SDAIA President Highlights AI’s Environmental Contributions at Riyadh Forum.

Riyadh: Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) President Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi emphasized that artificial intelligence (AI) has contributed to saving 150 million sheets of paper and conserving 1.5 billion liters of water during his speech at the Saudi Green Initiative Forum 2024. According to Saudi Press Agency, Alghamdi highlighted the significant environmental impact resulting from digital transformation and innovation in AI, including reducing carbon-dioxide emissions equivalent to the impact of a million trees. He noted that AI advancements have also saved an average of 20 working days per year for each citizen through digital services. Alghamdi stated that the planet is facing unprecedented challenges today, from record high temperatures to escalating climate risks that threaten global stability. Under the leadership of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the Kingdom is advancing efforts towards a sustainable future. He added that the Saudi Green Initiative is central to transformative efforts, encompassing over 80 initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions, expanding green spaces, and protecting the environment. SDAIA is monitoring 4 billion square meters of urban areas in Riyadh through analyzing 540 gigabytes of satellite image data updated annually via the Smart C national platform for smart cities. The SDAIA president spotlighted key digital services contributing to the digital transformation of government services. The Tawakkalna app serves over 32 million users, effectively handling up to 1 billion interactions daily. The unified national access platform Nafath manages over 3 billion digital interactions, leading to about 260,000 daily visits to service centers. Furthermore, the National Platform for Charitable Work "Ehsan" supports 1,150 environmental projects in collaboration with 480 charities. The government cloud-computing platform Deem has integrated 260 data centers, reducing energy consumption by 64 megawatts and e liminating around 600,000 tons of carbon emissions. Alghamdi underscored AI's role in developing the renewable energy sector, supporting the Saudi Vision to generate 50% of its power from renewable sources by 2030. He invited everyone to join the Kingdom's efforts to preserve a flourishing planet, emphasizing SDAIA's commitment to enhancing data and AI utilization in collaboration with stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.