The Minister of Communications is discussing strengthening digital infrastructure and space technologies in Davos
In a move reflecting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to accelerating digital transformation and enhancing its position as a regional and global hub for technology and innovation, His Excellency the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Engineer Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha, held a series of intensive strategic meetings with a select group of leaders from global companies and international organizations, on the sidelines of the Kingdom’s delegation’s participation in the World Economic Forum held in Davos.
These technological diplomatic moves come at a time when the Kingdom is witnessing unprecedented momentum within the framework of "Saudi Vision 2030," which positions the digital economy as a key pillar for diversifying national income sources and reducing dependence on oil. These meetings aim to attract and localize the latest global technologies, serving the advanced digital infrastructure in which the Kingdom has invested billions of dollars in recent years.
Strategic partnerships in artificial intelligence and computing
In light of the global focus on future technologies, His Excellency the Minister paid particular attention to advanced computing and artificial intelligence. He met with Andrew Feldman, CEO of Cerebras Systems, to discuss potential collaboration in the field of high-performance computing. This step is crucial for enabling researchers and developers in the Kingdom to access massive data processing capabilities, thereby accelerating innovation in generative AI models and their applications in the healthcare and industrial sectors.
The meetings also included a significant session with Antonio Neri, CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), where discussions focused on developing digital infrastructure and enterprise computing solutions. These talks aimed to accelerate the adoption of advanced cloud technologies by Saudi organizations, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and supporting the digital economy's readiness to meet future challenges.
New horizons in the space economy
The Kingdom's space ambitions were also on the Davos agenda, with Al-Swaha holding a strategic meeting with the Director General of the European Space Agency, Josef Aschbacher. The meeting focused on exploring partnership opportunities in space technologies and building national human capacity in this vital sector. This meeting complements the Kingdom's recent rapid steps, including sending astronauts to the International Space Station, underscoring Saudi Arabia's determination to be an active player in the global space economy.
These partnerships being forged in Davos have not only technical implications, but also a broad economic impact through the creation of quality job opportunities for Saudi youth, attracting foreign direct investment, and establishing the Kingdom’s image as an attractive environment for innovation and entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa.
