SDAIA Highlights Saudi Arabia’s Focus on AI Governance at Arab Forum

El-alamein city: Saudi Arabia emphasized its focus on data governance and artificial intelligence (AI) as a key pillar for achieving the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030, leading to the establishment of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) in 2019, which, through its entities - the National Information Center (NIC), the National Data Management Office (NDMO), and the National Center for AI (NCAI) - provides data capabilities and foresight tools, fostering continuous innovation in AI, and positioning the Kingdom to lead among data- and AI-driven economies. According to Saudi Press Agency, this came in a speech delivered by SDAIA strategy and studies expert Eng. Faisal Alsallum during his participation in the 1st Arab Forum on Artificial Intelligence, which began Monday in El-Alamein City, Egypt. The two-day forum is held under the patronage and with the participation of Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and is organized by the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) in cooperation with the General Secretariat of the Arab League. Eng. Alsallum indicated that SDAIA has exerted major efforts in data governance as the national authority responsible for data - including big data - and AI, serving as the national reference in their regulation, development, and management. He noted that among these efforts was the launch of the National Artificial Intelligence Index (NAII), which aims to unify government efforts and national priorities in this field, while providing the necessary enablers to support government entities in adopting and developing effective and sustainable products and solutions that contribute to achieving the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. Moreover, he highlighted the Kingdom's efforts to strengthen international cooperation in the fields of data and AI through strategic partnerships with major organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultu ral Organization (UNESCO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation (OECD), and Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO). These efforts contributed to the launch of key national initiatives, most notably the Riyadh Charter on AI for the Islamic World, endorsed by 53 countries, which aims to promote the responsible and trustworthy use of technology, he said.