The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is taking significant steps in its journey towards digital transformation through the establishment of an academy dedicated to industrial artificial intelligence (AI). This initiative is the result of a collaboration between the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and the tech giant NVIDIA.
The newly formed Industrial Artificial Intelligence Academy is designed to cultivate local talent capable of competing on a global scale and achieving the nation’s ambitious objectives. According to a report by the Saudi Press Agency, the academy is focused on fostering a generation skilled in industrial AI applications, which includes the creation of smart spaces and advanced operations.
In addition to equipping learners with the necessary skills, the academy also aims to enhance collaboration with top technical partners to spur the development of cutting-edge technologies, thereby accelerating the growth of industrial AI within Saudi Arabia.
The inception of the academy was announced in conjunction with the Global Smart City Forum, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s desire to become a key international player in the AI sector and to harness AI technology for the betterment of humanity.
The SDAIA, as the principal national body for data and AI in Saudi Arabia, has been leading the charge in this domain. The organization stresses the importance of developing local expertise and global competitiveness by integrating AI into the fabric of smart cities, with the ultimate goal of positioning the Kingdom as a leading center for technological and AI innovations.
The Global Smart City Forum is dedicated to crafting a vision for the cities of the future, utilizing smart solutions to lay down sustainable urban development principles, and improving quality of life in support of urban development strategies.
Moreover, Saudi Arabia’s digital economy is gearing up for expansion, following strategic discussions between Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. This week, they discussed bolstering their strategic alliance to enhance the region’s digital economy, with a special focus on Saudi Arabia, which is considered the hub for technical innovation in the Middle East and North Africa.
The discussions also delved into the transformative potential of generative AI in fostering digital innovation and opening up new investment avenues. Among the topics of conversation were the stimulation of innovation in deep technologies, maximizing the societal and economic impacts of generative AI, and seizing the myriad of opportunities in the digital realm.