Al-Ghamdi to Asharq Al-Awsat: SDAIA Adopts 3 Pillars for Building AI Capabilities

Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, the supervisor of the capacity-building sector at the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the GAIN Summit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, the supervisor of the capacity-building sector at the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the GAIN Summit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Al-Ghamdi to Asharq Al-Awsat: SDAIA Adopts 3 Pillars for Building AI Capabilities

Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, the supervisor of the capacity-building sector at the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the GAIN Summit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, the supervisor of the capacity-building sector at the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the GAIN Summit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, the supervisor of the capacity-building sector at the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), said the Authority is building its capabilities on three main pillars: inspiration, development, and sustainability.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the third edition of the Global AI Summit (GAIN) in Riyadh on Tuesday, Al-Ghamdi revealed that SDAIA has achieved notable results, reaching nearly 600,000 beneficiaries through its AI awareness and inspiration activities.

He stated that the Authority is focused on developing capabilities that can create AI applications and technologies, having empowered around 7,000 specialists and experts in this field to date.

Al-Ghamdi also announced that SDAIA is forming partnerships with major AI companies to enhance capacity building, particularly at the national level. He explained that the Authority will establish partnerships with Microsoft, Dell, Oracle, and several national organizations, stressing that these efforts will significantly contribute to strengthening AI capacity building.

He added that SDAIA is working to raise AI awareness by promoting its proper use and ethics.

The summit brings AI leaders, thinkers, and inventors to Riyadh to discuss key issues in the field and to develop future visions and solutions for the benefit of humanity, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s role as a leader in technology and artificial intelligence, he remarked.

The presence of these elite leaders from major tech companies, academic institutions, and universities in Riyadh will shape future directions for AI in tackling important and critical issues, he stressed.

Among these issues, he noted AI governance, avoiding bias, ethics, and strengthening capacity building in the field, while ensuring learning opportunities for all.

AI is a revolutionary, transformative technology that will reshape the global landscape, impacting daily life, tasks, and business operations, stressed Al-Ghamdi.



Gold Edges Higher as US Inflation Data Looms

Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)
Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)
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Gold Edges Higher as US Inflation Data Looms

Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)
Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)

Gold prices inched higher on Wednesday as the dollar eased, with traders' attention turning to key US inflation data that may influence the Federal Reserve's next policy decision.

Spot gold was up 0.2% at $2,524.54 per ounce, as of 0842 GMT. US gold futures edged 0.4% higher to $2,553.80.

The dollar index slipped 0.2%, making greenback-priced bullion more attractive to buyers holding other currencies, Reuters reported.

The US inflation Consumer Price Index (CPI) data is due at 1230 GMT. The headline CPI is expected to have risen 0.2% on a month-on-month basis in August, according to a Reuters poll, unchanged from the previous month.

The Fed will lower interest rates by 25 basis points at each of the three remaining policy meetings in 2024, according to a majority of economists in a Reuters poll that found only nine of 101 expected a half-percentage-point cut next week.

Lower rates boost the appeal of holding non-yielding bullion.

A rate cut should suggest a weaker dollar and by extension gold would benefit but the market might have over-positioned ahead of the long awaited Fed pivot, so prices might go lower before marching much higher, said independent analyst Ross Norman.

"Gold maintains its range-trading, but with a positive bias. We may see fresh highs in gold in 2024 and I would not be surprised to see a test of $2,650," Norman added.

Other data points due this week include the US producer Price Index reading and initial jobless claims.

Bullion has gained more than 22% so far this year and scaled successive record highs, fuelled by rate-cut optimism, geopolitical turmoil and robust central bank demand.

Among other metals, spot silver was up 1.3% at $28.76 per ounce, platinum inched 0.1% higher to $938.34 and palladium firmed 1.1% to $975.50.