Saudi Arabia allocates $ 20 billion for “artificial intelligence”

Saudi Arabia allocates $ 20 billion for “artificial intelligence”

Head of “data” on the sidelines of the “G20 summit”: Work begins to establish 300 specialized companies

Riyadh: Muhammad Al-Ayed

Amid calls by the Saudi Presidency of the G20 to activate technology, respond to technology developments and adopt the industrial revolution, Saudi Arabia revealed yesterday its intention to spend nearly $ 20 billion over the next 10 years until 2030, indicating that it intends to establish 300 companies specializing in technology, information and data, in a hopeful step To be one of the axes of the alternative economies that the Kingdom seeks.
Abdullah Sharaf Al-Ghamdi, head of the Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority “SADAYA”, confirmed during a media briefing on the sidelines of the “G20” summit hosted by Riyadh, that the Kingdom will spend nearly $ 20 billion over the next 10 years, indicating that this is based on the strategy. National Artificial Intelligence.
Al-Ghamdi stressed that there is a share for foreign investment, and another for Saudi investment, revealing that they are currently working on establishing more than 300 startups. To invest artificial intelligence as a component of an alternative economy through startups and innovation.
Al-Ghamdi touched on the achievements of the authority in a short period, indicating that last year they were able to create a platform (supervision) based on artificial intelligence, relying on the National Data Bank, and through this platform we were able to achieve savings and revenues of 43 billion riyals in 2019 only. ». Al-Ghamdi considered these large revenues a strong positive indication of the great opportunities awaiting the national economy, with the introduction of artificial intelligence and data as an option for a knowledge-based economy.
On the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, Al-Ghamdi explained that it was launched last month, coinciding with the World Data and Artificial Intelligence Summit. And that they devised an integrated path to encourage investment based on the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence. Al-Ghamdi indicated that they are about to launch the “Sadaya” company for artificial intelligence, which will be the national arm in the field of artificial intelligence and data investment.
Regarding the growing concern about losing some traditional jobs for the workforce, in light of the growth of technology-based artificial intelligence jobs, Al-Ghamdi said: “The concern is justified, but on the other hand, artificial intelligence and data will provide other jobs that depend on technology, which invites us in Saudi Arabia. To create human resources that can adapt to and succeed in the new situation, and we aim to train 20 thousand trainees until 2030 ».
Al-Ghamdi pointed out that the world after the Corona pandemic and focusing on artificial intelligence and data during the pandemic period is waiting for a new situation for many things, indicating that “everyone has changed indirectly, as most of us, for example, use video communication technology to attend meetings, preferring it over the traditional way of being. Physical for various reasons ».
Al-Ghamdi touched on the applications of artificial intelligence developed by “SADAYA” in the hands of a Saudi during the Corona pandemic, which made Saudi Arabia the third in the world in the field of social distancing applications, indicating their ability to develop distinctive artificial intelligence systems through which they were able to host the first summit of the “G20” .
Al-Ghamdi stressed that there is a digital divide that will grow, and its impact will increase in the unfair distribution of benefits and wealth, if not addressed collectively, stressing that to avoid these risks, “Saudi Arabia, in its presidency of the G20, led dialogues on the most important topics that will shape our digital economies and our future, including “This reliable artificial intelligence, free flow of data, smart cities, digital economy security and measurement.”
Al-Ghamdi indicated that their goal is clear with regard to the strategy, which can be summed up in “transforming the workforce in Saudi Arabia, with a steady local supply of data and talent supported by artificial intelligence, and enacting the most appropriate legislation for data and artificial intelligence talents.” Al-Ghamdi revealed that among those goals is training 40 percent of the workforce concerned in data and artificial intelligence, with more than 20,000 specialists in the field of data and artificial intelligence, in addition to creating 40,000 direct and indirect jobs related to data and artificial intelligence.
On the new prospects that they are looking at in “Sadaa”, he said: “Benefiting from the advantages of digital innovation and its participation was at the core of the G20 agenda for this year, and Saudi Arabia was at the forefront of leading the talks and action in this regard. To facilitate global dialogue on shaping the future of artificial intelligence. We are also committed to holding this summit as an annual global event and a platform for cooperation and innovation in the field of artificial intelligence.
Al-Ghamdi confirmed that they have entered into a partnership in the field of artificial intelligence with the International Telecommunication Union to share best practices of national readiness for artificial intelligence across the ITU’s 193 member states.

Saudi

The Saudi economy

Twenty Summit