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Saudi Arabia emerges as global AI leader in 6 years

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Saudi Arabia has emerged as a global leader in data and AI, a transformation spearheaded by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority since its establishment in 2019. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia has emerged as a global leader in data and AI, a transformation spearheaded by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority since its establishment in 2019. (SPA)
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Updated 03 September 2025
Rashid Hassan
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Saudi Arabia emerges as global AI leader in 6 years

  • Efforts led by Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority
  • Kingdom has ‘visionary leadership,’ academic tells Arab News
Updated 03 September 2025
Rashid Hassan

RIYADH: The Kingdom has emerged as a global leader in data and artificial intelligence in just six years, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The transformation has been spearheaded by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority since its establishment in 2019.

The SDAIA has developed a strategic roadmap to enhance the Kingdom’s global competitiveness by leveraging data and AI to drive economic growth and develop human capabilities, the SPA reported.

“As the primary host of the Kingdom’s national data, the SDAIA is crucial for enabling digital transformation, providing insights for national decision-making, and building a robust digital infrastructure for integrated government services.”

The authority also prioritizes the responsible use of these technologies, creating regulatory frameworks that align with the Personal Data Protection Law to ensure privacy and ethical standards, the SPA reported.

Commenting on the transformation, Muhammad Khurram Khan, a professor of cybersecurity at King Saud University, told Arab News: “Saudi Arabia’s AI journey is a direct reflection of visionary leadership, strategic foresight, and an unwavering national commitment to technological sovereignty.

“With the support of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Kingdom has positioned AI as a national priority, embedding it at the heart of its economic transformation and modernization agenda.”

“This top-level commitment has empowered Saudi Arabia to build world-class digital infrastructure, advance AI research and innovation, and lay the foundation for long-term self-reliance in advanced and disruptive technologies,” Khan added.

The crown prince provides support for the SDAIA that has enabled the authority to achieve over 70 national and international awards and certifications, positioning the Kingdom at the forefront of global indicators.

“Through institutions like SDAIA, the Kingdom is driving a comprehensive national AI strategy that spans policy development, capability building, ethical governance, and global collaboration,” said Khan.

He added that the Kingdom’s AI leadership is evident through its hosting of global AI summits, and nationwide education initiatives.

Saudi Arabia has also set up Public Investment Fund-backed AI entities including the company Humain, and committed to international standards through policies such as the Saudi AI Qualifications Framework, he said.

“These efforts clearly demonstrate the Kingdom’s ambition to lead the global AI race," he added.

Khan said that equally critical was the Kingdom’s deep investment in human capital.

The SAMAI initiative, which aims to equip 1 million Saudis with AI skills, and the national integration of a curriculum for over 6 million students, represent strategic moves toward long-term self-reliance and talent-driven innovation, he said.

“This is more than a digital shift, it is a nation-scale re-engineering of how technology, talent, and trust are mobilized to shape the future.

“Saudi Arabia’s AI strategy is deeply aligned with Vision 2030, ensuring that AI is not only a driver of economic diversification, but also a tool to elevate human potential, enhance public services, and secure a competitive edge in the global innovation landscape.”

“By embedding AI into its societal fabric and aligning every initiative with Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is building a resilient, self-sufficient, and innovation-led economy that is poised to lead the world into the AI era,” he added.

The SDAIA’s initiatives include organizing successful global summits since 2020, attracting over 100,000 participants, and leading to the establishment of the International Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics, supervised by UNESCO.

In addition to its global efforts, the SDAIA has contributed significantly to domestic services. The authority’s cybersecurity standards earned it certification from the global CREST organization, making it the first government agency in the Middle East to do so.

The SDAIA has also digitized government services, notably through the Tawakkalna app, which serves over 34 million users with more than 1,000 services.

Furthermore, the SDAIA employs AI technologies to manage crowds and ensure safety during the Hajj and Umrah seasons.

The SDAIA’s projects have also yielded significant economic benefits.

The Estishraf platform has generated over SR51 billion ($13.5 billion) in savings for more than 121 government agencies, while the Ehsan platform has facilitated over SR12 billion in donations, the SPA has reported.

These achievements demonstrate the tangible impact of the SDAIA’s work in strengthening the national economy and enhancing government efficiency.

Topics: Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) artificial intelligence (AI)

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Islamabad family opens their home to hundreds during Ramadan

Syed Mohammad Omar Shah has been running a daily iftar during Ramadan for almost a decade. (Supplied)
Updated 7 sec ago
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Islamabad family opens their home to hundreds during Ramadan

  • Initiative runs on personal savings, avoids public donations and zakat restrictions
  • Even after Pakistan’s record 38% inflation peak in 2023, family refused to stop serving
Updated 7 sec ago
NAIMAT KHAN

ISLAMABAD: As the sun dipped toward the horizon in Islamabad earlier this week, Syed Mohammad Umar Shah’s modest apartment building quietly transformed. Pots simmered, oil crackled and trays of dates and fritters were lined up with care.

Inside, Shah, his wife and their children moved with practiced rhythm — not preparing a private family meal but dinner for more than 100 strangers gathered downstairs to break their Ramadan fast.

Shah, a 45-year-old salaried employee, has been running this daily iftar for almost a decade. He calls those who arrive each evening “Guests of Allah.”

In Ramadan, the Islamic holy month marked by fasting from dawn to sunset, hunger is meant to foster empathy.

Across Pakistan, communal meal spreads known as dastarkhwans are laid out nightly to feed laborers, passersby and the poor. Many are organized through mosques, charities or neighborhood committees.

The Shah family’s initiative operates differently. It runs from their own kitchen, funded largely through personal savings and a small circle of relatives and friends. There are no banners, no institutional sponsorship and no public donation boxes.

“We started from home. Whatever food we cooked at home, we simply began cooking a little extra and started giving it to those people,” Shah said.

“Our effort is always to cook properly, food that we ourselves eat at home. The quality must be clean and good.”

The family’s commitment endured through one of Pakistan’s most punishing economic periods in decades. Inflation peaked at 38 percent in May 2023, according to official data, driven by energy price adjustments, currency depreciation and fiscal reforms tied to a $7 billion IMF stabilization program.

Food prices surged, pushing millions closer to the poverty line. Even middle-income households felt the strain. “As inflation keeps rising, it is becoming difficult for us too because I am a salaried employee,” Shah said. “In the past, we offered a lot of variety … but now, since inflation is rising and salaries are not increasing proportionally, we serve within our means.”

Where the menu once featured dishes such as nihari and chapli kebabs, it has since been simplified. Today, the iftar spread includes pakoras, samosas, jalebis, bread, curry, dates and sharbat.

The family rotates meals every two weeks to avoid repetition and ensure variety. “People should step forward, especially in this inflation, when it is becoming difficult for many to afford food,” Shah added.

“They should see how they can help others.”

The work begins long before sunset. Preparation starts at sahoor, the pre-dawn meal before fasting commences, and continues through the day.

“Our work begins from sehri time because many items must be prepared,” said Mrs. Omer Shah, who managed the kitchen logistics. “For example, pakoras and samosas need preparation. For samosas, we knead the dough, roll it and prepare them in advance. We boil potatoes, chop onions; all this work begins at sehri time.”

Years of constant cooking has taken a toll. She previously required surgery on her hand to remove a lump developed from repetitive strain. Still, she continues overseeing the operation.

Mohammad Bhutta, a cook who had learned under her guidance, helps manage the scale.

“Baji (Mrs. Omer) taught me the work,” Bhutta said as he dipped jalebis into hot oil. “I cook food, bread and curry. We prepare jalebis, pakoras, samosas, dates, sharbat.”

Each evening, as the call to prayer marks sunset, plates are distributed outside. Laborers, sanitation workers and passersby sit shoulder to shoulder.

In a capital often defined by politics and bureaucracy, the daily gathering beneath Shah’s building offers a quieter portrait of Ramadan, one built not on institutional charity, but on family labor, personal sacrifice and the belief that generosity should mirror what one serves at one’s own table.

Unlike many Ramadan initiatives, the family chooses not to collect zakat, the obligatory Islamic alms that must be distributed to specific eligible categories under religious guidelines.

Accepting zakat would have required screening recipients, something Shah did not want to do.

“We have not placed any donation box outside, nor do we collect funds publicly,” Shah said.

And the goal, he insisted, went beyond feeding hunger: “When food is unique, good, not repetitive, and served with love and kindness and when you speak gently to people, heartfelt prayers naturally come out.”
 

 

Topics: Ramadan 2026 Pakistan Ramadan Saudi Arabia

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