The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is rapidly emerging as a global AI leader, driven by its ambitious Vision 2030, according to the “State of AI in Saudi Arabia” report, issued by the Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) in September 2024.
Established in 2019, SDAIA plays a pivotal role in driving the national AI agenda. Under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and with the continuous support of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of SDAIA's Board of Directors, the Kingdom has made significant strides in this field.
The “State of AI in Saudi Arabia” report provided a comprehensive overview of Saudi Arabia's progress in AI, focusing on seven key pillars: policies and regulations, investment, infrastructure, data, talent and human capabilities, research and innovation, and adoption.
The report highlighted the Kingdom's global leadership in AI, as evidenced by its top ranking in the pillar of government strategy for AI in the 2023 Global AI Index by Tortoise.
SDAIA's Elevate AI training program received a certificate of excellence in the capabilities development category from the ITU WSIS Forum 2024.
The Kingdom's achievements extend further, with the National Data Bank and Estishraf platform awarded the ITU WSIS 2024 prize, under the category concerning the role of the government and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development.
In 2023, the Kingdom joined the UN AI Advisory Body, with a vision of more governed, ethical, and responsible use of AI.
The Kingdom secured second place globally in terms of positivity and optimism toward AI products and services, according to Stanford AI Index 2023.
To establish a robust regulatory framework, SDAIA issued 14 regulations and policies related to data and AI in 2024. It also established 245 data management offices in the public sector by 2024.
Government spending on emerging technologies, including AI, grew at a compound annual growth rate of 59% between 2019 and 2023, as per the Digital Government Authority's 2023 report.
Crunchbase data indicates that the total attracted funds in Saudi AI companies reached $1.7 billion in 2023.
In terms of AI infrastructure, the Kingdom ranked second in the Middle East in terms of the number of colocation data centers, with 22 active ones and 40 under development, in 2023.
The Kingdom boasts 10 supercomputers in 2024, eight of which are among the world's top 500.
