Innovation X Ecosystems @Topian, the NEOM Food Company

TL;DR
I turn bold ideas into sustainable reality. I fuse technology, sustainability, and food systems to shape a resilient, future-ready world. With a PhD in Applied Mathematics and a track record spanning research, entrepreneurship, and global partnerships, I’m passionate about driving transformative projects that advance Vision 2030.

Speaker bio:
Dr. Andrew Yip is dedicated to curating sustainable innovations and strategic partnerships that will help the food sector reach its full potential. With his extensive experience in technology, innovation, and data governance, Dr. Yip is committed to driving positive change and creating innovative solutions for the industry, supporting Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims to promote economic diversification, job creation, and social and cultural development.

Dr. Yip holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics and Computational Science from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and has been a NEOM pioneer since 2019. When he's not working, he enjoys tabletop gaming with friends and strangers alike.

Andrew Yip, PhD

Just launched Halal Yalla — a web-app to help Muslim travelers find halal restaurants, mosques, and grocery stores worldwide.

The plan was to build it during a solo "Startup Weekend." It ended up taking two.

Here’s how it unfolded:

First weekend, I rushed an MVP with maps and a basic UI. By Sunday, it worked — but felt more like a prototype than a real product.

Second weekend, I started over, focusing on useful experience over features. I rethought how people research trips on desktop, designed helpful dietary cards for use at restaurants, and added offline mode for areas with poor internet. Everything is powered by real OpenStreetMap data across three pilot cities.

What’s inside:
• An interactive map with community-recommended halal places
• Dietary cards in multiple languages
• Offline access & saved favorites
• Mobile and desktop optimized

All free. No sign-up. No ads.

What I learned:
Quality beats speed — most of weekend one’s code was replaced.
Design matters more than feature count.
Build what you need (I made this for my own travels).
Ship early, listen, then iterate.

I’d love your help:
If you travel or know someone who does, please try it and share your thoughts. It’s new — so expect bugs and missing features. I truly want to hear from you.
DM me or email: feedback@halalyalla.app

What’s next?
More cities, community reviews, deeper integrations — but first, I want to listen.
This came from my own need to find halal food while traveling in China with friends. If it helps even one person explore more confidently, it’s a win.

Special thanks to Usman Bashir for the honest critique and being the first reviewer over coffee.

Link in first comment.

Saudi Premium Resident | Turning bold ideas into sustainable reality | Tech × Sustainability × Future Food Systems

Hong Kong felt like the right next city for Halal Yalla because two things clicked at once: a quietly growing halal scene, and people generous enough to map it for others.

I read a 2025 SCMP feature on how Hong Kong is expanding halal food options but still leaves many Muslim travelers guessing where they can actually eat with confidence. I also discovered Maryam's work documenting halal-friendly spots across the city. Together, they showed me what travelers really want: context, clarity, and lived experience, not just lists.

That's when Hong Kong became the next city on Halal Yalla.

What's new:
190+ halal places across Hong Kong, from TST to Lantau. I cross-checked the Hong Kong Tourism Board data against the latest halal certification list and kept only the ones where certifications are active and valid. (Big thank you to HKTB for the excellent foundation.)
Two levels of confidence: Halal Certified/Kitchen (120+ places) and Halal Friendly (60+). A mix of cuisines: Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, Japanese, Korean, Mediterranean, and more.
Hong Kong now opens by default when you launch the app.

I also had the good fortune of Jana reviewing the UI/UX and pushing back on what wasn't working. Most of her feedback is now baked into this version. Thank you, Jana.

If you live in Hong Kong, have visited, or are planning a trip, your feedback will shape what comes next: what's missing, what's confusing, what actually helped.

Free, no sign-up, no ads — just a tool I wish existed when I was standing in a new city with Muslim friends, hungry, and unsure where we could eat.

Try it, share it, and tell me honestly what you think.
DM or email: feedback@halalyalla.app
Link in first comment.

Photo credit: The Charm of the Bright City from discoverhongkong.com

In the past weekends, I've solo-built production apps like HalalYalla.app using prompt-driven workflows, and v0 by Vercel is part of my arsenal.

It worked so well that I've asked my friend Usman Bashir who's a master-builder to host a virtual "Prompt to Production" session for builders in Riyadh as part of v0 by Vercel global hackathon week.

We'll run a virtual sprint on Jan 31 (KSA time) where you'll go from idea to deployed app in hours, focused on Saudi priorities—tourism, edtech, trade, and really any vertical of your choice.

If you're a developer, founder, PM, or student ready to ship fast, this is for you. Solo builders or small teams thrive in this format.

Spots are limited for Jan 31, 2026. Reply "Interested" or DM for more details and how you can get prepped. Looking forward to building together.

Register here:

Open article: v0 Prompt to Production — Riyadh · Luma by luma.com

v0 Prompt to Production — Riyadh · Luma

Jeremy's book on Gulf culture is a classic for a reason. It’s even updated to a fourth edition now. And after 15 years on the ground here in Saudi Arabia, I’ve realized the real secret isn’t in the latest rules or etiquette tips. It’s in the mindset. Times change, but how people value connection, respect, and shared understanding? That stays.

For me, it boils down to three guiding thoughts:

1. Relationship over transaction.
2. Respect over efficiency.
3. Context over assumption.

So when you wonder, “What should I wear?” filter it through Respect & Context.
When you think, “How do I negotiate here?” lean on Relationship.

Try it. Look at one of the questions in his post below and run it through those three ideas. What comes up?

The shift isn’t really about what you do differently. It’s how you see differently, and stay anchored.

RRC:
Relationship 
Respect 
Context

Thank you Jeremy for inspiring generations of expats.

If you or your colleagues have business and other interests with Arabs from the Gulf countries of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE (Abu Dhabi and Dubai etc.) and Oman you may be interested in the 2-hour in-person lecture I'm giving in the afternoon of Tuesday 20 January 2026 in London.
This will be given at the Victory Services Club near Marble Arch from 1400 to 1600, followed by networking and a cash bar.
 
I'm the author of the best-selling cross-cultural guide for business and life in the Gulf 'Don't They Know It's Friday'  now in in its 4th edition since 1998. 
Copies will be available for sale, signed if requested.

The Saudi Ambassador in London wrote: “A fascinating read; even I learned something about our culture. Essential reading for the visitor to the region”
If you or your colleagues ask the type of questions listed below I encourage attendance.

To attend please see the EventBrite link:

https://lnkd.in/ePQNaHtS

 
Best wishes
Jeremy Williams OBE
www.handshaikh.com
--------------

·        I’m a businesswoman – what should I wear in the Gulf? What should I not wear?
·        What are the basics of Islam?
·        What’s the difference between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims?
·        How can I understand Gulf protocol and personal etiquette? ·
·        How should I behave and what should I wear?
·        What should I not wear?
·        What do ‘GCC’, ‘Maghreb’ and ‘Levant’ mean?
·        What do Wasta, Fatwa and Jehaad mean?
·        How do I address and write to an Arab business leader?
·        I’m giving a presentation in the Gulf; what’s important to a Gulf Arab audience?
·        Why do meetings with Arabs often fail to take place?
·        What about race, gender, same-sex and safety issues?
·        Why are Muslim names so confusing?
·        Can I serve wine if Arabs/Muslims are present?
·        How do I negotiate?
·        How will they negotiate?
·        How do I chase Arab debtors?
·        How should I select the right people for work in or with the Gulf? – what are the main attributes needed – and to be avoided?
·        Should Ms Smith offer her hand for Mr Abdullah to shake?

Ever notice how often people quote “Confucius” online — and you can’t quite tell if he actually said that or if it’s just another internet myth?

I’ve been seeing that a lot lately. So, in one of those “what if I build it?” moments, I created a small web app called Confucius or Not (guess you already figured where the inspiration came from).

It’s a simple game: you’re shown a quote, and you guess whether it’s a genuine Confucius saying or a modern imposter. Behind the humor, there’s something deeper — an appreciation for how ideas travel (and mutate) across cultures and centuries.

Building it was a fun blend of history, philosophy, and a bit of mischief — and I hope it sparks the same curiosity in others.

If you’d like to test your inner sage (or just want a laugh at how confident you think you are about Confucius), give it a try.

Link on first comment.

Every pattern in your life repeats until you learn the lesson. The moment you choose differently, the loop ends and growth begins - Chérie Carter-Scott

This is predominantly online with an on the ground component for precise match making. You will gain both the flexibility and real market exposure (plus a nice trip to the beautiful Xiamen). 

If you are in KSA and working in one of the 4 focus areas and are interested, let me know.

CHINA-BRICS Science and Innovation Incubation Park for the New Era

View company: CHINA-BRICS Science and Innovation Incubation Park for the New Era

🚀 BRICS Cross-Border Innovation: Your Gateway to China's Dynamic Market

We're thrilled to share the official opening of global applications for the BRICS Cross-Border Innovation Acceleration Program at the CHINA-BRICS Science and Innovation Incubation Park for the New Era in Xiamen, China.

This groundbreaking initiative is designed to empower innovative startups from BRICS countries and partner nations to successfully scale into the huge Chinese market. Selected participants will receive comprehensive support, including market access strategies, financing connections, and local landing services tailored to navigate China's unique business landscape.

🎯 Priority Tech. Sectors: 

✅ Biomedicine 
✅ New Energy & Intelligent Vehicles 
✅ New Materials 
✅ Digital Economy

📅 Program Highlights: 

✅ Application Deadline: February 28, 2026 
✅ Format: Two-month hybrid acceleration (online activities + two-week on-site intensive in Xiamen, May 2026) 
✅ Benefits: Direct access to leading Chinese corporates, investors, policy networks, and essential landing resources

This is more than an acceleration program; it's a strategic bridge connecting global innovation with one of the world's most influential markets. Whether you're developing cutting-edge biomedical solutions or driving the digital economy forward, this program provides the ecosystem support needed to accelerate your growth in China.

🔗 Ready to expand? Register now: https://lnkd.in/gaDJRB8S  

Mohsin, Sylvia, 林志强, Regal, Sam, Krish, Mozhgan, Adriana, Lamiaa, Bangani, Luís, Oleg, Mehdi, Rodrigo, Wafa, Felix, Mitslal, Monica, Ahmed, Abdulaziz, Albabtain, Hussain, Zainab, Fayez, Abusharifah, Hebah, Reem, Reem Philby, Ahmed, Ghaida, Ali.

#ChinaBRICSSIIP #BRICSInnovation #CrossBorderAcceleration #ChinaMarketEntry #StartupGrowth #GlobalInnovation #PlugAndPlayChina #Xiamen #InnovationEcosystem #TechAccelerator

KAUST Core Labs and Research Infrastructure

I got a promotion to Visualization Scientist at the KVL in the KAUST Core Labs. This position allows me to support all the ongoing research on machine learning and AI at the University.  For example, I will provide training to use the in-premise computational resources along with the help to facilitate the use of data science techniques. I want to help KAUST become a reference institution for ML and AI research.

Visualization Scientist

KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)

I got a promotion to Research Scientist in the extreme computing department. In this position, my focus will be to use machine learning and artificial intelligence to explore the design and interaction of proteins. With my experience in high-performance computing and machine learning, I'm leading projects that will take advantage of the facilities and talent pool of the university.

AI Research Scientist

Over the past years, I had the wonderful opportunity of becoming a postdoctoral fellow at KAUST in the KAUST Catalysis Center, as part of the team where I profit from my experience with high-performance computing, molecular modeling, machine learning, computational biology, data science and learning a lot about giving the most careful attention over details in the decision-making process, methodology implementation, and produce golden standard databases.
I started a project on machine learning applied to protein interaction.  The project first was awarded the equivalent to USD $26k for data generation and exploratory testing. Then, with an internal collaboration of the computer science department, I helped to secure USD 95K from the KAUST AI initiative using my original project as inspiration. As lead and developer, the project, I also mentored one master student, and we have already delivered the project on time, among our deliverables are the research project of the master student, as well as a new implementation of machine learning frameworks to improve classifiers.

Postdoctoral fellow

CINVESTAV

During my postdoc on CINVESTAV, I led the project that was a join adventure of the mathematics department and the computational department. I helped to develop a project using my high-performance computing skills and my domain knowledge. I mentored two bachelor students, I specially train them to use Linux, version control, and python programming for network analysis. I have to manage the project efficiently given the short duration of the grant. We produced several software and two academic papers from this project.

Barcelona Supercomputing Center

Ph.D. research student 

Some few things about me : 

• I love to learn and discuss machine learning and AI's impact on the world
• I have been part of the pioneers in the use of machine learning to evaluate the interactions of proteins.
• I contribute to my teams by improving the accuracy of the calculations and speeding up the algorithms using high-performance computing.

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