Tourism: Saudi Arabia is a global hub for artificial intelligence, supported by the Crown Prince
The Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Engineer Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha, affirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is making steady and rapid progress in establishing itself as a global hub for artificial intelligence, thanks to the unlimited support and wise guidance of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. This came during his participation in a dialogue session as part of the Microsoft AI Tour hosted in Riyadh, where he highlighted the Kingdom's significant achievements in the digital age.
Vision 2030: The solid foundation for digital transformation
These statements come within the context of the Kingdom's major transformation under Vision 2030, which has placed digital transformation and technological innovation at the heart of its priorities to diversify the national economy away from oil. Over the past few years, the Kingdom has successfully built a sophisticated digital infrastructure that has enabled it to absorb emerging technologies, reflecting a far-sighted strategic vision aimed at making Riyadh the region's technology capital and a bridge connecting East and West in the fields of data and artificial intelligence.
Pillars of strength: computing, capital, and customers
Speaking about the foundations of leadership, Al-Swaha explained that leading the global race in artificial intelligence depends on three key elements: computing, capital, and customers. He pointed out that the Kingdom has successfully provided these enablers in an integrated manner, allowing partners and international companies to expand from Saudi Arabia. He added that the Kingdom has worked diligently to bridge three global gaps: the computing gap by providing sustainable and reliable energy sources for data centers; the algorithmic gap by developing advanced Arabic language models that serve more than 400 million Arabic speakers; and finally, the data gap by integrating training with practical application in vital sectors.
Significant leaps in the digital economy and national competencies
The minister presented figures showcasing the sector's tremendous growth, noting that data center capacity in the Kingdom has increased from less than 80 megawatts to over 440 megawatts, representing a significant leap forward in digital infrastructure. He also highlighted the growth of the Saudi digital economy to nearly $140 billion, contributing over 50% to the growth of the digital economy in the Middle East and North Africa region, with eight billion-dollar technology companies (unicorns) emerging from this fertile environment.
Regarding human capital, which is the most important investment, Al-Sawah explained that the focus on developing national capabilities has made a strategic difference, as the number of technical talents has jumped from 150,000 to more than 406,000 specialists, which has turned the Kingdom into one of the largest technical clusters in the region, and has strengthened its readiness to lead the smart era with qualified national cadres.
Global partnerships for a sustainable future
Al-Swaha concluded by emphasizing that the Kingdom, through its strategic partnerships with technology giants like Microsoft and others, is committed to building an integrated system that not only consumes technology but also contributes to its creation and export. This approach reflects the pivotal role the Kingdom plays today as a global innovation hub and a key driver of growth in the knowledge-based economy and artificial intelligence in the region and the world.
