World Government Summit Discusses AI

The opening session of the World Government Summit (WGS) in Dubai (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The opening session of the World Government Summit (WGS) in Dubai (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

World Government Summit Discusses AI

The opening session of the World Government Summit (WGS) in Dubai (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The opening session of the World Government Summit (WGS) in Dubai (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The governments' adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies has become inevitable, which is no longer an option, according to the UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the World Government Summit (WGS) Organization, Mohammad al-Gergawi.

Gergawi is expected to witness an upcoming biological revolution surpassing the technological revolution, and 90 percent of media production would be through AI without human intervention.

During his opening session, "A Decade of Change," on the first day of the 10th WGS, Gergawi touched on the refugee crisis, noting that on November 15, 2022, the world crossed the threshold of eight billion people.

The world will witness a radical change in illiteracy and skills, saying illiterates would be those who can't deal with AI technologies.

The Minister indicated that natural disasters cost humanity about $3 trillion, noting that climate change, which could displace more than 1 billion refugees by 2050, costs a $23 trillion loss for the world.

In his keynote speech at the Summit, the Founder and President of the World Economic Forum (WEF) (Davos), Klaus Schwab, stressed the urgency to develop new mechanisms that strengthen international cooperation in today's multipower world.

Schwab also stressed the need for concerted efforts to implement structural transformations within various strategic sectors, including the economy, technology, and politics, in light of the humanitarian crisis the world is witnessing.

He said technological transformation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution would impact the world for years.

"Governments in different parts of the world should play leading roles in keeping pace with changes," Schwab said.

Regarding structural transformations to be witnessed in various vital economic sectors, Schwab said there will be about 10 billion people in need of energy by 2050. He stressed the need to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and reach zero carbon emissions.

Schwab pointed to the political changes taking place in the world, which are transforming the globe from a unipolar world to a multipolar world.

Schwab said: "A few years ago, we considered some technologies a science fiction that was difficult to implement, but today it has become a reality that we live through artificial intelligence, new space technology, and industrial biology, which heralds a major change coming during the next ten years, and requires governments to be ambitious in their decisions."

For her part, the director general of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, urged member states to accelerate the delivery of humanitarian aid to crisis-stricken countries and disaster zones to speed the recovery of impacted countries.

Okonjo-Iweala explained that the organization highlighted the importance of accelerating support operations for countries affected by disasters and attributed the decline in trade to global economic shocks.

Concerning trade disputes between member states, Okonjo-Iweala said that 99 percent of the organization's members want to reform the dispute system, which will be accomplished in the future.



Saudi Arabia Advances to Become the ‘Silicon Valley’ of Mining

The Saudi Energy Minister reviews data on critical mineral extraction and processing in several countries (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Energy Minister reviews data on critical mineral extraction and processing in several countries (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

Saudi Arabia Advances to Become the ‘Silicon Valley’ of Mining

The Saudi Energy Minister reviews data on critical mineral extraction and processing in several countries (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Energy Minister reviews data on critical mineral extraction and processing in several countries (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia is pushing to become a global hub for critical minerals, aiming to be the “Silicon Valley” of mining. At the fourth Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, the kingdom announced new deals, investment plans, and discoveries.
Industry Minister Bandar Al-Khorayef said Saudi Arabia will explore mineral opportunities across 50,000 square kilometers this year. The Kingdom also unveiled a $100 billion mining investment plan, with $20 billion already in advanced stages or under construction.
Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman announced that Aramco has identified “promising” lithium concentrations exceeding 400 parts per million in its operational areas, with lithium production in the kingdom expected to begin as early as 2027.
In line with this, Aramco revealed a joint venture with Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) to explore and produce minerals critical to the energy transition, including extracting lithium from high-concentration deposits.
The latest edition of the Future Minerals Forum brought together over 20,000 participants from 170 countries and featured 250 speakers across more than 70 sessions.
Saudi ministers and international officials highlighted key challenges facing the mining sector, including the need for increased private sector investment, advanced technology, regulatory frameworks, supply chain issues, carbon emissions from production, and a shortage of skilled talent.
In early 2024, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources raised its estimate of the kingdom’s untapped mineral resources from $1.3 trillion to $2.5 trillion, driven by new discoveries.
At last year’s forum, the ministry launched a $182 million mineral exploration incentive program to reduce investment risks, support new commodities, promote green projects, and empower small-scale mining operators.
Additionally, Al-Khorayef launched the Mining Innovation Studio at the Future Mineral Forum 2025.
In his opening remarks, Al-Khorayef stated that the new studio was designed to attract global talent and accelerate cutting-edge technology, in alignment with Riyadh’s vision to become the “Silicon Valley of mining”.
He clarified that the Kingdom is promoting upcoming exploration opportunities across 5,000 square kilometers of mineralized belts in 2025 as it continues its steadfast growth in the mining sector.
Al-Khorayef further noted that the Saudi mining sector is the fastest growing globally, and affirmed that its mineral potential stands at an estimated $2.5 trillion.
He elaborated that the allocation of new exploration sites to tap mineral wealth is part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to establish mining as the third pillar of the Kingdom’s industrial economy.