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 finished a 2 am feed and wanted to mark the moment by sharing something I’ve quietly been building: my own baby activity tracker (Just do it).

Over the past weeks I’ve tried a bit of everything — apps, notes on my phone, even scribbles on the wall — but nothing really matched how my days with my son actually feel. So I started designing a simple tracker just for us, and it’s slowly becoming part of our nightly rhythm. The screenshots here are from this week, where I’ve been logging feeds and diapers and getting little reflections back on how the week went.

One funny (and honest) observation: I almost never manage to log sleep time. Somehow, by the time he finally dozes off, the last thing I want to do is tap another button. That gap made me notice how much I crave calm more than perfect data. Using this tool has helped me be more mindful of our routines without obsessing, and seeing the week summarized gives me a small sense of order in the blur of new parenthood.

I’m deeply grateful that my baby Justin  is the inspiration / pair-programming buddy / tester for this little project. The idea is that the tool will grow with him, and I’ll grow with it: what we track, how we reflect, and how we build tiny moments of awareness into everyday care. If it can help other new parents feel a bit more grounded and gentle with themselves, then it’s already a success.

Give it a try, or share it with a new parent friend. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it. 

Link in first comment.

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

After feeding baby Justin tonight, I suddenly got hit by a very specific craving: that steamy, savory bowl of halal Lanzhou noodles in China – the kind where the broth warms your soul and the hand-pulled noodles disappear way too fast.

So, while the little one was settling back to sleep, I opened up HalalYalla and did the next best thing to actually flying to China: I added a few halal Lanzhou noodle spots in Shenzhen to the app.

If you’re heading to Shenzhen (or already there!), you’ll soon see new listings for:
- Lanzhou / Chinese Muslim noodle places in key districts
- Clear halal tagging and addresses you can navigate to directly

This is just the start. I’ll keep expanding the China halal noodle map city by city – if you know any must‑visit spots, reply or DM so we can add them to HalalYalla and help more Muslims find that perfect bowl.

Link in first comment.

Celebrating the arrival of Eid in the spirit of service, I had the privilege of moderating discussions among agrifood tech innovators and ecosystem enablers from around the world at the preparatory meeting for the Global Agrifood Innovation Alliance (GAIA), a "child" of World AgriFood Innovation (WAFI) Conference, as Prof. Wenge Fu the Founder of WAFI has so affectionately put it.

I was especially honored to introduce our Middle East speaker representative, Prof. Abdulaziz Al-Harbi, PhD, Chief Scientific Advisor of the Saudi AgriFood Tech Alliance (SAFTA) التحالف السعودي لتقنيات الزراعة والغذاء —a true pioneer in the field with over 40 years of contributions shaping agrifood innovation in the region.

What stood out most was the genuine energy for collaboration across regions—from colleagues in Spain exploring deeper engagement with the Middle East, to the inspiring momentum across Africa in advancing both technology and human capacity to support smallholder farmers at scale.

I’m deeply grateful to all participants for their openness, shared purpose, and commitment to building bridges across ecosystems. 

This is just the beginning. 

We warmly welcome continued dialogue and invite partners from across sectors and geographies to join us in shaping this collective effort.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue these conversations during our upcoming innovation roadshow in mid-April—more details to follow soon.

In these complex times, I also extend sincere wishes for peace, stability, and shared prosperity across our region and beyond. We look forward to welcoming delegations and visitors to the Middle East in the months to come, to deepen collaboration on the ground and translate dialogue into action.

Eid Mubarak 🌙

Nations endure not just on vision or resources, but on trust: the quiet promises that bind us all.

Saudi Founding Day celebrates exactly that: leaders and people whose word built a lasting foundation, from Diriyah in 1727 to today. That's why I write about trust and foundation today.

Confucius says, "lacking trustworthiness, it's hard to know what can be made of them". In homes as in nations, kids learn trust not from words alone, but from whether "I'll be there" holds true.

In celebration of Foundation Day today, pick one recent promise to your child. Keep it by day's end, or sit down, explain honestly why not, and rebuild together. 

Small acts build strong foundations.

Happy Foundation Day!

自謂西川業漸成，
荊郊野夢尚纏情。
六年閒坐雲山外，
一劍未嘗試世塵。
水繞孤城春自碧，
心隨駿馬意難停。
他年若問興衰事，
但指江流笑未名。

新野覺前歌

Pi Day 2026: The Pie Chart Exception I Teach (And Built)

Data science teacher confession: I always warn against pie charts—bars are better for comparisons. 

Exception? Pi Day, when "parts of a whole" demands intuitive slices.

Enter Slice Truth on π Day – 20 interactive pies in one view.

Some of those pies:
AI's venture capital grip
Shifting global defense budgets
Timeless truths:
10,000 hour myth debunked
Where your focus really goes
How long habits take to form
How identical are we as humans genetically

Pick your provocation—what slice surprises you?
Enjoy the πs. 

Link on first comment.

Six weeks in, my wife and I have been so focused on baby Justin that we sometimes forget… us.  

I originally built a tiny baby activity tracker just to keep up with his feeds, naps, and milestones. But over the past few weeks, I realized the app was quietly reinforcing a mindset: everything for the baby, and whatever energy is left for the parents.

So I added a new screen: a gentle “Just Do It” checklist for us.  

Simple things like “Go outside”, “Drink water”, “Move your body”, “Eat a real meal”, “Take a shower”, “Read to baby” – tiny prompts that nudge us to care for him and ourselves in the same frame.

It’s not fancy product-wise, but it’s been surprisingly grounding to tick off “I ate a real meal” with the same satisfaction as “I read to Justin today”.  

If you’re in the newborn tunnel too, how are you reminding yourself that the parents are part of the care plan?

Al Barakah Dates™

• Manage export sales operations across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas, overseeing customer accounts in over 100 countries. 
• Coordinate with shipping companies to negotiate optimal freight rates and arrange container bookings for exports. 
• Plan and book air shipments, ensuring accurate documentation and timely dispatch of product samples. 
• Oversee full production planning for monthly export orders to more than 100 countries, coordinating with the production team and providing dispatch plans to logistics.
• Design and implement production plans based on current orders to align with logistics and dispatch schedules. 
• Collaborate closely with production and logistics teams to ensure timely delivery and dispatch of both local and export orders. 
• Handle the company’s primary info email account, addressing customer inquiries and resolving complaints effectively. 
• Generate / manage Proforma Invoices, Sales Blanket Agreements, Sales Orders, Local and Export A/R Invoices, and Return Requests using SAP. 
• Implement MRP in SAP to optimize stock levels in the warehouse.
• Maintain and update the Export Order Book, tracking ETD/ETA, payment status, and delivery timelines to support end-to-end sales operations.
• Prepare and analyze sales reports using SAP and Excel to identify revenue trends and drive customer retention strategies. 
• Quote customers for the full product portfolio and support sales efforts through data-driven decision making. 
• Support CRM management by maintaining accurate records of sales activities, customer interactions, and order histories. 
• Grown local sales revenue by over 200% through effective customer onboarding and market penetration in the UAE. 
• Manage the sales pipeline, tracking leads, opportunities, and conversions to meet monthly targets. 
• Lead and support a team of sales staff, providing ongoing training, mentorship, and performance monitoring to foster a collaborative and results-driven environment.

Sales Coordinator (Supply Chain & Planning Operations)

Zones, LLC

My expertise & JD includes the following 
•	Execute the SKU management needs for the designated Zones locations.
•	Looking after the entire product management throughout the product lifecycle in D-365.
•	Looking after the Product information management and digital inventory management across entire Europe and Scandinavia. 
•	If appropriate, format the SKU information in a manner that can be transferred to other Global geo teams’ ERP system.
•	Oversee the creation and maintenance of product information as per the policies and procedure laid out in Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
•	Respond and process all product modification requests in a timely and accurate manner throughout the lifecycle.
•	Meet or exceed the various customer Service Level Agreements (SLAs) in place for processing data and SKUs to properly support sales growth and customer satisfaction.
•	Supporting the sales operations by registering the product in D-365.
•	Provide support to Global geo teams during their standard operating hours (local time).
•	SKU requests are processed in a timely & accurate manner.
•	Other SKU or data related requests or projects are completed in a timely and accurate manner.
•	To ensure the accuracy of all SKU data and product information.
•	Accountable for overall data management and governance for hardware, software, and services throughout the life cycle.
•	Complete product management and analysis throughout the product journey from the manufacturer to end user.
•	Managing the digital inventory in D-365 and accountable for all the alterations in a product throughout its lifecycle.
•	Managing the trade agreements of a product and time to time changes in it.
•	Carrying out audits in D-365 for the products having errors throughout their lifecycle.

Product Information Specialist (SCM)

Rehman Medical Institute (RMI)

Key Responsibilities & Expertise : 
o Inventory Par-levels Management
o Product Information Management
o Logistics
o Sourcing
o Negotiation
o Contracts Management
o Health Care Procurement
o Biomedical Procurement
o General Items Procurement
o Engineering Items/Electrical/HVAC Procurement
o Information Technology Procurement
o RFQ and Comparative analysis of vendors
o Document Management System through Share point
o Maintaining SCM records in excel on daily basis
o Project Management
o JCIA Heath care practices
o Training of Dynamics-365 to subordinates/internees/freshers

Supply Chain Officer (Procurement & Inventory)

Result-driven, hardworking  and organized Supply Chain, Import-Export, Sales-Business coordination and Product Management Professional with excellent leadership/communication skills and ability to achieve business goals and objectives of organization. A unique combination of Procurement , Sourcing, Logistics, PIM, Negotiation, Contracts Management, Product Management and Project Management.
A problem solver by heart and strive to deliver the most effective solution.

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