Saudi National Day 2025: Vision 2030 Cements AI Leadership
Under the theme “Our Pride is in Our Nature,” Saudi Arabia will observe its 95th National Day on September 23, marking a new year of accomplishments and progress.
The National Day’s identity celebrates the core values and qualities that have guided Saudis in their daily life throughout the centuries, shaping their national identity, solidifying their status as a model of pride and honor, and driving the ambitious vision to build a successful future for the nation.
Launched in 2016 by the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, Vision 2030 is the key driving force behind the Kingdom’s transformation into a more modern and prosperous nation.
Poised to be the most transformative technology of the 21st century, artificial intelligence (AI) lies in the heart of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious plans.
Saudi National Day
Saudi Arabia celebrates its National Day on September 23 of each year, marking the birth of the modern Kingdom. On this day in 1932, King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud issued a royal decree declaring the unification of Najd and Hejaz into one nation, under the name of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh as its capital, Arabic as its official language and Quran as its constitution.
The first celebration of the Saudi National Day took place in 1965, under King Faisal bin Abdulaziz. Then, it became an official holiday in 2005, under a royal decree by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.
Saudis celebrate this significant occasion by taking pride in their national identity and traditions through folklore music and dance performances, as well as parades and firework shows.
Vision 2030: Toward A Brighter Future
The ambitious Vision 2030 aims to build a thriving economy, a vibrant society and a prosperous nation. Through a series of innovative initiatives and mega-projects, Vision 2030 is designed to propel Saudi Arabia toward a more prosperous and sustainable future.
Vision 2030 demonstrates Saudis’ commitment to making real transformation while staying true to their identity and values, to build a brighter future for the coming generations.
As a source of pride, Vision 2030 is incorporated into the identity of the National Day 95, through a radiating pattern inspired by the Vision 2030 logo. The symbol takes an expanding form, symbolizing clarity, progress, and transformation toward the future.
Saudi Arabia’s AI Vision
Recognizing the significance of AI as the most transformative technology of the 21st century, Saudi Arabia has put AI in the heart of its ambitious reform plans, making major strides toward regional and global leadership in AI and emerging technologies.
In the light of this, Saudi Arabia has decided to incorporate an AI curriculum across all levels of public education starting from the academic year 2025-2026, to equip students with specialized skills that qualify them to engage with the digital age and develop innovative solutions throughout their educational journey.
The initiative features cooperation between the Kingdom’s National Curriculum Center, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA).
HUMAIN AI
One of the remarkable achievements in this field is HUMAIN, an AI company wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, launched in May 2025.
The main goal of HUMAIN is to develop Arabic large language models (LLMs) and consolidate the Kingdom’s position as a global hub for AI innovation. Hence, it focuses on developing AI solutions and technologies, and investing in the sector’s ecosystem.
Its services include a wide range of AI services, products and tools, such as next-generation data centers, AI infrastructure and cloud capabilities, as well as advanced AI models and solutions.
HUMAIN Chat
In another testament to Saudi Arabia’s leadership in AI is the launch of HUMAIN Chat, a next-generation Arabic interactive AI app, developed in Saudi Arabia by Saudi hands.
The groundbreaking app targets over 400 million Arabic speakers and two billion Muslims around the world, who have felt excluded from the generative AI boom due to the lack of cultural nuance and linguistic depth.
The HUMAIN Chat is powered by the company’s pioneering Arabic LLM, ALLAM 34B, marking a major milestone toward developing a sovereign AI technology which is deeply rooted in the region’s cultural identity and ensures linguistic equity and global competitiveness.
Robotaxis in Riyadh Streets
In a major milestone, Saudi Arabia has launched the pilot operations of Robotaxis, developed by Chinese tech firm WeRide in collaboration with Uber and local partner AiDriver.
The revolutionary service aims to boost transport efficiency, sustainability, and safety across Riyadh, easing traffic congestion in the Saudi capital.
The initial stages include the rollout of Robotaxis across key locations in Riyadh, including at King Khalid International Airport, major highways and selected city center hubs, with plans to expand into full-scale commercial service by the end of 2025.
AI-Powered Drones
Most recently, Saudi Arabia conducted its first drone-based parcel delivery trial in Jeddah, a further step toward a more sustainable future, in line with Vision 2030. The trial featured collaboration between the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the Transport General Authority (TGA), and Aramex KSA.
The innovative project marks another major leap toward modernizing logistics and supply chains through automation and AI-driven systems, aligning with Vision 2030’s digital transformation goals and positioning the Kingdom as a global logistics hub.
Moreover, Saudi Arabia utilized drones during Hajj Season 2025. The General Directorate of Civil Defense deployed the AI-powered “Falcon” drone to enhance firefighting and rescue operations. The drone is equipped with multi-purpose firefighting capabilities, rescue systems, thermal imaging cameras, and live site transmission.
The Kingdom also used drones to transport urgent medical supplies to highly congested areas during Hajj 2025, in a partnership between the Saudi Ministry of Health and the National Unified Procurement Company (Nupco) to enable rapid emergency response and ensure the wellbeing of pilgrims.
