SDAIA President at UNESCO: Saudi Arabia Leads in Global Tech, AI Rankings
Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi, President of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), highlighted Saudi Arabia's position as a global leader in technology, data, and artificial intelligence (AI) during the ministerial session at UNESCO, held alongside the AI Action Summit.
EGDI
He noted that Saudi Arabia ranked sixth globally in the 2024 UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI) and placed among the top 14 nations in the Global AI Index, securing the highest position in the region. Additionally, UNESCO's recently released AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) recognized SDAIA as a model for integrating data and AI under a unified entity.
Dr. Al-Ghamdi reaffirmed the Kingdom's commitment to a strategic partnership with UNESCO to promote ethical AI development. This commitment is demonstrated by Saudi Arabia's role in hosting the UNESCO-affiliated International Centre for AI Research and Ethics (ICAIRE) and being among the first ten nations to complete the AI RAM report.
Reflecting on the Kingdom's AI journey, he emphasized that SDAIA's establishment in 2019 and the launch of the National Strategy for Data and AI in 2020 have positioned Saudi Arabia as a global leader in AI governance. The UNESCO report also highlighted the Kingdom's balanced approach to AI regulation, which includes an ethics framework supported by eight regulatory tools for guiding AI developers and users.
Saudi Arabia is set to expand its AI efforts in alignment with UNESCO's RAM recommendations. Dr. Al-Ghamdi assured that ICAIRE is ready to support countries conducting their AI RAM assessments.
AI Ecosystem
On both local and international fronts, Saudi Arabia continues to strengthen its AI ecosystem. He noted that 46 Saudi AI companies recently received accreditation under the AI Ethics Program in Riyadh, reinforcing the Kingdom's dedication to ethical AI. As a result, Saudi Arabia ranked 11th globally and first regionally in the Global AI Safety Index, announced at the AI Action Summit.
Regarding national capacity building, SDAIA has trained over 700,000 Saudis in AI since 2020, with the goal of equipping 40% of the workforce with AI-related skills. The Kingdom's Vision 2030 initiative has also increased Saudi women's participation in the technology sector to 35%, aligning with the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Internationally, Saudi Arabia recently hosted the International AI Olympiad in Riyadh, in collaboration with Slovenia, with participation from 25 countries.
The session was attended by Gustavo Lino Adrianzén Olaya, Prime Minister of Peru, alongside ministers of technology, innovation, and communications from various countries, as well as representatives of UNESCO member states.
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