JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia will be a global artificial intelligence (AI) leader by 2030, a prominent Saudi expert has said.
Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi, president of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), made the comments during a media briefing on shaping new frontiers at the International Media Center in Riyadh ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
Last year, the authority developed the Estishraf Platform, an AI-based platform that utilizes data to create diversified insights and respond to the top priorities of decision-makers in Saudi Arabia.
“Through this platform we were able to earn revenues amounting to SR43 billion ($11.5 billion), only in 2019,” said Al-Ghamdi. “Undoubtedly, this is an excellent indicator for the great opportunities the national economy is waiting for after AI has become a knowledge-based economy.”
The SDAIA chief said the authority launched the NSDAI during the Global AI Summit, organized by the SDAIA and the G20 Saudi Secretariat as part of the international conferences program two weeks ago.
“We have finalized all logistic and procedures to set up the SDAIA Artificial Intelligence Company, which will be the national AI investment arm for the country,” he said.
In his speech, Al-Ghamdi, who is also chairman of the Global AI Summit, shed light on digital economy topics and the role of technology, especially AI-related tech, and its role in surviving the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. He also focused on shaping the future into a “new normal” situation.
“As much as we are proud of our ability to overcome these challenges, despite all these circumstances we also recognize the criticality of delivering together all three themes of the Saudi G20 presidency to realize the opportunities of the 21st century —empowering people, safeguarding the planet and shaping a new frontier,” he said.
“As we recover from the pandemic, there is an opportunity to unlock the potential of scientific advancements and utilize technologies to set the foundations for a brighter and sustainable future for us, our children and the generations to come.”
He said that digital technology is playing a central role in shaping today and tomorrow, and it continues to gain new grounds in people’s lives, work, education and more.
“While there is a lot of potential from emerging technologies such as AI, there is also a growing digital gap, which, if not addressed collectively, will further widen and lead to unfair distribution of the benefits and wealth that nations will be able to generate out of these technologies,” said Al-Ghamdi.
In recognition of these risks, Saudi Arabia has led fruitful G20 dialogues on critical topics that will shape digital economies and the future, including trustworthy AI, data free flow, smart cities and digital economy security and measurement.
Al-Ghamdi said that Saudi Arabia’s unique national digital and data capabilities were vital in enabling the country to fight and reduce the effects of the pandemic, while continuing to advance the national agenda towards the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
The SDAIA president warned that, while AI can cause the disappearance of jobs, new AI-based job opportunities will flourish.
“As per the 2030 targets, we are going to train 40 percent of the relevant workforce in data and AI. We will also have over 20,000 AI and data specialists by the year 2030. Moreover, we are creating up to 40,000 direct and indirect jobs related to data and artificial intelligence,” he said.
Saudi Arabia eyeing AI future ahead of G20 summit
https://arab.news/9xe6d
Saudi Arabia eyeing AI future ahead of G20 summit
- Al-Ghamdi: “We have finalized all logistic and procedures to set up the SDAIA Artificial Intelligence Company”
National program identifies 165 native plants for afforestation efforts in Asir
- The survey is part of broader plans focused on restoring degraded land, using native vegetation
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s National Afforestation Program has identified more than 165 species of native plants suitable for afforestation in the Asir region, highlighting the ecological diversity of one of the Kingdom’s most environmentally varied areas, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The findings form part of broader national efforts to expand vegetation cover, address land degradation, and support sustainability goals linked to the Saudi Green Initiative and Vision 2030.
According to the program, the identified species are distributed across a wide range of natural environments in Asir, including mountainous terrain, highlands, slopes, valleys, plains, rocky landscapes, and coastal areas stretching from the Red Sea to Tihama.
The species belong to numerous plant families, including Fabaceae, Anacardiaceae, Burseraceae, Capparaceae, Ebenaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Myrtaceae, Oleaceae, and Primulaceae, among others.
Plants suitable for afforestation range from large and small trees to perennial and annual shrubs, herbs, succulents, bulbs, and climbing plants.
Among the most notable species identified are the grey mangrove, mastic tree, mooring or ben tree, juniper, sycamore fig, wild olive, henna, wild jasmine, hawthorn, and arak.
The Saudi Arabian Botanical Society described the announcement as an important step in protecting plant diversity and strengthening the ecosystem conservation in the Kingdom.
Munirah bin Hamad Al-Hazani, founder and president of the society, said that prioritizing native species is central to sustainable afforestation.
“Focusing on the cultivation of native plants adapted to diverse environments forms the cornerstone of sustainable afforestation projects, as it plays a pivotal role in enhancing vegetation cover, combating land degradation, and conserving natural and financial resources,” she told Arab News.
Al-Hazani added that long-term success depends on cooperation between government bodies and the nonprofit sector, alongside community involvement and environmental awareness programs.
The National Afforestation Program has increasingly emphasized community participation, working with government agencies, private companies, and nonprofit organizations to support planting initiatives and environmental education. Its approach includes promoting volunteerism and discouraging harmful environmental practices, while focusing on the use of native plants adapted to local conditions.
Parallel efforts are underway in other regions of the Kingdom to support vegetation restoration through research and infrastructure development. In Jouf, often referred to as the Kingdom’s food basket, the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority has established a Central Nursery and a Wild Seeds Research and Production Station to address the growing demand for reliable sources of native seeds and seedlings.
The project was launched in 2023 under the directive of Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, the minister of interior and chairman of the authority’s board of directors.
Since then, the facilities has become a key component of vegetation restoration efforts within the reserve.
The authority has focused on building operational capacity by recruiting and training specialists to manage cultivation and research activities. The research and production station includes 14 mother-seed production fields containing over 400,000 trees and shrubs.
Planting began in late 2024, with more than 30 native plant species represented, selected for their role in the reserve’s natural ecosystem.
The facility also includes two seed storage units with a combined capacity of 3,000 kilograms. Seeds are collected annually from multiple sites within the reserve and used for seedling production habitat rehabilitation.
The Central Nursery spans 6,000 square meters and includes 30 greenhouses spanning 1,500 square meters, as well as two shade houses used during summer months. A plant hardening facility, designed to prepare seedlings for natural environmental conditions, covers 10,000 square meters and is divided into seven sections. The nursery’s annual production capacity reaches 1.5 million seedlings, representing more than 15 native plant species.
Together, these initiatives underscore the growing role of native plant research and propagation in Saudi Arabia’s afforestation strategy, particularly as the Kingdom works to balance environmental restoration with long-term sustainability goals.
