Saudi Data and AI Authority Marks Six Years of Transforming the Kingdom’s Digital Landscape

📷SPA

Riyadh, Sept 3 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – In six years since its establishment in 2019, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has positioned the Kingdom as a regional and international leader in data and artificial intelligence (AI).

SDAIA has built a strategic roadmap to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s global competitiveness, leveraging data and AI to drive economic growth, human capital development, and integrated government services. As custodian of the Kingdom’s national data, the authority plays a central role in enabling digital transformation and supporting decision-making through advanced insights.

The authority has emphasized the responsible use of data and AI, aligning its frameworks with the Personal Data Protection Law to safeguard privacy and ethical standards. Supported by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, SDAIA has achieved more than 70 national and international awards and certifications, enhancing Saudi Arabia’s standing in global indicators.

Since 2020, SDAIA has organized three editions of the Global AI Summit, attracting over 100,000 participants, and overseen the creation of the International Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics (ICAIRE) under UNESCO supervision. Domestically, SDAIA has expanded digital services through the Tawakkalna app, which now serves over 34 million users with more than 1,000 services, and has deployed AI technologies to support crowd management during Hajj and Umrah.

The authority’s initiatives also include the SAMAI program (One Million Saudis in AI), launched with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, which has already registered more than 560,000 Saudis to learn AI fundamentals.

Economically, SDAIA’s Estishraf platform has generated over SAR51 billion in savings for 121 government agencies, while its Ehsan platform has facilitated more than SAR12 billion in charitable donations. The authority’s cybersecurity standards have earned certification from the global CREST organization, making it the first government body in the Middle East to achieve this recognition.