Sara: Saudi Arabia's First Interactive Robot

Saudi Arabia unveils its first interactive robot at LEAP 2023. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia unveils its first interactive robot at LEAP 2023. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Sara: Saudi Arabia's First Interactive Robot

Saudi Arabia unveils its first interactive robot at LEAP 2023. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia unveils its first interactive robot at LEAP 2023. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Sara, Saudi Arabia's first interactive robot, welcomed attendees at LEAP 2023 conference, which was launched in Riyadh on Monday.

Sara was manufactured in cooperation between Saudi Digital and Qss Company. It can communicate with all visitors, interact with them, perform popular dance moves, and respond to visitors' inquiries.

The robot boasts a camera that works with artificial intelligence, can recognize the distance of people standing in front of it and starts dialogue after a visitor addresses it with the phrase "Hello Sara."

It also contains a pre-trained model that recognizes different Saudi dialects, analyses and understands sentences, then provides the appropriate answer and sends it in text.

The second edition of Leap 2023 was launched at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center under the theme "Towards New Horizons."

LEAP was organized by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in conjunction with Tahaluf, a strategic joint venture co-owned by Informa PLC and the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security and Programming (SAFCSP).

It aims to consolidate and strengthen the Kingdom's advanced position as a hub for technology and innovation in the region.



Saudi Arabia Surges to 14th Position in Global AI Index, 1st in Arab World

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Surges to 14th Position in Global AI Index, 1st in Arab World

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia has achieved a significant milestone in the field of artificial intelligence, securing 14th place globally and the top spot in the Arab world in the Global AI Index for 2024, published by Tortoise Intelligence.

The remarkable 17-rank improvement among 83 countries underscores Saudi Arabia's rapid progress in AI adoption and development.

The Kingdom's continued leadership in the Government Strategy sub-pillar solidifies its position as a global AI leader.

Its seventh-place ranking in the Commercial Ecosystem sub-pillar further demonstrates its commitment to investing in AI technologies and fostering a thriving AI ecosystem.

The Global AI Index, a comprehensive assessment of AI capabilities across 83 countries, evaluates performance based on 122 indicators grouped into three pillars: Implementation, Innovation, and Investment. The pillars are further divided into seven sub-pillars: Talent, Infrastructure, Operating Environment, Research, Development, Government Strategy, and Commercial Ecosystem.

The achievement highlights the unwavering support provided by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA).

Under his guidance, SDAIA has been instrumental in advancing the field of data and AI, developing national capabilities, and fostering innovation. This strategic approach positions Saudi Arabia as a leading data-driven and AI-powered economy.