Saudi Arabia has made major savings and taken technological leap forward since formation of AI and data authority.
In just a few years, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has achieved remarkable accomplishments in the field of data and AI.
Highlights include financial savings of more than SR50bn (£13.3bn), post-Covid planning enhancements, and improved Hajj season offerings.
Saudi AI authority achievements
Through a series of initiatives and projects, Saudi Arabia has risen to the forefront of global AI indicators, surpassing even advanced countries.
In the Global AI Index 2023, Saudi Arabia secured the top rank in the world for its AI government strategy.
Additionally, it ranked second globally in societal awareness of artificial intelligence according to the Stanford University International Index for Artificial Intelligence 2023.
Riyadh also made a significant leap to the 30th position worldwide and third in the Arab world in the IMD Smart Cities Index 2023, reflecting its ambitious national aspirations.
These achievements have been made possible by the unwavering support of the Saudi leadership, which recognised the transformative potential of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, particularly artificial intelligence.
In response, they directed relevant authorities to harness this technical progress to fulfil the goals outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
This commitment was formalised by a Royal Order in 2019, establishing the “SDAIA” with Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, serving as its chairman.
Under this strategic direction, “SDAIA” embarked on an ambitious plan to advance its responsibilities in the realms of data and artificial intelligence.
Within just four years, SDAIA achieved significant breakthroughs, accompanied by impressive records in digital initiatives.
These initiatives included hosting 220 government data centres in the government “DEEM” cloud platform, resulting in SR5bn ($1.3bn) in savings and revenue opportunities.
Through the Estishraf platform for decision support, SDAIA realised financial savings exceeding SR50bn ($13.3bn).
Furthermore, the Tawakkalna application attracted more than 17.9m active users by offering more than 240 electronic services.
The Nafath platform processed 1.8m digital identity verification requests daily.
SDAIA also recorded 279 million procedural transactions through the Shomoos platform, providing a unified database on customer operations with private sector establishments for government beneficiaries.
SDAIA obtained international certifications in record time, including four certificates from ICMG, a leading international organisation specialising in the technical infrastructure.
These certifications covered corporate governance, digital transformation, governance of the digital structure, and organisational excellence with a customer-centric focus.
Despite facing the global challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, SDAIA mobilised its resources and employees, particularly Saudi citizens, to provide innovative solutions through the Tawakkalna application.
Subsequently, they launched Tawakkalna Services, which offers services in seven languages and is available in 77 countries worldwide.
The Tawakkalna system received the United Nations Public Service Award 2022 for institutional resilience and innovative responses to the pandemic, affirming the Kingdom’s technological and digital leadership.
SDAIA didn’t stop there. During the pandemic, it remotely organised a global summit for artificial intelligence in 2020, bringing together decision-makers, experts, and specialists from various countries.
This event laid the groundwork for a physical summit in 2022, which featured more than 200 global speakers and attracted more than 50,000 virtual viewers from over 100 countries.
SDAIA also played a vital role in enabling the G20 leaders’ summit meetings hosted by the Kingdom in 2020, ensuring the highest level of security and reliability for virtual meetings through the Brouk system.
Continuing its successful journey, SDAIA has harnessed data and AI technologies to align with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, directly impacting 66 of the 96 vision objectives.
SDAIA leads Saudi Arabia’s approach to data and AI, elevating the Kingdom’s position in data and AI-based economies.
It is intensifying efforts to enhance Saudi Arabia’s standing in global indices related to data and AI.
SDAIA boasts a portfolio of distinctive digital initiatives and projects, including the “SADA” dataset, the “Your Voice” project, the “Improving the Quality of Historical Films” project, the “Petroleum Products Control” project, the AI platform, and the “Ehsan” platform.
The “Ehsan” platform has received donations exceeding SR4.4bn, benefiting more than 4.4m recipients.
Every year during the Hajj season, SDAIA showcases its technological prowess by establishing an integrated system, developed with national algorithms and AI, in partnership with the Ministry of Interior.
This system serves pilgrims, ensuring their safety and comfort. It includes platforms like “Sawaher” and “Baseer” designed to manage crowds in the Grand Holy Mosque efficiently.
SDAIA’s efforts also extend to Saudi Arabia’s “Makkah Road Initiative,” providing integrated technology services and reception facilities for pilgrims through 15 entry points across the Kingdom.
Additionally, SDAIA collaborates with the Ministry of Energy and Siemens Advanta to develop AI solutions in the energy sector, aimed at increasing energy efficiency and incorporating renewable energy sources.
As the national authority for all things related to data and AI, SDAIA remains dedicated to supporting various government sectors in various developmental fields.
These efforts underscore SDAIA’s commitment to advancing Saudi Arabia’s position as a leader in data and AI technologies, aligning with the ambitious goals of SDAIA has established, in collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health, the Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence for Health Sector, which aims to develop the National Strategy for Data and AI in the field of health.
This partnership has led to successful scientific endeavours, such as the “Diabetic Retinopathy Examination” project in collaboration with King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital.
It has also inaugurated, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, the first specialized centre in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East dedicated to sustainability solutions and applications, named the “Artificial Intelligence Centre in Environment, Water, and Agriculture,” along with the “Smart Planet” program.
These initiatives aim to harness the potential of AI technologies to develop innovative solutions.
SDAIA has also played a vital role in strengthening national capabilities through a range of projects and initiatives.
Among them is the “SDAIA Academy,” designed to elevate national competencies in the fields of data and AI, while also nurturing a workforce capable of taking the lead in the job market.
These efforts encompass a variety of promising programs and activities conducted in partnership with leading local, regional, and global entities specialising in data and artificial intelligence.
In this regard, SDAIA has established, in cooperation with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the SDAIA-KAUST Center of Excellence in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
It has also established, in cooperation with King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), the SDAIA-KFUPM Joint Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence.
These endeavours aim to contribute to the development of a Saudi generation capable of adeptly handling these technologies and promoting innovation in this contemporary field of knowledge.
In the field of entrepreneurs, SDAIA has launched, in cooperation with the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha’at) and Elm Company, the “ROWAD Package” initiative.
The initiative supports entrepreneurs from various sectors, companies, and startups in Saudi Arabia as well as facilitating the process of verifying customer data from individuals through electronic integration with the National Information Centre’s databases.
To prepare women worldwide for the AI job market, SDAIA has launched the “Elevate” program in collaboration with Google Cloud.
This pioneering program is the first of its kind globally, and in its initial phase, it has enrolled 1,000 women representing 28 countries for training in data and AI fields.
The aim is to empower women around the world to enter new roles in artificial intelligence and machine learning in emerging markets, with plans to train over 25,000 women in the next five years.
Among SDAIA’s endeavours to raise awareness, it has published a set of reports and studies in Arabic to educate society about data, AI, generative AI and large language models to enhance awareness of these technologies, which have become crucial elements in today’s advanced tech world.
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