In its regional economic report for the Middle East and North Africa, the World Bank highlighted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s experience in data governance and the development of national infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence (AI).
The report —released in October 2026 and titled "From Gap to Opportunity: AI, Jobs, and Growth"— underscored the Kingdom's progress in developing AI models and computing capabilities, as well as in technology investments, the Saudi Press Agency reported Friday.
The bank commended the Kingdom's progress—represented by the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA)—in building a national data and AI ecosystem. It regarded the Saudi experience as a benchmark for developing institutional models for data and AI governance, while highlighting the role of institutional integration and national support in accelerating capacity building in this field.
The World Bank dedicated a standalone case study to SDAIA’s experience. The study examined the authority's role in governing the national data ecosystem and accelerating the adoption of AI technologies through the National Data Management Office, the National Center for Artificial Intelligence, and the National Information Center, as well as the regulatory, developmental, and technical roles it plays in supporting the Kingdom’s digital transformation.
The World Bank highlighted the Kingdom's progress in adopting AI technologies, noting that the adoption rate among Saudi enterprises reached approximately 28% in 2024—surpassing the 20% average recorded by OECD countries in 2025—with the highest adoption rates observed in the telecommunications, information technology, finance, and insurance activities.
The report also presented findings from an International Finance Corporation (IFC) study showing a 100% AI adoption rate among companies headquartered in the Kingdom.
The report also highlighted the Kingdom's advancement in the Stanford University AI Index, recognizing it as a global leader in developing cutting-edge AI models—a field in which the Kingdom was among the region's first to innovate.
It also commended SDAIA's efforts to develop national data infrastructure—specifically through the Data Bank—and its role in fostering data integration and exchange among entities, while minimizing data duplication and fragmentation to support reliable AI applications.
Regarding governance, the report highlighted the Kingdom's progress in establishing regulatory frameworks for data governance and protection. This includes SDAIA’s role in implementing the Personal Data Protection Law and developing national controls and standards, alongside the National Data Index—which monitors government entities' compliance with data management and governance controls—and the National AI Index, which measures government entities' readiness to adopt AI technologies and tracks their progress in this field.
The World Bank highlighted the Kingdom's efforts to build AI human capacity, citing SDAIA's "SAMA" initiative. This initiative exceeded its target by training over 1.2 million people in AI skills—reflecting the Kingdom's commitment to expanding AI knowledge and making these skills accessible to broad segments of society.
The report underscored the Kingdom's experience in establishing robust national foundations for data and artificial intelligence. It noted that effective data governance is a cornerstone of digital transformation, fosters innovation, and supports safe, responsible AI applications, adding that the Saudi model offers a valuable reference for nations seeking to build their own national ecosystems in this field.
