NATIONAL DATA AND AI STRATEGY
Start date :2020
End date :
Name of responsible governmental body :
- Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA;الهيئة السعودية للبيانات والذكاء الاصطناعي)
- Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT;وزارة الاتصالات وتقنية المعلومات (السعودية))
Description :
- Saudi Arabia revealed its National Strategy for Data & AI (NSDAI) which aims to make the country a global leader in Artificial Intelligence by 2030.
Objectives:
- To launch AI and data-related initiatives & events organised or led by Saudi Arabia.
- To implement national a multi-tier data & AI workforce certification program & establish a data & AI focus in the educational system.
- To activate regulatory frameworks for data & AI activities & incentive schemes to attract data & AI companies & talents.
- To build targeted funds & investor support programs to attract & guide domestic/foreign investments in data & AI.
- To elevate data and AI institutions innovation, quality & commercialisation outcomes & establish test-beds in new cities.
- To build an integral infrastructure & establish data & AI platforms to accelerate the adoption of data & AI applications.
OECD AI principle adressed:
- Inclusive growth, sustainable development and well-being
- Human-centred values and fairness
- Investing in AI R&D
- Fostering a digital ecosystem for AI
- Building human capacity and preparing for labour market transition
Relevant policy area covered:
- Competition
- Digital economy
- Education
- Employment
- Innovation
- Investment
- Science and technology
- Social and welfare issues
Related to a theme:
Direct beneficiaries:
- Higher education institutes
- Public research institutes
- Private research and development lab
- Established researchers
- Postdocs and other early-career researchers
- Undergraduate and master students
- Secondary education students
- PhD students
- Teachers
- Firms of any size
- Multinational enterprises
- Firms of any age
- National government
- Private investors
- Labour force in general
- Civil society
Estimated budget expenditure (range per year):
- Don't know
Background including shifts in the policy initiative:
- N.A
Policy initiative is a structural reform:
- No
Evaluated:
- No
Link to evaluation or reports:
- N.A
Funding from the private sector:
- No
Type of evaluation:
- N.A
Evaluation provides input to:
- N.A
Evaluation performed by:
- N.A
Policy instruments :
National strategies, agendas and plans
- Type : National strategies, agendas and plans
- Name in English :
- Country : Saudi Arabia
- Strategy mainly prioritises : Business innovation and innovative entrepreneurship | Education and skills | International cooperation on STI | R&D intensity (e.g. GERD as a % of GDP)
- Implementation mechanism : Dedicated coordinating/monitoring public body
Public consultations of stakeholders or experts
- Type : Public consultations of stakeholders or experts
- Name in English :
- Country : Saudi Arabia
- Stakeholders contribute to : Problem definition | Policy objective formulation | Policy design
Data access and sharing
- Type : Data access and sharing
- Name in English : National Data Bank, G-Cloud, a government analytics and AI platform
- Description : The Saudi government aims to ensure data is captured in readable formats to start publishing comprehensive datasets across government entities after 2025.
- Country : Saudi Arabia
Grants for business R&D and innovation
- Type : Grants for business R&D and innovation
- Name in English : The Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the vision fund
- Country : Saudi Arabia
Emerging AI-related regulation
- Type : Emerging AI-related regulation
- Name in English :
- Description : Saudi Arabia's National Data Management Office (NDMO) is developing a number of regulatory frameworks including topics such as data privacy and freedom of information. Open Data has been identified as a priority topic, and the government has already made investments in open data platforms.
- Country : Saudi Arabia
- Role of government : Risk mitigation (e.g. consumer and social protection)
- Challenge(s) addressed : Data protection and right to privacy
- Type(s) of regulation : Formal domestic law or regulation | Self-regulation (e.g. codes of conduct, guidelines, standards)
- Regulatory approach : Technology-based regulation (e.g. moratoria, bans, standards of use)
- Level of governance : National
Public awareness campaigns and civic participation activities
- Type : Public awareness campaigns and civic participation activities
- Name in English : AI Training Programmes and the AI Centres
- Description : The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) introduced training programmes focused on machine learning to be infused into the Ministry of Education (MoE) curricula. Key STEM trainings and courses were introduced to enhance AI and technology skills. Furthermore, to facilitate research and innovation and research activities, the AI Centre of Advanced Studies (Thakaa) was established. In parallel, the King AbdulAziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) created a Data Analytics and AI Centre.
- Country : Saudi Arabia
- Medium : Other
- - Other : Training Programmes and Educational Centres
- Aspect(s) being promoted : Skills for STEM
Last updated : Jan 18, 2022
