Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to announce three major technology strategies, including a plan to position the Kingdom among the world’s top five hubs for artificial intelligence training, according to Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha.
Speaking during a panel discussion on the sidelines of the Davos Forum, Al-Swaha said Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation has accelerated sharply, with the Kingdom’s digital economy expanding from SAR 75 billion to SAR 135 billion in less than nine years.
He noted that Saudi Arabia’s technology workforce is now comparable in size to the fifth-largest tech workforce in Europe, while the number of unicorn startups in the region has risen significantly.
Al-Swaha said the Kingdom aims to be a “conscious and responsible” global partner in technology development. He revealed that the world’s second-largest endowment has allocated one-third of its funds to AI safety at the direction of the Crown Prince, underscoring Saudi Arabia’s commitment to responsible AI.
He added that efforts are underway to establish an AI engineering hub that will leverage the Kingdom’s growing talent base and strengthen its global position in advanced technologies.
