Riyadh: Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha announced that Saudi Arabia, under the support and guidance of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, is swiftly establishing itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence. This is being achieved through strategic investments in computing, capital, and the development of national talent, enabling the Kingdom to expand its reach from local to global markets.

According to Saudi Press Agency, Minister Alswaha highlighted during the Microsoft AI Tour in Riyadh 2026 that Saudi Arabia's achievements in the digital era demonstrate its capability to transform visions into reality. The country's data center capacity has increased significantly from under 80 megawatts to over 440 megawatts, and the digital economy's value has surged to nearly $140 billion. This growth accounts for more than 50 percent of the digital economy expansion in the Middle East and North Africa, with eight tech startups achieving unicorn status.

The minister emphasized that the Kingdom's strategic focus on developing national capabilities marked a pivotal shift, with the number of tech professionals rising from 150,000 to over 406,000. This development has positioned Saudi Arabia as one of the region's largest technology talent hubs, enhancing its readiness to lead in the era of artificial intelligence.

Minister Alswaha further explained that leading the AI race hinges on three core elements: computing, capital, and customers. He stressed that Saudi Arabia provides these essential enablers to support partners in global expansion. The Kingdom has addressed key global challenges, including the computing gap by securing reliable energy for data centers, the algorithmic gap by developing advanced Arabic language models, and the data gap by improving integration between training and deployment.

He concluded by affirming Saudi Arabia's commitment to advancing an integrated ecosystem for smart economy growth, in partnership with leading global technology companies, thereby reinforcing its role as a global platform for AI innovation and scaling solutions.