Riyadh Hosts Largest Global AI Summit

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) will organize the Global AI Summit under the theme: AI for the Good of Humanity, from October 21-22. (Photo: AFP)
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) will organize the Global AI Summit under the theme: AI for the Good of Humanity, from October 21-22. (Photo: AFP)
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Riyadh Hosts Largest Global AI Summit

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) will organize the Global AI Summit under the theme: AI for the Good of Humanity, from October 21-22. (Photo: AFP)
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) will organize the Global AI Summit under the theme: AI for the Good of Humanity, from October 21-22. (Photo: AFP)

Saudi Arabia is preparing to launch its National Data and Industrial Intelligence Strategy, which was recently approved by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, in line with the Kingdom’s aspiration for global leadership through data-based economy and industrial intelligence.

This comes as Riyadh hosts on Oct. 21-22 the Global Summit on Artificial Intelligence, which is organized by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), under the title, “AI for the Good of Humanity”, under the auspices of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister.

The global summit will be attended by an elite of AI experts, including high-level government officials, CEOs, investors, innovators, and many thought leaders and entrepreneurs.

Among the participants will be many distinguished speakers and global experts from different countries, who will cover a range of topics divided into four sectors: Shaping the New Normal, AI and Governments, Governing AI and The Future of AI.

During the summit, officials will announce the launch of a national strategy for data and AI in Saudi Arabia, an initiative that was recently adopted by King Salman and forms part of the Kingdom’s plans for global leadership through a data-driven economy and AI.

Dr. Abdullah Sharaf Al-Ghamdi, Chairman of the Data and Industrial Intelligence Authority, said that the summit would be held as an accompanying event to Saudi Arabia’s presidency of the G20 summit.

He stressed that the Kingdom has made a great leap in the field of AI and was the first country to create a platform that collects data and AI under one umbrella.

For his part, Dr. Esam Al-Wagait, the director of the National Information Center, said that Saudi Arabia was witnessing remarkable progress in data and industrial intelligence. He noted that the country has seen its ranking advance in a number of relevant global indicators, jumping 40 ranks in the governments’ readiness for AI - an indicator issued by the Oxford Insight – to reach the 38th position.

The summit will shed light on the role of the Data and Industrial Intelligence Authority in the strategic leadership of the alternative economy, in cooperation with many relevant authorities, to contribute to achieving the goals of Vision 2030.



Saudi Arabia, Russia Seek to Deepen Economic and Industrial Ties

The Saudi and Russian ministers discuss means to promote mutual cooperation. (Saudi Ministry of Industry)
The Saudi and Russian ministers discuss means to promote mutual cooperation. (Saudi Ministry of Industry)
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Saudi Arabia, Russia Seek to Deepen Economic and Industrial Ties

The Saudi and Russian ministers discuss means to promote mutual cooperation. (Saudi Ministry of Industry)
The Saudi and Russian ministers discuss means to promote mutual cooperation. (Saudi Ministry of Industry)

Saudi Arabia and Russia have stepped up efforts to strengthen their economic and industrial partnerships, as Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef led a high-level Saudi delegation to the INNOPROM 2025 International Industrial Exhibition in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

Opening the Saudi pavilion - where the Kingdom is participating as the exhibition’s partner country - Al-Khorayef underscored more than a century of strategic relations and robust economic ties that, he said, form the basis for expanding trade, investment, and cooperation in key sectors including mining, manufacturing, and technology.

The Saudi delegation includes officials from 18 government entities and 20 leading companies spanning industrial services, automation, machinery, metals, energy, and advanced manufacturing.

The pavilion is showcasing the Kingdom’s competitive advantages as an investment hub, along with opportunities identified in Saudi Arabia’s National Industrial Strategy.

Promotional events highlighted financial incentives, including funding solutions from the Saudi Industrial Development Fund and the Saudi EXIM Bank, as well as Saudi Arabia’s rapidly developing infrastructure, industrial cities, special economic zones, and specialized complexes aimed at supporting investors.

During the exhibition, Al-Khorayef and Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov met to discuss ways to deepen cooperation. Both ministers stressed the importance of enabling the private sector to seize emerging investment opportunities, and pledged to support joint initiatives that drive industrial development in both countries.

The Saudi minister noted Riyadh’s strong interest in Russian expertise across priority sectors such as heavy equipment, agricultural machinery, chemicals, automotive, and advanced manufacturing technologies. Talks also focused on forging investment partnerships that facilitate knowledge transfer, industrial innovation, and technology localization.

The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to boosting non-oil exports and simplifying market access, aiming to diversify their economies and enhance trade flows.

Saudi Arabia’s participation in the exhibition, officials said, reflects its strategy to build international partnerships that reinforce its standing as a trusted global economic partner.

Recent years have seen steady growth in Saudi-Russian economic ties. Non-oil trade rose from $491 million in 2016 to $3.28 billion in 2024, driven by expanding cooperation in mining, petrochemicals, and advanced industries.

The Kingdom hopes to attract high-value Russian investments, strengthen industrial supply chains, and further develop local capabilities as part of its push for economic diversification and sustainable growth.