SDAIA Concludes GAIN Summit in Riyadh with Local, Int’l Agreements

The summit included panel discussions and workshops featuring experts from various sectors and global companies specialized in AI applications. SPA
The summit included panel discussions and workshops featuring experts from various sectors and global companies specialized in AI applications. SPA
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SDAIA Concludes GAIN Summit in Riyadh with Local, Int’l Agreements

The summit included panel discussions and workshops featuring experts from various sectors and global companies specialized in AI applications. SPA
The summit included panel discussions and workshops featuring experts from various sectors and global companies specialized in AI applications. SPA

The third edition of the Global AI Summit (GAIN Summit), organized by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) from September 10 to 12 at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh brought together hundreds of specialists and enthusiasts in artificial-intelligence (AI) technologies and applications worldwide under the theme "Artificial Intelligence for the Good of Humanity."

AT the summit, SDAIA President Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi highlighted the Saudi leadership's commitment, under the guidance of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Chairman of the SDAIA Board of Directors, to position Saudi Arabia as a leader in the field of AI.

The summit included panel discussions and workshops featuring experts from various sectors and global companies specialized in AI applications. The sessions unveiled the latest developments in the field, emphasizing that innovations in AI have far-reaching impacts not just technologically but also on geopolitical, political, and legislative domains. Furthermore, it was stressed that developments in AI should align with sustainable development and equality in education.

Several AI initiatives, programs, and products were unveiled during the summit, and agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed to bolster its applications and development within the Kingdom.

The third edition of the GAIN Summit concluded with a speech by National Information Center Director Dr. Esam bin Abdullah Al-Wagait, who highlighted the participation of 465 speakers and participants from over 100 countries and how the summit explored the latest developments shaping the future of AI.

Moreover, he underscored the global significance of announcements made during the summit, such as the work of the United Nations (UN) High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, the partnership of the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) with the Kingdom to develop a global framework for AI readiness, and the announcement of the Riyadh Charter on Artificial Intelligence for the Islamic World issued by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in collaboration with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on the Observatory on Artificial Intelligence.

Al-Wagait also highlighted important AI projects that emerged during the summit, including the Arabic Large Language Model (ALLaM), aimed at developing the best large Arabic language model in the world, and the cooperation with NVIDIA to expand the scope of AI infrastructure using 5,000 graphics processing units. Additionally, educational integration initiatives were announced, such as cooperation with the Ministry of Education to integrate the ALLaM Model into the Kingdom's education system, providing support tools for teachers and leveraging AI technology for self-learning.



Iranian Oil Tankers Using Forged Iraqi Documents, Iraqi Oil Minister Says

FILE PHOTO: A gas flare on an oil production platform is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Gulf July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A gas flare on an oil production platform is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Gulf July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi//File Photo
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Iranian Oil Tankers Using Forged Iraqi Documents, Iraqi Oil Minister Says

FILE PHOTO: A gas flare on an oil production platform is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Gulf July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A gas flare on an oil production platform is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Gulf July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi//File Photo

Iraq's oil minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani has said Iranian oil tankers seized by US forces in the Gulf were using forged Iraqi documents.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has restored "maximum pressure" on Iran, reviving a policy that seeks to isolate the country from the global economy and eliminate its oil export revenue in order to slow Tehran's development of a nuclear weapon.

Abdel-Ghani was asked if he had received messages from the United States over the possibility that state oil marketer SOMO could be subject to sanctions itself over the violation of Iranian sanctions.

"We received some verbal inquiries about oil tankers being detained in the Gulf by US naval forces carrying Iraqi shipping manifests," the oil minister said on state television late on Sunday, adding there had been no formal written communication.

"It turned out that these tankers were Iranian ... and were using forged Iraqi documents. We explained this to the relevant authorities with complete transparency and they also confirmed this."

The Iranian oil ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reuters reported in December that a sophisticated fuel oil smuggling network that some experts believe generates at least $1 billion a year for Iran and its proxies has flourished in Iraq in the past few years, including by using forged documentation.

SOMO sells crude exclusively to companies that own refineries and does not supply trading firms, Abdel-Ghani said, adding that several traders were behind the scheme.

"SOMO operates with full transparency and has committed no wrongdoing in the oil export process," he said.