Saudi Telecom Company (STC), the kingdom's biggest mobile operator, and app developer Mena Communication Holding have launched Beem, a voice and video calling application to meet growing demand for communication services in the kingdom.
Beem, which was launched at the Leap technology exhibition in Riyadh, will cater to personal and business use in an era of remote activity, according to its description on the app store.
“For business users, Beem is an essential tool for effective collaboration and organisation management,” it said.
Beem is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play, and does not require users to purchase an additional subscription from Saudi Arabia's telecom operators, including STC, Zain and Mobily.
Voice and video calling apps — which run on voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology — were popular even before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
The health crisis, however, caused a spike in VoIP use, as people were confined to their homes and office workers, students and businesses conducted more activities online.
The global mobile VoIP market is projected to grow to $67.8 billion by 2027 from an estimated $33.5 billion in 2021, at a compound annual rate of about 12.5 per cent, according to the latest data from Research and Markets.
The use of VoIP also has the potential to provide significant savings.
Users can save up to 90 per cent on international calls and 40 per cent on local calls, while companies can save on operational costs, a study from data provider FinancesOnline showed.
Saudi Arabia lifted its ban on internet calling applications in 2017, allowing services such as Skype and WhatsApp to fully operate in the kingdom.
The move was aimed at improving business confidence as the kingdom transitions into a post-oil era, the government said at that time.
Beem's features include support for video meetings for up to 150 participants, as well as calendar synchronisation and to-do task management.
It also gives users collaboration control for documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
Admin functionality allows businesses “manage their team and projects with ease”, it said.
Beem also has an augmented reality function that lets users apply filters to their messages.
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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The bio
His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell
His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard
Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece
Favourite movie - The Last Emperor
Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great
Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos
Packages which the US Secret Service said contained possible explosive devices were sent to:
- Former first lady Hillary Clinton
- Former US president Barack Obama
- Philanthropist and businessman George Soros
- Former CIA director John Brennan at CNN's New York bureau
- Former Attorney General Eric Holder (delivered to former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz)
- California Congresswoman Maxine Waters (two devices)
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
