With a vision led by the Crown Prince, the Kingdom is building a global artificial intelligence system
Based on the keen interest of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (may God protect him), the Kingdom, represented by “SDAIA”, has focused on harnessing technologies Data and artificial intelligenceTo achieve the ambition of establishing the Kingdom’s position as a global center among the leading countries in artificial intelligence, and to enhance its global competitiveness, as well as to focus on building national capabilities, so that they become distinguished experts in these fields, and possess the technical capabilities that make them superior to their counterparts in the world.
artificial intelligence
In this context, the Saudi Data & Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) was established by royal decree in 2019, making it the primary authority on data and artificial intelligence. This step embodied the Kingdom's pioneering role among the first countries to establish a specialized government entity in this field. SDAIA has worked on developing the National Strategy for Data and Artificial Intelligence, which aims to lead the national transformation towards a data-driven knowledge economy and enable the Kingdom to lead in future technologies and utilize them to serve national priorities and enhance economic diversification. The strategy is based on six key objectives and dimensions: ambition, competencies, policies and regulations, investment, research and innovation, and the ecosystem.
This strategy has contributed to moving the Kingdom from the planning stage to the enabling and implementation stage by regulating the data and artificial intelligence sectors, establishing policies, standards, and controls, building specialized national expertise, adopting professional standards, developing metrics, tests, and educational and training programs, as well as building and operating digital infrastructure and government clouds, stimulating the growth of advanced technology sectors, and encouraging innovation and investment in them.
Global indicators
These efforts have resulted in the Kingdom achieving remarkable progress in global indicators. It ranked 14th globally in the 2025 Global AI Index, in addition to achieving advanced positions in governance, innovation, and human capital development indicators. The Kingdom also ranked third globally in the OECD's AI Policy Monitor, and leads the Arab world and the region in developing advanced AI models, according to Stanford University's AI Index.
On the investment front, the Kingdom's AI sector has witnessed rapid growth. Government spending on AI and emerging technologies increased by 56.25% in 2024 compared to 2023, while Saudi AI companies secured approximately $9.1 billion in funding last year through 70 investment deals. Furthermore, there are more than 664 companies operating in the data and AI sector, which strengthens the private sector's role in supporting the national economy.
Technical infrastructure
On the technological infrastructure front, the Kingdom has witnessed significant expansion in data centers and advanced computing. Data center capacity increased by 42.4% between 2023 and 2024, alongside the launch of advanced technology projects such as the Shaheen 3 supercomputer, the development of world-class data centers to support artificial intelligence applications, and the inauguration of the world's largest government data center (Hexagon) in early 2026 with a capacity of 480 megawatts. The Kingdom also boasts nine cloud zones, four of which are under construction by global cloud service providers, and more than 430 government systems are integrated into the National Data Lake. Furthermore,
the Kingdom has prioritized building human capacity in advanced technology fields through numerous training and development programs and initiatives targeting various segments of society, including experts, specialists, and the general public. This contributes to bridging the knowledge gap, meeting national needs, and raising awareness of artificial intelligence technologies. These efforts have resulted in the training of more than 11,000 specialists.
The economy of the future
In a related context, the “Samai” program stands out as an independent national program with over one million participants, reflecting the breadth of national training and enhancing the readiness of national talent to contribute to building the economy of the future.
The Kingdom’s efforts in data and artificial intelligence have not been limited to the national level but have extended globally, as part of its commitment to supporting international efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It has contributed to international initiatives that support the responsible use of these technologies, leading to the establishment of the International Center for AIERE (ICAIRE) under the auspices of UNESCO, headquartered in Riyadh. ICAIRE focuses on research and ethics in artificial intelligence and its application to achieve a positive impact on human societies worldwide.
Through its national initiatives and active participation in global partnerships and international bodies, the Kingdom is consolidating its influential presence in shaping the future of data and artificial intelligence technologies at the global level. This includes its joining the Global Partnership for Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) as the first Arab country to join this partnership, reflecting its advanced position and growing role in this field, and confirming its commitment to harnessing these technologies to serve humanity and enhance its quality of life, in line with international principles that call for employing technology to achieve good and prosperity for all of humanity.
