LONDON: Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef announced that Saudi Arabia is exploring artificial intelligence investment collaborations with top East Asian companies following an official visit to Singapore, China, and Hong Kong.

The visit aimed to enhance Saudi Arabia’s position as a regional hub for AI and foster innovation in the industrial sector.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, Alkhorayef held “a series of fruitful meetings” with leaders from various industries, including logistics giant DHL, aerospace engineering group Singapore Technologies Engineering, and technology powerhouse Huawei.

In Singapore, the Saudi delegation engaged with German-owned DHL and the Singapore Manufacturing Federation to discuss cooperation in logistics, automation, and smart technologies.

Meetings with ST Engineering and the Jurong Town Corp. focused on industrial zones and sustainability, while discussions with Enterprise Singapore explored AI solutions for smart city projects and Saudi infrastructure initiatives like NEOM.

In China, the delegation visited the Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, seeking joint ventures in advanced manufacturing. Alkhorayef’s talks with Huawei focused on enhancing productivity in Saudi industries by leveraging smart manufacturing and automation technologies.

In Hong Kong, discussions with companies such as USPACE Technology Group and Jiangxi Copper centered on partnerships in automation and industrial infrastructure.

The visit underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to aligning its industrial transformation goals with AI advancements, aiming to enhance productivity, innovation, and efficiency across its industries. By 2030, the Kingdom plans to digitally transform 4,000 factories, with the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources actively investing in digital infrastructure and human capital to support this vision.

As part of these efforts, the ministry, in collaboration with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, launched the Center of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence in the industrial and mining sectors to accelerate AI adoption.

Saudi Arabia is positioning itself not only as a regional AI leader but also as a key player in the global AI landscape, with the global market for AI expected to outpace other frontier technologies by 2030, driven by advancements in automation, product design, and supply chain management.