BEIRUT – As Saudi Arabia pushes an ambitious economic plan, the country’s data and artificial intelligence agency has released a multi-phase strategy aimed at positioning the nation as a world leader in the field by 2030.
“Data and AI are at the heart of the 2030 Vision of Saudi Arabia. By developing our own AI strategy and guidelines, we have developed the skills and resources we want to share with other nations to ensure that all countries are equally ready to harness the value of AI, ”said Majid AlShehry, one Spokesman for the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Agency, a government office directly linked to the Prime Minister.
The organization presented three developments at GITEX:
- The Boroog platform, a secure government video conferencing system used for the G-20 summit. SDAIA announced in November that the agency had fended off more than 2 million cyberattacks with special protective measures it had developed.
- The Tawakkalna app is designed to support government efforts to fight COVID-19. It makes it easier for government and private sector workers to electronically issue movement permits during curfew.
- AI Artathon, the first international art competition for artificial intelligence in Saudi Arabia.
AlShehry emphasized that SDAIA is helping by tracking data during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the economic and defense sectors.
“SDAIA has responded to COVID-19 by setting up an operations center to help the safety and health sector fight the coronavirus pandemic,” he said. “The center has helped decision-makers develop effective strategies based on data and facts and supported the country’s precautionary measures to combat the spread of the virus.”
The Operations Center has used the records from the National Data Bank (NDB) along with the advanced capabilities of the Estishraf platform to analyze data, he added. In addition, the group uses platforms from its operational branch, the National Information Center (NIC), if necessary.
“These efforts have been instrumental in containing the virus and reducing its impact on people and the economy,” AlShehry said.
Founded in 2019, SDAIA is a government agency that is directly linked to the Prime Minister. The Deputy Prime Minister chairs the meeting.
“Saudi Arabia is at the crossroads of three continents. We believe that our experience in placing AI at the heart of the Kingdom’s transformation, along with our position between the East and the West, makes Saudi Arabia an ideal place for the world to join us on our journey towards Movement of AI in the world to work together in the right direction for the benefit of humanity, ”said AlShehry.
English
Arabic
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish