Yesterday, Saudi Arabia announced the National Strategy for Data and Artificial Intelligence with the goal of establishing the Kingdom as a global leader in the field of AI.
As part of the strategy, the Kingdom has set several goals it wants to achieve by 2030. Overall, it hopes to attract $20 billion in local and foreign direct investment. Also, Saudi Arabia will train 20,000 Saudi data and AI specialists and establish 300 AI startups.
“We, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, today are launching the National Strategy for Data & AI, with a clear ambition to position the Kingdom as a model nation in AI… where the best of data and artificial intelligence is made a reality.”
Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi, President of the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence
The Global AI Summit 2020
The announcement came during the inaugural Global AI Summit in Riyadh held over October 21-22. The conference brings together stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to help shape the future of AI.
Speaking at the summit, Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi, President of the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence, stated, “we, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, today are launching the National Strategy for Data & AI, with a clear ambition to position the Kingdom as a model nation in AI… Where the best of data and artificial intelligence is made a reality. I hereby invite all dreamers, innovators, investors and thinkers to join us here in the Kingdom to achieve our ambitions together and to build a pioneering model; to unlock the value of data and AI in order to build knowledge-based economies and advance our present and future generations.”
Saudi 20/20 20/30 Vision
The new strategy is part of the Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the country’s economy while reducing its dependence on oil. Just last month, it opened two colleges to teach 4,000 women digital skills. Last year, the government established the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence, which hosts the Global AI Summit. In 2017, it even became the first country to award citizenship to an AI robot.
To learn more about the National Strategy for Data and AI, you can visit the official website here. You can also watch the announcement video below.
For more AI and digital transformation coverage check out…
- Saudi Arabia has opened two colleges to teach women digital skills
- Grow Stronger with Google aims to accelerate the MENA’s digital transformation
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