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Saudi Arabia Partners with World Bank to Ensure No Nation Left Behind on AI

Saudi Arabia and the World Bank announce a long-term partnership to accelerate the use of AI in developing nations. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia and the World Bank announce a long-term partnership to accelerate the use of AI in developing nations. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Partners with World Bank to Ensure No Nation Left Behind on AI

Saudi Arabia and the World Bank announce a long-term partnership to accelerate the use of AI in developing nations. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia and the World Bank announce a long-term partnership to accelerate the use of AI in developing nations. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia and the World Bank announced on Wednesday a long-term partnership to accelerate the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in developing nations in support of economic and development goals.

Director of the National Information Center (NIC) Esam bin Abdullah Alwagait said: "Through this partnership with the World Bank, Saudi Arabia aims to help all countries of the world to unlock the value of Artificial Intelligence and to share the benefits of data-driven decision-making to support economic and social growth.

“Data and AI are at the heart of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, and through the development of our own AI agenda and policies, we have developed skills and resources that we want to share to ensure that all nations are equally prepared to harness the value of AI.”

World Bank Vice President of Infrastructure Makhtar Diop stated: "This initiative aims to help governments harness AI technologies while adopting the appropriate safeguards for ensuring privacy and protection as well as inclusivity and unbiased algorithms."

Saudi Arabia unveiled on Wednesday its new National Strategy for Data and Artificial Intelligence (NSDAI) which will make the Kingdom a global leader in AI by 2030.

The National Strategy, which will be led by the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), was officially launched at the inaugural Global AI Summit in Riyadh. The two-day summit was launched under the auspices of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.

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India Imposes Temporary Tariff on Some Steel to Stem Cheap Imports from China 

A worker stacks pressed steel items at a factory which produces metal products for export, in Binzhou, in China's eastern Shandong province on April 15, 2025. (AFP)
A worker stacks pressed steel items at a factory which produces metal products for export, in Binzhou, in China's eastern Shandong province on April 15, 2025. (AFP)
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India Imposes Temporary Tariff on Some Steel to Stem Cheap Imports from China 

A worker stacks pressed steel items at a factory which produces metal products for export, in Binzhou, in China's eastern Shandong province on April 15, 2025. (AFP)
A worker stacks pressed steel items at a factory which produces metal products for export, in Binzhou, in China's eastern Shandong province on April 15, 2025. (AFP)

India, the world's second-biggest producer of crude steel, on Monday imposed a 12% temporary tariff on some steel imports, locally known as a safeguard duty, to curb a surge in cheap shipments primarily from China.

A flood of Chinese steel in recent years has pushed some Indian mills to scale down operations and mull job cuts, and India is one of a number of countries to have contemplated action to stem imports to protect local industry.

The Ministry of Finance said in an official order that the duty would be effective for 200 days from Monday, "unless revoked, superseded or amended earlier".

The move is New Delhi's first big trade policy shift since US President Donald Trump imposed a wide range of tariffs on countries in April, kicking off a bitter trade war with China.

Tensions over cheap steel imports into India predate that, with the investigation behind the latest move beginning in December.

India's Steel Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy said in a statement the measure is aimed at protecting domestic steel manufacturers from the adverse impact of a surge in imports, and will ensure fair competition in the market.

"This move will provide critical relief to domestic producers, especially small and medium-scale enterprises, who have faced immense pressure from rising imports," Kumaraswamy said.

New Delhi's tariffs are primarily aimed at China, which was the second-biggest exporter of steel to India behind South Korea in 2024/25.

"The decision is along expected lines and we will now wait and see how this measure supports (the) industry and margins and restricts cheap imports into the country," said a senior executive at a leading Indian steel mill.

"The world is impacted by Chinese imports whether directly or indirectly," said the executive.

India was a net importer of finished steel for a second straight year in 2024/25, with shipments reaching a nine-year high of 9.5 million metric tons, according to provisional government data.

New Delhi's leading steelmakers' body - which counts JSW Steel and Tata Steel among members, alongside the Steel Authority of India and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India - has raised concerns over imports and called for curbs.