Under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia aspires to become a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and a regional tech hub.
“We are living in a time of scientific innovation, unprecedented technology, and unlimited growth prospects. These new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things, if used optimally, can spare the world many disadvantages and can bring enormous benefits to the world,” said the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
As a result, the Kingdom has forged a national strategy to drive its ambitions to be among the top 15 nations in the field of AI by 2030, and has injected billions of dollars to invest in the fast-emerging sector.
National Endeavors
The Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) was founded in 2019 to establish the governance of Data and AI, provide and enhance capabilities through continuous innovation in the field of AI, and ensure the positioning of the Kingdom as a global leader among data-driven economies.
SDAIA has utilized data and AI technologies to align with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, directly impacting 66 of the 96 vision objectives, through launching various digital initiatives and projects to support government sectors in different developmental fields, achieving financial savings exceeding 50bn SAR.
In 2019, Saudi Arabia established the National Center for AI (NCAI), under the umbrella of SDAIA. The Center collaborates with partners from the public and private sectors to drive the Kingdom’s national AI priorities.
NCAI’s goal is to unify national efforts by implementing national research projects, strengthening research and innovation in AI, supporting the field with the needed capabilities, developing solutions that serve the national priorities in various sectors, and elevating the level of national cadres in data science, AI, and their supporting technologies.
AI Strategy
In 2020, Saudi Arabia approved its first National Strategy for Data and AI (NSDAI), developed by SDAIA. The Strategy aims to position the Kingdom as a global hub for AI, and enact the most welcoming legislation for Data and AI businesses and talents to rank among the top 10 countries in open data.
It also aims to transform the Kingdom’s workforce with a steady local supply of Data and AI-empowered talents, and attract 75bn SAR ($20bn) investments in data and AI.
In addition, the strategy aims to empower top Data and AI institutions to lead innovation in order to rank among the top 20 countries in scientific contribution, and enrich data and AI entrepreneurship by creating more than 300 startups.
NSDAI gives priority to specific sectors, including education, government, healthcare, energy, and mobility.
Great Achievements
Through a series of initiatives and projects, SDAIA has achieved impressive accomplishments in the field of data and AI.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Saudi Arabia has succeeded in topping global AI indicators. In the International AI Index Report 2024, issued by Stanford University, the Kingdom ranked among the leading nations globally for developing a national strategy for AI.
The Kingdom ranked second globally in societal awareness of AI in the Stanford University International AI Index Report 2023. In the Global AI Index 2023, issued by Tortoise Intelligence, Saudi Arabia gained the top spot in the Government Strategy Index for AI.
Smart Cities
Owing to SDAIA’s efforts, five Saudi cities, Riyadh, Mecca, Jeddah, Madinah, and Al-Khobar, have improved their ranking of the IMD Smart City Index 2024. Riyadh ranked 25th globally and remained third in the Arab world.
The Index, issued by the International Institute for Management Development, uses criteria such as residents’ perception of the scope and impact of efforts made to make their cities smart, the balance between economic development and human dimensions. It also reviews efforts to bridge the gap between residents’ aspirations and needs and modern trends in building smart cities, and employing digital technologies to better use resources, and reduce carbon emissions.
Humanoid Robots
Saudi Arabia has made great strides in developing and utilizing humanoid robots. In February 2023, during LEAP 2023, the Kingdom unveiled “Sara,” the first robot to speak Saudi dialect. The robot was manufactured in cooperation between Saudi Digital and Qss Company.
It can communicate and interact with people and perform all popular dances. It contains a pre-trained model that recognizes the different Saudi dialects. It can also analyse sentences and understands their content, then provides the appropriate answer and sends it in the form of text.
In October 2023, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) introduced “Nour R1,” a humanoid robot designed to provide innovative information and communication technology services and enhance the overall experience for both employees and patients.
It has the ability to engage in Arabic and English interactions and identify staff members by their faces. As Nour R1 becomes more integrated into the hospital’s daily operations, it will take on more responsibilities to help patients.
Huge Investments
According to a report by global consultancy firm PwC, AI is expected to contribute $135.2bn to Saudi Arabia’s economy by 2030 (12.4% of GDP).
Realizing the centrality of advanced technology and AI in its Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is heavily investing in developing advanced and emerging technologies and innovation.
In March 2024, during the LEAP 24 Exhibition in Riyadh, the Kingdom announced $11.9bn in investments to support deep and emerging technologies, innovation, and cloud computing in Saudi Arabia and worldwide.
During the same event, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced it is planning to invest more than $5.3bn to launch an AWS infrastructure Region in Saudi Arabia in 2026. Datavolt also announced a $5bn investment in Saudi data centers with a capacity of more than 300 megawatts.
Other tech giants made similar announcements. IBM plans to invest $250mn in a global software development center in the Kingdom. Dell will open a manufacturing and fulfillment center in Saudi Arabia. ServiceNow will invest $500mn to localize its regional services in Saudi Arabia.
Aramco and Ministry of Communication and Information Technology established the Saudi Accelerated Innovation Lab (SAIL) to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s digital capabilities and to launch the “Metbrain” GenAI model; it also announced “Aramco LLM”, the world’s first industrial grade GenAI.
