The Saudi Minister of Communications and Musk Discuss an AI Collaboration

Eng. Abdullah Al-Swaha, the Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology, has met with Elon Musk, the owner of the X platform (formerly Twitter).

Notably, the meeting discussed the two countries’ current collaboration in the areas of artificial intelligence and space, as well as Saudi Arabia’s efforts to share best practices and expertise in these areas and support the country’s overall digital economy.

A Vision for a Digital Future

Over 20 public and private sector entities participated in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology‘s workshop with the American side to strengthen the digital partnership between the two nations. This was to support innovation in the communications sector and facilitate strategic alliances in it. Major American technology companies contributed to the workshop, including Qualcomm, Mavenir, AT&T, HP, NVIDIA, Intel, DISH, Echostar, Rakuten, Dell, and Nokia.

Moreover, the participating businesses talked about the potential of open radio network technologies, the actions required to build a digital infrastructure that is adaptable and long-lasting by increasing network efficiency and innovation in its construction, and how they can play a significant role in the expansion of the digital economy.

They also talked about the significance of international collaboration in the development of future technologies and how Saudi Arabia can become a global leader in the communications and information technology sector.

In the United Nations-approved global index of artificial intelligence, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which aspires to rank among the top 15 nations in the world, is a leader in contemporary technology, ranking first in the Arab world and 14th overall out of 83 nations.

Additionally, it retained its top spot in the government strategy standard for artificial intelligence and its seventh-place ranking in the standard of trade in artificial intelligence, demonstrating the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s dedication to advancing its national capabilities and attaining advanced global rankings in this field.

A worldwide advisory board of AI specialists from all around the world, Tortoise Intelligence, released the worldwide AI Index in 2019. Out of 122 criteria, 83 countries got a spot in the index, which rates nations based on seven indicators: government strategy, operational environment, infrastructure, research and development, competencies, and commerce.

Read more: Sara AI: Saudi Arabia’s First Smart Travel Guide

Joint Investments in Space and Earth Sciences

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America signed a strategic cooperation agreement on space exploration and peaceful use.

According to the agreement, the two countries will work together more in the fields of space and scientific exploration, invest jointly in space and earth sciences, aeronautics, space missions, and education, and set up the legal framework needed to strengthen this cooperation, share knowledge, and create cooperative programs that will allow the Kingdom to take advantage of every chance to advance science and technology.

Further, Dr. Mohammed Al-Tamimi, the CEO of the Saudi Space Agency, and Bill Nelson, the Director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States, signed the agreement. It focused on the implementation of the agreed-upon programs in a variety of uses, including flights, balloon campaigns, scientific data exchange, participation in workshops and joint meetings, and activities that would improve cooperation and advancement in the space industry.

Saudi Arabia’s Pioneering Role in AI Development

According to official data, 39% of government agencies in the Kingdom employ or experiment with artificial intelligence technology, with 81% stating that these technologies have helped them improve and offer their services.

At a cost of $100 billion, Saudi Arabia intends to start a new artificial intelligence project that will involve funding data centres, startups, and the infrastructure required to create AI, draw in talent, enhance the local technological environment, and entice international tech firms to invest in the region.

The initiative will be developed using a framework akin to the Al-Aman Fund, which originated by the Public Investment Fund and Google, an Alphabet subsidiary that has invested $100 billion and focuses on sustainable manufacturing.

Saudi Arabia has set artificial intelligence as a goal in Vision 2030 to diversify its income sources away from fossil fuels. As a result, it has established significant research centres and bodies devoted to AI and created large language models that are comparable to Chat GPT, putting it in the top 15 countries in the world.

Notably, Saudi Arabia has been interested in artificial intelligence since its inception, as evidenced by the royal decree issued in 2019 to create the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), which will serve as the country’s reference for all matters pertaining to its organisation, development, and use.

Read more: Saudi Arabia Intends to Launch a Fresh Artificial Intelligence Initiative