WASHINGTON: Saudi Arabia and the US signed the Strategic Artificial Intelligence Partnership on Wednesday, with Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Secretary of State Marco Rubio officiating.

Prince Faisal and Rubio affirmed the partnership as a historic step that established a new milestone in the strategic relationship between the two countries, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The agreement occurred on the sidelines of the state visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House, where he met US President Donald Trump and top officials on Tuesday.

The Strategic AI Partnership capitalizes on Saudi Arabia’s advantages in land, energy and geography to develop AI technology clusters that meet local, regional and global demand for AI and cloud computing services, while leveraging the US technology ecosystem for economic growth, SPA reported.

The two sides noted that the agreement includes the supply of advanced semiconductors, AI application development, building advanced AI infrastructure and national capabilities, as well as expanding high-value investments.

The partnership will boost productivity, innovation and both economic and social benefits. It reflects the commitment of the Kingdom and the US to encourage innovation and technological advancement through a long-term economic security partnership.

The two sides emphasized the partnership’s role in advancing economic relations between Saudi and American companies in future technologies and innovative solutions across key industries, including health, education, energy, mining and transportation.