Over 130 high-tech products power 15th National Games

Over 130 high-tech products have been involved in the 15th National Games which officially opened on Sunday evening, presenting a visual feast to the audience and providing technical guarantees for competitions during the sporting event.

One of the most eye-catching ones was a 174-meter-long digital scroll at the opening ceremony of the Games, which was held at the Guangdong Olympic Sports Center in Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong Province.

The digital scroll showcased cityscapes of host cities at the ceremony. Unlike traditional artworks, this massive piece was completely generated by AI agents, with the support of the MasterAgent technology, developed by Shenzhen Shenyuan Artificial Intelligence.

It helped technicians to maintain stylistic consistency through the image, according to the developer.

"We generated more than 2,000 AI agents for data integration when we created it. Some of them delved into the history and data of the Lingnan region (south of the Nanling Mountains), while the others studied all famous paintings from ancient and modern times at home and abroad, analyzing their styles, artistic merits, and structural composition," said Mi Xue'er, manager of digital scroll project at the company.

Yaolong Intelligent Technology in Guangdong's Foshan City, specializing in smart sports venue systems, built the operational platforms for over 30 competition sites.

Its newly developed central control platform can provide integrated services covering timing, scoring, information release, audio-visual interactions, and illumination during the event.

"By setting the control mode for the entire venue, we solved the problems of multi-system coordination. With just one computer and one operator, we can manage all the information control for the entire event," said Dai Tianlan, president of the company.

This year, the Games are jointly hosted by Guangdong Province and the neighboring Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, marking the first time that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has co-hosted the country's premier multi-sport event.

The 15th National Games features 34 sports with 419 events in the competitive program, and 23 sports with 166 events in the mass participation program.

Over 130 high-tech products power 15th National Games

Tanzanians doing business in the Middle East have been forced to scale down or cease operations altogether, as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran disrupts global travel.

In early March, Tanzanian authorities sent a special flight to bring home more than 200 citizens from Dubai.

Mustapha Khatow, who runs the travel agency Sky Link Travel and Tours, said he has spent nearly four decades in the tourism industry, moving between Dubai and Tanzania, serving both corporate and leisure travelers. But the recent tensions involving Iran and the disruption to flights and business have hit hard, forcing him to relocate his family back to Tanzania.

"Tanzanian travel agents in the whole, they have been hit, because we've had huge cancellations for Eid, people going to Dubai, for Easter holidays, going to Dubai. So, we have lost a big chunk of people who do not wish to go to Dubai at this time," he said.

The impact is being felt beyond tourism. Supply challenges linked to the conflict have pushed up global oil prices, raising concerns for import-dependent economies like Tanzania. Authorities say they are taking measures to cushion businesses and maintain steady fuel supplies.

Aviation and tourism in the Middle East have also taken a hit. In Dubai, more than 80,000 travel bookings were canceled in the first week of the conflict as airports faced intermittent closures and uncertainty, leading to millions of dollars in losses.

Reports indicate that visitor arrivals in the Middle East could decline by between 11 percent and 27 percent in 2026. Travel industry professionals like Khatow view the downturn as collateral damage from the conflict and hope for a swift resolution to help revive tourism.

"Those big traders who bring containers to Tanzania, they have a challenge because of the shipping lines getting delayed, freight charges going up. And again, another issue is Air Tanzania has not been flying to Dubai since then, apart from one repatriation flight," he said.

Khatow said diplomacy will be key to restoring stability, while accurate reporting can help limit further damage to businesses.

US-Israeli war on Iran disrupts travel businesses from Tanzania