Saudi Arabia is already making strides in AI technology, says Abdullah Al-Swaha
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is making strides in AI technology, said Abdullah Al-Swaha, the minister of communications and information technology, during the ministry's flagship conference LEAP.
Responding to a question from Arab News, Al-Swaha told the press about his vision for the future of artificial intelligence in the Kingdom in the next five years, highlighting some of the country's most notable achievements so far.
He spoke about the decision-making AI platform provider Intelmatix which he called 'the No. 1 startup in the region, (with) $20 million of funding.'
Al-Swaha also highlighted the Saudi startup NanoPalm, which aims to tackle sickle cell disease by using nanoparticles, and Fathom.io, a platform that enables organizations to accelerate decision-making.
'When it comes to autonomous AI, we have Dr. Khaliel doing the first fully robotic heart transplant,' he said, referring to King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center's Dr. Feras Khaliel who, in 2024, used robotic technology to replace the heart of a 16-year-old.
'So, we are making strides and rest assured we are committed, with royal guidance and support and in partnership with all of the global innovators, and the Kingdom will continue to be the hub for generative AI, GenTech, and autonomous AI, powered by talent and technology.'
He also noted his admiration for the leadership skills of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, adding: 'I have the humble pleasure of learning from him; have the ability to anticipate market transitions; and be able to decisively allocate resources and have a wonderful opportunity to zoom in and zoom out. These are the three traits that I am learning from our royal highness.
'When we first pitched to him all of our ambitions in artificial intelligence, he said it's not only about hardware, but it's about applications and services.
'It's not about models, as some of them might be commoditized; it is about the diffusion of these technologies across industries.'
He added: 'Fast forward to today, and the DeepSeek moment, the ChatGPT moment, have shown us that it is hardware and software, applications and adoption, and the Kingdom is already making strides in generative AI, GenTech AI, and autonomous AI.'
Boasting the theme 'Into New Worlds,' LEAP 2025 aims to expand business networking and investment opportunities in the tech sector.
The event, which runs until Feb. 12 in Riyadh, plays a critical role in Saudi Arabia's ambition to become a global technology hub, aligning with its Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy. As part of this initiative, the Kingdom has pledged $100 billion toward advancing its technology sector.
LEAP 2025 is co-organized by Tahaluf and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, in partnership with Informa PLC, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, and the Events Investment Fund.
This year's LEAP is expected to host more than 680 tech startups, 1,100 speakers, 1,800 technology brands, and over 170,000 visitors.
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