Riyadh to Host First Int'l Conference on AI, Cloud Computing in May

Digital transformation has contributed to improving work in the Saudi oil and petrochemical sector. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Digital transformation has contributed to improving work in the Saudi oil and petrochemical sector. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Riyadh to Host First Int'l Conference on AI, Cloud Computing in May

Digital transformation has contributed to improving work in the Saudi oil and petrochemical sector. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Digital transformation has contributed to improving work in the Saudi oil and petrochemical sector. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Riyadh will host the first international conference on artificial intelligence and cloud computing on May 22. The three-day conference will be held with the participation of the heads of IT departments in local and international government and private companies.

Kholoud Al-Otaibi, director of the exhibition, said the gathering would feature a comprehensive set of ideas, innovations and developments that keep pace with the ongoing technological revolution, in addition to seminars by speakers from around the world.

Al-Otaibi pointed that technical recovery was underway as a result of change in the use of artificial intelligence, which she said would revolutionize all aspects of life, work, mobility, medicine, economy and communications.

She noted that recent studies by Accenture-US have shown that artificial intelligence and solutions based on it would pump $215 billion into the Saudi economy by 2035, representing an increase of 12.5 percent of the value of the GDP.

The Kingdom holds the largest share in the digital industries market in the region, as a result of its continuous adoption of digital transformation plans to serve its Vision 2030.

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) will participate in the conference, alongside the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (Monshaat) to highlight the role of technical small and medium companies and provide an opportunity for a number of startups and interested entrepreneurs to participate in this forum.

The Kingdom has sought to digitize many vital sectors, including transportation and communications, which both witnessed over the past years a qualitative leap in technological transformation. Saudi Arabia’s plans seek to provide technical solutions to improve performance, reduce costs, and make the transportation sector smarter and more efficient.

Digital transformation has also contributed to improving work in the Saudi oil and petrochemical sector. Saudi Aramco stands out through a factory that employs a group of data scientists and machine learning experts, who seek to benefit from vast data based on artificial intelligence and deliver environmental and safety solutions across the energy value chain.



Saudi Arabia Announces $6.4 Billion in Syria Investments 

Officials are seen at the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Officials are seen at the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Announces $6.4 Billion in Syria Investments 

Officials are seen at the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Officials are seen at the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia announced $6.4 billion of investments in Syria on Thursday, reflecting the Kingdom's deepening ties with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government as it seeks to rebuild Syria after a 14-year civil war. 

The deals were unveiled by Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih at the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum in Damascus. 

Al-Falih said his visit to Syria came at the directives of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, calling the trip "confirmation of the Kingdom's firm and supportive stance towards sisterly Syria". 

The investment deals included $2.93 billion for real estate and infrastructure projects and about $1.07 billion for the telecommunications and information technology sector, Al-Falih said. 

Businesses involved in the plans include telecommunications firms the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and GO Telecom, digital security company Elm, cybersecurity firm Cipher, and Classera, an education technology company. 

Al-Falih said 47 agreements would be signed over the course of the conference, with more than 100 companies participating. 

Al-Falih also announced the establishment of a Saudi-Syrian Business Council at the event, which had been scheduled for June but was delayed due to the conflict between Iran and Israel. 

Riyadh has been a key ally of Sharaa's government, which came to power after longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December, using its diplomatic influence to persuade US President Donald Trump to lift sanctions. 

Companies, many from Gulf states and Türkiye, have expressed interest in rebuilding Syria's power generation capacity, roads, ports and other damaged infrastructure. 

Syria has signed a $7-billion power deal with Qatar and an $800-million agreement with UAE-based port company DP World in recent months. US energy firms are also set to draw up a master plan for the country's energy sector. 

In April, Saudi Arabia and Qatar announced they would pay off Syria's World Bank arrears, opening up the possibility of new lending.