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Transformation of AlUla gathers pace as RCU signs strategic partnerships with AECOM and Egis-led French consortium
– The Royal Commission for AlUla signs landmark agreements with AECOM and an international French consortium comprising Egis, Assystem and Setec during the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh
– World-class program management expertise combined with design and delivery experience on complex, large-scale projects accelerate RCU’s rapid progress in responsible, sustainable and community-inclusive development
– Initially the program management team will implement Phase 1 of the RCU masterplan worth USD 15Bn including the 20km length of AlUla’s core historical area and encompassing key development projects for infrastructure, hospitality, arts & culture, and social and community development.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has signed two landmark strategic partnerships that will further accelerate the regeneration of AlUla as it moves from the planning stage to implementation following the launch of its masterplan in April, 2021.
The agreements with AECOM and an international French consortium comprising Egis, Assystem and Setec set out a comprehensive development timeline based around three phases that lead up to 2035.
Phase 1 development amounts to SAR 57+ Bn / USD 15+ Bn invested in AlUla’s core 20km historical area. This incorporates social, economic and sustainability projects in five unique hubs with a focus on infrastructure, hospitality, arts & culture, and social and community development.
Signing the agreements at the fifth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, RCU CEO Amr AlMadani said: “These new long-term strategic partnerships are critical to realising our ambition of creating a global benchmark for sustainable tourism. Our new partners will be instrumental in helping us deliver a detailed and certified plan. While our focus is set on Phase 1, we will ramp up our integrated approach towards the development of Phases 2 and 3 to drive traffic and sustain a regular flow of tourists in the long run.
“As we develop infrastructure and other assets that will help to establish AlUla as an exciting business hub servicing the northwest Arabia region, we require world-class partners such as these who will be with us for the long haul and who share our desire to benefit the people of AlUla while creating unforgettable experiences for visitors.”
These partnerships will accelerate business and investment opportunities from 2022 onwards and demonstrate the pace of progress to revitalise AlUla as a responsible, sustainable and community-inclusive destination.
AECOM President Lara Poloni said: “AlUla is one of the world’s largest and most complex development projects, home to more than 30,000 sites of historical significance, and we are proud to help realize the city’s vision for the future. In partnership with RCU, we look forward to leveraging our global program management and technical expertise to deliver a sustainable legacy that transforms AlUla for generations to come.”
AECOM will provide a range of integrated services across the entire AlUla program. These include executive-level program management to integrate all workstreams and major initiatives across RCU to implement the AlUla vision and outcomes, as well as a project delivery office that will work with RCU to implement best practices and delivery from design to construction and operation.
AECOM will also lead all design activities from setting standards, delivering the digital ecosystem, leading innovation, managing designers and delivering scopes. Further, asset and facilities management will be provided for the project lifecycle along with the benchmarking and development of smart city plans and projects.
Creating opportunities for the local community is a core aspect of AlUla’s development plan and AECOM’s approach. AECOM has already invested in training 400 residents to achieve professional vocational qualifications and will provide additional professional skills development and knowledge transfer opportunities both for residents and those relocating to AlUla for work.
Speaking on behalf of the French consortium, Egis Group CEO Laurent Germain said: “Our three highly regarded firms – Egis, Assystem and Setec – are unified, committed and eager to showcase our capabilities. As longstanding members of the Saudi business community, we are excited to be part of the development of AlUla.”
The French Agency for the Development of AlUla (Afalula) was instrumental in bringing together the French consortium. Afalula Executive Chairman Gérard Mestrallet said: “Today’s agreement deepens the Saudi-Franco partnership at AlUla and across other projects in Saudi Arabia. It also attests to the depth and strength of French engineering and infrastructure expertise to confront the most challenging aspects of responsible and sustainable development.”
The Egis-led consortium brings infrastructure programme management and construction management capabilities to support on-time delivery of AlUla’s most urgent projects and long-term development. As such, it offers a new perspective on infrastructure delivery defined by a coordinated approach. A core team will be based in AlUla including high-level specialists for engineering, construction and operations management and a range of international experts to bridge any knowledge gaps.
AECOM and the French consortium share the values of AlUla’s Sustainability Charter which, through its 12 principles of sustainability, will empower the realisation of a carbon-neutral strategy and circular economy. It will also establish robust and resilient policies for the development of AlUla’s heritage and environmental targets fuelled by renewable energy with 500-plus megawatts of clean power capacity. By 2035 renewable energy will supply 50 percent of demand.
Since unveiling its Journey through time masterplan in April 2021, the RCU has made significant progress on its journey to developing AlUla as a living museum while diversifying the economy and creating a vibrant community.
USD 2 Bn has been invested in key development projects including expanding AlUla International Airport, completing the stunning and architecturally awarded Maraya multi-se venue, completing water and power-plant infrastructure in the Ashar Valley, and bolstering AlUla County’s security infrastructure.
Upon completion of the development strategy in 2035, RCU envisions the emerging city of AlUla defined by a thriving community and its ability to support residents’ ambitions, where service excellence is the norm and creativity drives a culture of adaptability and flexibility.
By 2035 RCU forecasts that the population will more than triple to 130,000 with 38,000 new jobs created and AlUla contributing SAR 120 Bn (USD 32 Bn) to Saudi Arabia’s GDP. Additionally, 80 percent of AlUla County will be home to nature reserves, with key flora and fauna reintroduced.
To learn more about investing in AlUla, visit https://www.rcu.gov.sa/en/investment
For media enquiries please contact the RCU Public Relations team at publicrelations@rcu.gov.sa
Note to editors:
It is always AlUla / not Al-Ula
About the Royal Commission for AlUla
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established by royal decree in July 2017 to preserve and develop AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and cultural significance in north-west Saudi Arabia. RCU’s long-term plan outlines a responsible, sustainable, and sensitive approach to urban and economic development, that preserves the area’s natural and historic heritage, while establishing AlUla as a desirable location to live, work, and visit. This encompasses a broad range of initiatives across archaeology, tourism, culture, education, and the arts, reflecting a commitment to meeting the economic diversification, local community empowerment, and heritage preservation priorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 programme.
About AECOM
AECOM is the world’s most trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivalled technical expertise and innovation, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $13.2 billion in fiscal year 2020. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.
About EGIS
A major international group in the construction engineering and mobility services sectors, Egis creates and operates intelligent infrastructure and buildings capable of responding to the climate emergency and addressing the major challenges of our time by helping to achieve more balanced, sustainable and resilient territorial development.
A 75%-owned subsidiary of Causse des Dépôts, with the remaining 25% held by partner executives and employees, Egis places its multiple fields of expertise at the disposal of the community and makes cutting-edge innovation accessible to all projects throughout their lifecycle: consulting, engineering, operation.
Through its wide-ranging fields of activity, Egis is a central player in the collective organisation of society and the living environment of its inhabitants all over the world.
About SETEC
Setec is ranked as a global engineering leader thanks to its technical excellence, which has driven its ambitions for more than 60 years.
With 3,300 employees around the world working in numerous sectors, ranging from transportation, water and buildings to energy efficiency, digital infrastructure and industrial facilities, setec serves a growing base of customers.
Setec is also an independent group owned by its engineers, with an energy and excellence fuelled by the passion of its employees. setec people continually enhance their expertise to design, model and implement sustainable solutions for a changing world. Their curiosity and appetite for challenge allows setec to invent new businesses and innovative approaches entirely focused on meeting the needs of its customers.
About Assystem
Assystem is an international engineering group. As a key participant in the industry for over 50 years, the Group supports its clients in managing their capital expenditure throughout their asset life cycles. Assystem S.A. is listed on Euronext Paris.
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Fulfilling PM Modi’s Dream of Atmanirbhar Bharat: India’s AI Writing Startup Kreativespace Incubated at IIT Kharagpur
- Kreativespace, an Indian AI-powered writing platform founded by Vinet Kakadea, has been incubated at IIT Kharagpur and recognized by SVNIT University, Ministry of Education under Bodhan AI Conclave also through the NVIDIA Inception Program, AWS Startup Program, and DPIIT under Startup India.
- The platform unifies 8 AI-powered writing tools, along with AI Humanizer and Message AI feature being the latest addition into a single ecosystem, so you can generate and refine content all in one place.
- The company reports more than 50,000+ signed-up users, 75,000+ anonymous users, and roughly 100,000 monthly website visitors, positioning itself as the only Indian company operating at scale in the global AI writing market.
SURAT, India, June 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Kreativespace, an AI-powered writing platform, is building out its position as the only homegrown alternative in a market long dominated by international tools such as Grammarly and QuillBot. Founded by Vinet Kakadea and incubated at IIT Kharagpur, the company has aligned its growth with the broader push behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) initiative, which encourages indigenous technology development capable of competing on a global scale.
As AI adoption accelerates across India’s education, research, and enterprise sectors, Kreativespace is among a small group of Indian startups building writing technology designed to compete directly with established international platforms.
Kreativespace’s progress has been recognized by several institutions central to India’s startup and technology ecosystem. The company has been incubated at IIT Kharagpur, selected under SSIP 2.0 through SVNIT University, and chosen by the Ministry of Education to present its work at the Bodhan AI Conclave. It has also been accepted into the NVIDIA Inception Program and the AWS Startup Program, and holds DPIIT recognition under the Startup India initiative.
Where many writing-tool users rely on separate subscriptions for content generation to refinement for grammar correction, paraphrasing, plagiarism checking, citation generation, and editing, Kreativespace brings these functions into a single platform as a super-app for AI writing tools. The company says its approach centers on affordability and accessibility alongside performance, aiming to make advanced AI writing assistance available to a wider range of users regardless of geography or budget.
The idea for Kreativespace took shape while founder Vinet Kakadea was studying at New York University and Marymount University in the United States, where he experienced firsthand how students, researchers, and professionals often need multiple paid subscriptions to cover writing-related tasks. That fragmented experience led him to build a super-app offering each of these capabilities together, at a more accessible price point.
Kreativespace combines 8 AI-powered writing tools with AI Humanizer and Message AI feature being the latest addition, allowing users to generate, rewrite, refine, and humanize content without moving between separate platforms. The product is available via web platform, mobile apps on the App Store and Google Play, browser extensions for Chrome, Mozilla, and Edge, and a Google Docs add-on.
Vinet Kakadea, Founder of Kreativespace, said, “Kreativespace’s vision is to digitalize the entire Indian education ecosystem to support PM Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme.”
About Kreativespace
Kreativespace with the Motto of Making Writing Accessible for Everyone: Kreativespace is an AI-powered writing platform built to make AI writing tools accessible, affordable, and effective for students, researchers, educators, professionals, content creators, startups, and enterprises. Founded by Vinet Kakadea, the company is incubated at IIT Kharagpur and has been recognized by AWS Startup Program, the NVIDIA Inception Program, and DPIIT under Startup India. For more information, visit kreativespace.com.
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Santokbaa Humanitarian Award 2026 Marks 20 Years of Compassion and Service
SURAT, India, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Santokbaa Humanitarian Award 2026, instituted by Shree Ramkrishna Knowledge Foundation (SRKKF), the philanthropic arm of Shree Ramkrishna Exports (SRK), marked 20 years of honouring individuals who have made a lasting difference through compassion, service and leadership. The awards were presented recently in Surat.
This year’s Santokbaa Humanitarian Award was conferred on Padma Shri Dr. Gullapalli N. Rao, renowned Indian ophthalmologist and Founder-Chair of the LV Prasad Eye Institute, and Padma Shri Smt. Reema Nanavaty, development worker and Director of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA). Their work has touched millions of lives through healthcare, empowerment and community development.
In a significant addition this year, SRKKF introduced the Social Entrepreneur Award to recognise leaders who combine business excellence with measurable social impact. The inaugural award was presented to Shri Srikanth Bolla, Founder of Bollant Industries, a sustainable manufacturing company known for disability-inclusive employment and environmentally responsible practices.
The event was graced by Chief Guest Shri Harivansh Narayan Singh, Hon’ble Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and Guests of Honour Shri Harsh Sanghavi, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat; along with several other distinguished personalities.
Established in 2006 by Shri Govind Dholakia, Founder & Chairman Emeritus of Shree Ramkrishna Exports Pvt. Ltd. and SRKKF, the award reflects the legacy of compassion and selfless values embodied by his mother, Santokbaa. Over the past two decades, it has become a platform to honour individuals whose lives and work continue to inspire society.
The awardees are selected through a rigorous and transparent process led by an independent jury comprising leaders from diverse fields. The 2026 jury included Shri Govindan Rangarajan, Director, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru; Shri A.S. Kiran Kumar, Former Chairman, ISRO; Admiral R. Hari Kumar (Retd.), Former Chief of the Indian Navy; Shri Rishabh Shroff, Partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas; and Shri Shreyans Dholakia, Entrepreneur and Brand Custodian, SRK.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest Shri Harivansh Narayan Singh said that the SRK Foundation is carrying forward Santokbaa’s legacy to the next generation by celebrating service, sacrifice and compassion over wealth or fame. He added that the family’s effort to connect this legacy with social entrepreneurship reflects the values of nation-building.
Shri Harsh Sanghavi said the Santokbaa Award reminds us that true achievement lies not only in personal success, but in bringing light and happiness to others. Shri Govind Dholakia said his mother Santokbaa spent her life guided by truth, love and compassion, and that her values continue to inspire the family’s work. He added that the award’s 20-year journey is a tribute to changemakers whose efforts have strengthened communities across the country.
Speaking on the honour, Dr. Gullapalli N. Rao said it was a privilege to receive the recognition on behalf of all those working to expand access to quality eye care. He said restoring sight restores dignity and opportunity, and praised SRK’s world-class operational systems. Smt. Reema Nanavaty said the award belonged to the millions of women whose resilience and entrepreneurial spirit continue to inspire SEWA’s mission. She noted that when women are empowered, they become agents of change for their families and communities. Shri Srikanth Bolla said his journey has shown that limitations often exist more in perception than reality, and that the award is a reminder that with the right support, every individual can contribute meaningfully to society.
Over the past 20 years, the Santokbaa Humanitarian Award has honoured 20 of India’s most distinguished humanitarian and social leaders, including Shri Ratan Tata, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Dr. Sudha Murty, Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla, Shri Shiv Nadar, Dr. Abhay Bang and Dr. Rani Bang, Dr. Verghese Kurien, Shri Kailash Satyarthi and Shri A.S. Kiran Kumar. With the introduction of the Social Entrepreneurship Award in 2026, the milestone celebration reaffirmed the importance of empathy, service and purposeful leadership in building a better future.
About Santokbaa Humanitarian Award:
Over the past 20 years, the Santokbaa Humanitarian Award has honoured 19 of India’s most distinguished humanitarian and social leaders, including Shri Ratan Tata, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Dr. Sudha Murty, Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla, Shri Shiv Nadar, Dr. Abhay Bang and Dr. Rani Bang, Dr. Verghese Kurien, Shri Kailash Satyarthi and Shri A.S. Kiran Kumar, among other eminent personalities. In 2026, SRKKF also instituted the Santokbaa Social Entrepreneurship Award, with Shri Srikanth Bolla becoming its inaugural recipient.
As the Santokbaa Humanitarian Award completed a remarkable 20-year journey, the milestone celebration reaffirmed the enduring importance of empathy, service and purposeful leadership in shaping a better future. The journey endures, contributing to nation-building through compassion, innovation and service to humanity.
For more information, visit: https://srk.foundation/honours
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Osstem Implant Accelerates Innovation in India with ‘Denall TV’, a Digital Dental Education Hub
- Over the past two years since its launch in April 2024, Denall TV has become a core platform for digital dental education in India.
- Opened a dedicated Denall Studio in India in July 2025, strengthening live hands-on and professional training programs.
- Supporting the professional growth of clinicians through practical content, including ‘Master Courses’ and ‘Product Reviews’.
NEW DELHI and MUMBAI, India, June 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Osstem Implant announced that its specialized dental education platform for the Indian market, ‘Denall TV’ (https://in.denall.com), is gaining significant traction among local practitioners, establishing itself as a vital hub for digital dental education in India.
- Building a Comprehensive Digital Clinical Education Environment
Since launching its first content in April 2024, Denall TV has continuously evolved to meet the needs of Indian clinicians. To provide more immersive and high-quality education, Osstem Implant established a dedicated Denall Studio in India in July 2025. This facility has enabled the creation of a systematic digital clinical education environment, overcoming geographical limitations for dentists across the country.
- Providing High-Quality, Practice-Oriented Clinical Content
The platform focuses on promoting ‘Digital Dentistry’ through specialized ‘Digital Surgery’ education and providing accurate product information. Denall TV consistently uploads essential clinical content, including: Live Hands-on sessions, Practical Master Courses, Expert product reviews featuring items such as the T2 Plus and 122 Taper KIT, helping clinicians make informed decisions for their practices.
- Strengthening Trust as a Strategic Education Partner
Professional clinical courses have become a major topic of interest among local medical professionals. Notably, the ‘Implant System Introduction’ lecture has surpassed 25,000 views, proving the platform’s high influence. This achievement signifies that Osstem Implant has successfully established itself as a trusted education partner in the Indian market, going beyond its role as a manufacturer.
- Bridging Global Trends and Improving Educational Accessibility
Osstem Implant connects local practitioners with global academic networks. The platform provides timely content from global academic events such as the ‘2026 Osstem World Meeting in Bangkok’, sharing the latest implant trends and technological advancements with the Indian dental community. By offering online access, Denall TV effectively bridges the educational gap for dentists in regions where offline seminars are difficult to attend.
An official from Osstem Implant India stated, “Denall TV serves as a key bridge, delivering world-class clinical knowledge to local dentists. We will continue to strengthen our real-time interactive webinars to provide deeper clinical insights.” The official added, “We are committed to driving both the quantitative and qualitative growth of the Indian dental implant market through the continued provision of high-quality educational content.”
Moving forward, Osstem Implant plans to enhance its B2C PR strategies centered around the Denall TV platform and lead the popularization of digital dental treatment in India through close communication with local practitioners.
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Fulfilling PM Modi’s Dream of Atmanirbhar Bharat: India’s AI Writing Startup Kreativespace Incubated at IIT Kharagpur
Fulfilling PM Modi’s Dream of Atmanirbhar Bharat: India’s AI Writing Startup Kreativespace Incubated at IIT Kharagpur
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