time career of innovation and creation in order to offer brand new products and services to the market. Many startups get a boost by joining an incubator or accelerator in the first phase of the project. One program is Badir Program Technology Incubator launched by KACST in 2008 to help entrepreneurs create information and communications technologies. Saudi Gazette caught up with a number of Saudi entrepreneurs from the Badir program who created Saudi-made products that not only cater to the local market but have already started to go global. Auto service app gains popularity ‘Morni', or ‘pass by me' in Arabic, has become a popular service among guys, according to entrepreneurs and experts in the industry. What used to be a hassle when a car breaks down in the middle of the road now has a solution through a mobile app. "If someone is driving and runs into an emergency with their car, it's both embarrassing and time-consuming to look for a friend to help out," marketing manager Mohammed Abdullah told Saudi Gazette. "They could be busy, at work, or too far to arrive." Users of Morni can choose from a variety of services, namely towing, battery replacement, tire issues, oil change, and fuel delivery. It's popular because it solves the frustration of drivers by finding the nearest person to help out, says Abdullah. The drivers arrive at the clients' exact locations. Since its launch a little over a year ago, Morni currently has 90,000 users in the Kingdom and the GCC as well as 350,000 downloads. "The business was a success. We're the first in the market," says Abdullah. "Other competitors in the market don't cover all the services we have." "We encourage young Saudis to participate and we only take a small stake from them," he adds. "We take 10% from Saudis and 15% from non-Saudis. For students, however, we don't take any percentage to support them." Users have to submit their drivers' licenses, insurance, and IDs in addition to go through a short training before they can be approved by the app. Afterwards, their profiles are put in the app with their name and mobile number. The cost of services like towing is according the meter. Other services have prices determined in the app for users to choose. One Remote Control for all A remote control to for all controls is unified into one app with the Controllex, a Saudi startup. Controlling several devices in just one smartphone app would make one's life easier in different ways, according to CEO of Controllex Saleh Alwallan. The Controllex can integrate an unlimited number of devices, from air conditioners, lights, TV, and other appliances from a smartphone app. It can also control garage doors, blinds, and other smart home features. "You'd never have to worry about your home being too hot when you get home from work because you could turn the air conditioning and fans on half an hour before you get there," says Alwallan. Forgetting to turn off the lights at home doesn't require one to call a neighbor or a friend when the app operates from anywhere. The Controllex device is a 6.5 cm by 4 cm device, designed to be portable, green, and sound-free. It functions near devices within a 9-meter radius. Using wifi, the remotes send duplicated signal from the Controllex to the device. "Home automation is very expensive and sometimes limited to the manufacturer's brand," says Alwallan when asked about competitors in the market. It is also easy to install and use, he says. "It takes less than 90 seconds to set it up." "We're doing it to have fun," adds Alwallan who has a knack for technologies. It took a year to design and launch the product. Controllex is built for consumers with a high quality commands and dedicated cloud so it can be "From a business point of view, it saves a lot of energy, empowers people to do things wireless," he said. Mosques, for instance, require turning on the air conditioning at all times to ensure cool indoor temperatures. With smart technologies, air conditioning can only be turned on when the temperature reaches a certain limit. The Controllex aims to go on in sale in January and sell both in the Kingdom and worldwide. First Saudi-made 3-D printer "Shakeer" is the first 3-D printer with Arabic interface in the market made by Saudi manufacturers Z-Cube 3D Solutions. "We eliminated the language barrier where we set up an Arabic operating system. This was an accessibility problem for those who are interested in the technology but did not speak foreign languages," said Z-Cube founder Tarek Al Talib. 3-D printing is used to produce architectural prototypes, models for education purposes, and accessories, among others. The "Shakeer" printer, a 15cm by 12cm device, carries multiple features that were considered problems faced by users in desktop use. One is having a resume power failure. The printer can resume from the point where the printer is disconnected from the power source. "We resolved a technical issue that would lose time and cost of material," says Taleb. "We also added a sensor that detects if the material is jammed or completed. It gives a beep sound to notify users." He added, "A flexible printing plate is created to make it mobile and we added wheels to move on the track which means less friction and better printing quality." The printer is not only has a USB drive but is also compatible for SD cards so the printer can function as a stand-alone device. It also has a smartphone application and Bluetooth connectivity. The startup works with Badir, a Saudi incubator, to design and produce their products. "We aim to be an exporter of this technology," says Taleb. "We would like to manufacturing it locally in Saudi Arabia instead of importing the technology." "There are a number of petrochemicals factories in the Kingdom so we have an advantage of creating filaments and other material locally," he added. Other similar printers in the market by North American and European manufacturers are sold up to seven times they're offering which is SR 1,950. The first Saudi manufacturers of 3-D printers also produces 3-D printers for professional use. Printing can be used in a variety of sectors, namely education, healthcare, architecture, jewelry, design, and others, allowing users to translate their ideas into solid reality.
