{"id":9581,"date":"2023-11-14T10:36:57","date_gmt":"2023-11-14T08:36:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eurisko.net\/how-saudi-arabia-is-leading-the-ai-revolution-in-the-middle-east\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T09:50:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T07:50:02","slug":"how-saudi-arabia-is-leading-the-ai-revolution-in-the-middle-east","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eurisko.net\/en-sa\/how-saudi-arabia-is-leading-the-ai-revolution-in-the-middle-east\/","title":{"rendered":"How Saudi Arabia is leading the AI revolution in the Middle East"},"content":{"rendered":"

The localization of the AI revolution by Saudi Arabia is a journey launched in 2019 and growing stronger each day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Table of contents<\/b><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia\u2019s Vision <\/span>2030<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

The National Strategy for Data and AI<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Smart City Initiative in Riyadh<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

AI-Powered Healthcare at King Faisal Specialist Hospital<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Eurisko Hand in Hand with Saudi Arabia<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Introduction<\/b><\/h2>\n

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the business and career landscape worldwide; countries and companies are already competing for leadership and dominance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The U.S. and China are predicted to<\/span> account for about 70% of the global economic impact of AI by 2030.<\/span><\/p>\n

This number doesn\u2019t seem to intimidate Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, especially in the GCC, from entering the competition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The estimated economic impact of AI in the Middle East by 2030 is $320 billion, of which $135.2 billion is expected to accrue to Saudi Arabia.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>The annual growth in the contribution of AI is expected to range between 20 and 34% per year across the region, with the fastest growth in the UAE, followed by Saudi Arabia<\/span><\/i>.\u201d <\/span>Quoted from PWC.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this blog, we explore the efforts of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in leading this movement in the Middle East, the Arab World, and internationally.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia\u2019s Vision 2030<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Advanced technology is at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030<\/a>. In fact, the Saudi government estimates<\/span> that achieving 66 of its 2030 Vision objectives is directly tied to the development and deployment of AI-powered applications.<\/span><\/p>\n

The core of the 2030 Vision is to propel Saudi Arabia towards <\/span>a more diversified, sustainable, and knowledge-driven economy, ultimately improving the well-being and opportunities of its citizens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dive into some objectives and how AI can help achieve them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1- Diversifying the economy<\/b><\/h3>\n

The KSA is striving to reduce its usage of oil and its exports as its ultimate source of revenue. One of its efforts in this field is its transformation into an AI powerhouse, attracting $20 billion in foreign and local investments by 2030 and harvesting AI-oriented entrepreneurs and businesses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2- Increasing Employment and Job Opportunities<\/b><\/h3>\n

Saudi Arabia is determined to <\/span>future-proof its workforce against potential AI threats by investing in growing tech-oriented talents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It has already started training and developing a pool of 20,000 AI and data specialists by 2030.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3- Developing the Private Sector<\/b><\/h3>\n

By launching its \u201cNational Strategy for Data and Artificial Intelligence<\/a>\u201d in October 2020, Saudi Arabia is anticipated to secure a 31.3% share of the technology’s growth between 2018 and 2030 in terms of average annual growth in its contribution by region, according to the PwC report.<\/span><\/p>\n

4- Improving Education and Training<\/b><\/h3>\n

Saudi Arabia is nurturing homegrown talents by promoting AI competitions and \u201chackathons\u201d and encouraging its researchers and students to tackle AI-related challenges to gain valuable hands-on experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is also in the process of establishing the <\/span>International Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics<\/b><\/a> in Riyadh.<\/span><\/p>\n

Advancing technological infrastructure, strengthening social protection and healthcare, improving quality of life, and empowering women in the workforce are all on the list of objectives of the 2030 Vision.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The National Strategy for Data and AI (NSDAI)<\/b><\/h2>\n

Since its launch in 2020, <\/span>it has ushered in the most significant regulatory development impacting the emerging tech ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Upon it, the Kingdom established <\/span>the <\/span>Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA)<\/b><\/a> and its three sub-entities\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n