SDAIA Spearheads Saudi Arabia's AI Transformation and Ethical Innovation

The Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) is championing the positive transformations driven by data and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, positioning them as catalysts for unprecedented global human benefit and the Kingdom's growth and prosperity.
 These transformations are set to impact national economic growth, innovation, education, productivity, industrial excellence, healthcare, finance, energy, agriculture, and cybersecurity, while providing modern solutions to complex developmental challenges to create a more inclusive, sustainable, and peaceful world.
 Since its establishment in 2019, SDAIA has focused on promoting best practices in data management and the responsible use of AI. Guided by supportive policies and legislation, its efforts aim to leverage data as a key economic resource to drive innovation, economic transformation, and national competitiveness. Awareness campaigns such as the SAMAI initiative have attracted over 424,000 citizens registering to learn AI concepts, moving toward a goal of educating one million citizens to build a knowledge society, a core pillar of Vision 2030.
 Under the continued patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of SDAIA, the authority is dedicated to establishing the Kingdom as a global technology hub for advanced AI. Human safety remains paramount in all AI discussions, ensuring these technologies benefit all of humanity.
 SDAIA has developed a comprehensive set of regulatory guidelines to ensure responsible and effective AI adoption across various sectors, aligning with national values and ethical standards. These include AI ethics principles, generative AI principles for government agencies and the public, deepfake principles, national framework for professional standards for Data and AI, Saudi academic framework for AI qualifications, national AI index, AI market regulatory tools, and the International Center for AI Research and Ethics (ICAIRE) initiative.
 As the national authority for data and AI, SDAIA grants certification to AI service providers in the Kingdom. This certification, valid for one year and issued at five levels, aims to enhance the maturity and reliability of AI applications, thereby improving the quality of AI products and services across the Kingdom.
 SDAIA enacted the Personal Data Protection Law to safeguard any information that can directly or indirectly identify an individual, including names, IDs, financial data, and images. The law ensures privacy, regulates data sharing, and prevents misuse.
 In a tangible example of AI’s impact, a partnership between SDAIA and the Government Expenditure and Projects Efficiency Authority has achieved a financial impact exceeding SAR5 billion through the cloud computing services project Deem. This initiative provides 49 services to more than 180 government agencies, integrating over 230 data centers to deliver highly reliable, flexible, and efficient technological assets.