Sony’s new vlog camera ZV-1F is packed with creative power: Easy-to-use vlogging functions, advanced connectivity, and with eco-friendly features, it is the new go-to camera for vloggers and creators who want to capture stunning stills and video.
The pocket-size camera has been optimized for vlogging with Sony’s latest technology to make content stand out.
“We have designed the pocket-size vlog camera ZV-1F with creators front of mind,” said Sajeer Shamsu, head of digital imaging at Sony Middle East & Africa.
“As audiences in the Middle East & Africa region drive the demand for high-quality content, creators need an all-in-one camera solution that delivers superior quality with creative options while being easy to use and designed for wireless content sharing. We are also proud to have incorporated eco-friendly features in the ZV-1F as sustainability remains a key focus for Sony.”
The ZV-1F has been designed to let the subject shine in any scene with an ultra-wide 20mm prime lens for optimum selfie shooting and wide field of view to capture more background. The vlog camera also offers background bokeh in both stills and video to further highlight the subject or create a softer look.
Skin tone is optimized for both video and stills with a “Soft Skin Effect” option that smooths and reduces wrinkles when shooting video and creates a natural skin tone effect for stills.
Face Priority AE automatically adjusts the brightness when shooting so that faces can be captured with optimal brightness, even in situations where the light changes. The ZV-1F also boasts high precision focusing and Eye AF for both humans and animals which allows autofocus to fix tenaciously on the face and eyes without getting diverted by other subjects. Users can easily change subjects via the camera’s touchscreen.
What’s more, when shooting video, image stabilization is available in active mode (electronic) to ensure footage is steady and smooth when walking.
The newly-available Creative Look function gives users several preset options to create desired atmospheres in both stills and video with differences in tone, brightness, color depth and more. A total of 10 modes are available to enhance creativity and allows users to share content immediately with no need for editing.
The ZV-1F also features S&Q mode to shoot in both slow motion at 5 x slower speed and quick motion at 60 x faster hyperlapse speed to achieve a desired effect.
In addition to stills and video, high-quality sound is vital to capture perfect content. A directional 3-capsule mic and wind screen provide clear voice recording and reduced noise in windy outdoor conditions.
The ZV-1F has been designed for total ease of use, so that vloggers can focus on content capture and intuitively use the camera without difficulty.
Weighing only approx. 229g, it is compact and lightweight enough for everyday use and can be carried everywhere. It also features a Vari-Angle LCD touch screen with features and settings changed by touch, including the ability to zoom, so operation is instinctive.
The ZV-1F also features a self-timer and recording lamp to make video content even easier to capture. The ZV-1F was designed with environmentally-friendly features and technology to ensure a sustainable future. Recycled materials including SORPLAS are used in both the camera body and bundled accessories like the newly-developed wind screen that have been adapted to maintain performance.
Plant-based non-woven fabrics are used for product bags to reduce plastic packaging.
The new ZV-1F will be available in the Middle East & Africa from November 2022.
Umm Al-Qura for Development and Construction Company, owner and developer of Masar — the SR100 billion destination — successfully concluded its participation in the sixth edition of the Future Investment Initiative conference as a strategic partner.
The conference was held from Oct.25-27 in Riyadh under the theme “Investing in Humanity: Enabling a New Global Order.”
Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance, and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund visited the Masar Destination’s booth and commended the achievements, affirming the importance of the destination and its promising future.
The booth also attracted several local, regional, and international business leaders, who were keen on learning and getting acquainted with the destination and the diverse investment opportunities it offers.
Visitors were impressed with the three-dimensional model on display in the lobby of the Ritz Carlton Hotel, showing the urban development landmarks that Masar will initiate in the heart of the Holy City of Makkah.
On the sidelines of the conference and in the presence of Saleh Al-Rasheed, CEO of the Royal Commission for Makkah and the Holy Sites, Masar Destination announced the signing of agreements with international companies to develop and operate hotel projects comprising 7 hotel towers worth $2 billion.
This initiative is a step forward in enriching the quality of life in Makkah in accordance with the global destination industry standards.
Yasser Abuateek, CEO of Umm Al-Qura Company for Development and construction, was part of a panel discussion titled “Destination KSA,” where he presented an overview on the current developments in Masar destination.
A discussion panel titled "Holistic Tourism”, powered by Masar, also took place during which the participants discussed the promising future of tourism and hospitality sectors.
In July, Masar signed a strategic partnership contract with the Future Investment Initiative Institute driven by its eagerness to contribute effectively to the work of the institute and its endeavor to have a positive impact on humanity through its four values: Artificial intelligence and robotics, education, health, and sustainability.
Saudi Venture Capital has announced its investment of $10 million in TVM Capital Healthcare’s Afiyah Fund. It will help in the growth of innovative companies in the Saudi healthcare sector.
The subscription agreement was signed by Dr. Nabeel Koshak, CEO and board member at SVC, and Dr. Helmut Schuehsler, chairman and CEO at TVM Capital Healthcare. The signing ceremony was attended by Mazin Al-Ghunaim, CEO of Saudi SME Bank.
TVM Capital Healthcare is a specialized healthcare expansion and growth capital private equity firm, operating out of Riyadh and Dubai in the Middle East, as well as Singapore in the Southeast Asia region.
Commenting on the investment, Al-Ghunaim said that SVC’s mandate is to develop the venture capital and private equity ecosystems in the Kingdom, and to increase investment opportunities in startups and SMEs, thus supporting their success rate and continuous growth to successfully contribute toward achieving Saudi Vision 2030.
Dr. Koshak said: “The investment in TVM Capital Healthcare’s Afiyah Fund is part of SVC’s Investment in Funds Program, which is a continuation of the company’s series of investments and an implementation of its strategy related to developing and sustaining financing for startups and SMEs, especially in strategic sectors, such as healthcare.”
Dr. Schuehsler said: “We are raising this fund to finance innovative healthcare companies in the country and selectively bring highly innovative foreign companies into the Kingdom.”
The signing ceremony was also attended by Nora Alsarhan, chief investment officer at SVC, and Haifa Bahaian, chief legal officer at SVC. TVM Capital Healthcare’s managing partners Tristan de Boysson and Orhan Osmansoy, and operating partner Othman Abahussein were also present.
Amazon.sa recently opened its new office in Riyadh, housing employees from various sectors of the company’s operations in the Kingdom.
The company’s new offices in Riyadh will support Amazon’s commitment to bringing world-class e-commerce and logistics expertise to Saudi Arabia, delighting customers, empowering independent sellers, and nurturing an environment for the Kingdom’s talent to learn new skills.
Ronaldo Mouchawar, Vice President of Amazon Middle East and North Africa (MENA), shed light on Amazon’s ongoing expansion and investment in Saudi Arabia’s growing digital economy to support the Kingdom’s social and economic progress in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
Mouchawar said: “Our new offices at the Riyadh Front Tower are equipped to accommodate more than 350 employees, paving the way for local talents to join the team across various areas of the business from retail, Amazon Payment Services, Alexa and devices, to Amazon Advertising, and more, increasing innovation and solutions for our customers. Together, we will continue to build an integrated system that provides the best level of service to our customers in Saudi.”
Since launching Amazon.sa’s operations in Saudi Arabia in 2020, Amazon has continued to invest across the Kingdom and expanded its activities in various business sectors by creating job opportunities and employing over 3,000 individuals for permanent and seasonal roles.
“This was further reinforced when Amazon.sa signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Investment and Saudi Arabia’s Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha’at) with the aim of empowering 40,000 small and medium-sized enterprises by 2025, providing support to sell their products to millions of customers across the Kingdom,” he added.
Recently, Amazon.sa also launched, in collaboration with Monsha’at, the delivery service partner program that empowers local entrepreneurs to set up and manage their logistics businesses delivering Amazon.sa packages.
“Saudi Arabia is the first country in the MENA region to host this flagship global program which aims to establish more than 30 new local start-ups and create hundreds of job opportunities within the logistics sector during the program’s first three years, further solidifying our commitment to supporting SMEs,” said the vice president.
“Regarding logistics, we doubled our network to provide customers with a fast and guaranteed delivery service by launching three new stations during the past year through our subsidiaries and partners across the Kingdom.”
According to the vice president, Amazon.sa today, has “reached 90 percent of Saudi Arabia’s population within two days, starting from Arar to Jizan and from Makkah to Dammam.”
The White Friday sale is just around the corner, and even since its launch in 2014, consumers have enjoyed great deals from Amazon.sa.
“This year’s sale is set to provide massive discounts across millions of products across local, regional, and international brands whose brand values are aligned with the aspirations of customers across the Kingdom, ensuring an exceptional customer service experience. As the sales season also coincides with the World Cup, Amazon.sa will offer great deals across sporting products to all participating teams,” he said.
He added: There is a lot to be announced in the coming weeks, but I can share for now is that Amazon Prime members will be able to enjoy a really exciting experience and will have access to additional perks during the upcoming shopping season. Our team is working diligently to prepare the best offers and deals to delight customers across the Kingdom, all available under one roof.”
Amazon.sa’s selling partners are essential to our business in order to provide customers with great selection and low prices. Amazon.sa hosted a one-day Seller Summit in Riyadh with hundreds of sellers and entrepreneurs in attendance, with the aim of empowering innovators and enabling start-ups across the Kingdom to fuel their business growth ahead of White Friday, the biggest shopping season for customers. During the Summit, selling partners were able to gain insight and advice from local and regional Amazon leaders to support local businesses to grow, succeed, and efficiently reach millions of customers across Saudi Arabia during the sale season.
In addition to that, and to facilitate Amazon.sa customers' support for local businesses in the Kingdom during the sales event, we launched a "Shop Local" storefront on www.amazon.sa/shoplocal to connect customers with local Saudi sellers. Customers can explore local businesses through relevant categories and learn about local brands.
Amazon Prime is the only membership program in the Kingdom that offers a variety of shopping, savings, and entertainment benefits such as free same-day delivery in Riyadh and Jeddah, free one-day delivery in major cities, as well as exclusive offers for members during big events including White Friday and Prime Day, which was held earlier this year for the second time in Saudi Arabia. This is in addition to numerous entertainment benefits such as the streaming of thousands of award-winning movies and series on Prime Video, including Amazon Originals such as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which was launched on September 2, and exclusive in-game loot and free games on Prime Gaming, all at a cost of SAR 16 per month.
The ecommerce is booming in the Kingdom and continues to strengthen its position to become a source of growth for the retail sector in Saudi Arabia, and across the wider Middle East and North Africa region. We continue to see exciting potential and growth opportunities in this geographic space, and according to the latest studies, the e-commerce sector in Saudi Arabia will continue to show growth reaching over SAR 57 billion by 2025.
Looking ahead, we are excited to continue playing a pivotal role in supporting local Saudi businesses to grow their presence and customer reach online. Amazon.sa enables SMEs to invest in their capabilities and contribute to the growth of the digital economy of the Kingdom. We will continue our commitment to innovate on behalf of our customers, offering them the best experience possible through new and improved products and services.
Schneider Electric, a leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has unveiled its revolutionary EVlink Smart Charger for the first time in Saudi Arabia and the region at this year’s EV Auto Show in Riyadh, the leading exhibition promoting electric mobility.
Schneider Electric is participating alongside its strategic partner Abunayyan Trading Corporation, one of the most trusted names in the energy and water space in Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf.
Saudi Arabia is making significant strides in the electric vehicles space and is seeking to manufacture and export more than 150,000 electric cars by 2026. Schneider Electric’s EVlink Smart Charger is on display at the exhibition to highlight the benefits of managing heavy EV energy load and prioritize renewable energy sources.
Through a host of innovative solutions, Schneider Electric is responding to an uptake in EV chargers, with a view to help customers make more sustainable lifestyle choices to reduce their carbon emissions.
Mohamed Shaheen, cluster president, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, Schneider Electric, said: “EVs have the potential to revolutionize the transport sector; Saudi Arabia has already set ambitions to become a major regional and global manufacturing base for the next generation of electric vehicles. Building on the momentum witnessed in 2021 for EV sales globally, Saudi Arabia, with a growing choice of new electric car brands, is expected to witness corresponding growth in the future, underpinned by the government’s dedicated focus on the sector.”
Throughout the event, Schneider Electric is highlighting its portfolio of EVlink chargers, including its latest EVlink Smart Wallbox charging stations, which work to increase energy efficiency while optimizing electrical costs with smart features that provide added convenience and an enhanced charging experience for both the station owners and drivers. The company will also demonstrate its “EcoStruxure for eMobility” solution, an innovative and comprehensive solution for an efficient EV charging experience, which goes beyond the charging station and availability of safe and reliable EV chargers.
The end-to-end smart EV solutions connect the entire EV ecosystem to achieve a resilient, affordable, efficient, and sustainable EV charging experience for public and private owners or operators, and individual EV drivers.
Schneider Electric works to provide suitable e-mobility strategies for its customers and partners, setting the path for the efficient planning and execution of projects. These solutions highlight the company’s commitment to providing end-to-end solutions that contribute toward Saudi Arabia’s goal of leveraging EV to realize its Vision 2030 target to transition toward clean technology and sustainable energy sources.
“Sustainability and electric vehicles are among the fastest growing segments in Saudi Arabia. Through our partnership with Schneider Electric, we are combining synergies to tap into the growing demand for integrated electric vehicle charging networks in the Kingdom,” said Azzam Almudaiheem, president at Abunayyan Trading Corporation.
Founded in 1953, Abunayyan Trading Corporation is one of the longest-active companies in the power and water business in Saudi Arabia, designing integrated solutions and supplying equipment and products across various sectors.
Qawafel Company, a B2B marketplace that specializes in linking wholesalers and points of sale in the confectionery sector in Saudi Arabia, announced that it has signed a strategic agreement with Rewaa, a provider of cloud software that serves the retail sector.
The agreement was signed to provide point-of-sale, inventory and payment systems to Qawafel customers and link them with suppliers through Qawafel Market. The primary purpose of this agreement is to facilitate the selling process through multiple channels through one tool.
Under this agreement, Rewaa will provide sales systems and the attached systems in line with the requirements of the Zakat and Income Authority for the next stage. This is in addition to the many advantages that the system provides for inventory management and financial flow. The agreement also improves the mechanism for selecting products and helps raise sales based on the stores’ information to keep track of the most demanded products in the market.
Moreover, this agreement will provide more options for linking purchase orders to inventory, to efficiently address any shortage, as well as analyze data by managing and reviewing purchases.
As the supplier market, Qawafel was keen to develop payment operations and achieve an integrated plan to support suppliers and customers in its market. The agreement includes the provision of postpaid solutions to points of sale, linking postpaid payment with loyalty packages, and their access to benefits and discounts, which would enable them to enhance the promotion of their products.
Turki Al-Ayyad, CEO of Qawafel, said: “From the beginning, Qawafel has been seeking to upgrade the wholesale sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by understanding the behavior of all parties in the wholesale market and offering technical solutions that suit them.
“Today, the agreement comes with Rewaa, which specializes in developing platforms for inventory management and sales, in translating the vision of convoys from the beginning into a reality that achieves gains for all and imposes new standards in the wholesale sector in Saudi Arabia“
He added: “These efforts also align with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which aims to support local production by supporting digital platforms, smart logistics solutions, and modern e-commerce technologies.”
COO of Rewaa Abdullah Al-Jadhai said: “Rewaa is proud to serve thousands of companies in the retail sector and is looking forward to a productive partnership with Qawafel. By providing points of sale and inventory management for Qawafel customers, and enabling them to connect Rewaa with Qawafel, the agreement will enable them to manage their operations with high efficiency.”