Riyadh: Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha announced that Saudi Arabia, under the guidance of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, is swiftly establishing itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence. The nation is focusing on investments in computing and capital to empower clients to expand from the Kingdom to international markets.
According to Saudi Press Agency, during a panel discussion at the Microsoft AI Tour in Riyadh 2026, Minister Alswaha emphasized the Kingdom's successful transition into the digital era, showcasing its capacity to transform visions into concrete outcomes. He highlighted the significant increase in data center capacity from less than 80 megawatts to over 440 megawatts and the digital economy's growth to nearly $140 billion, constituting over half of the digital economy expansion in the Middle East and North Africa. Furthermore, eight technology startups in Saudi Arabia have reached unicorn status.
The minister pointed out that the strategic focus on developing national capabilities has been a pivotal moment, as the number of tech professionals has surged from 150,000 to over 406,000. This growth positions Saudi Arabia as one of the largest technology talent hubs in the region, enhancing its capability to lead in the era of artificial intelligence.
Minister Alswaha identified three essential components for leading the AI race: computing, capital, and customers. He stressed that Saudi Arabia is providing these key enablers to assist partners in their global expansion efforts.
He also addressed three significant global challenges: the computing gap, tackled by securing dependable energy sources for data centers; the algorithmic gap, by creating advanced Arabic language models for over 400 million Arabic speakers; and the data gap, by improving integration between training and deployment to ensure accuracy and reliability in crucial sectors.
Minister Alswaha concluded by affirming that Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with leading global technology companies, is fostering the development of an integrated ecosystem to propel smart economy growth and strengthen its position as a global hub for AI innovation and scalability.
