Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) President Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi has said that artificial intelligence (AI) has contributed to saving 150 million sheets of paper and conserving 1.5 billion liters of water.
In a speech at the Saudi Green Initiative Forum 2024 held on the sidelines of the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16) in Riyadh, Alghamdi shed light on Wednesday on the role of data and AI in accelerating progress and building a greener and more resilient world.
He highlighted the significant environmental impact resulting from digital transformation and innovation in the field of AI, including reducing carbon-dioxide emissions equivalent to the impact of a million trees, while also saving an average of 20 working days per year for each citizen through digital services.
Alghamdi stated that the planet is facing unprecedented challenges today, from record high temperatures to escalating climate risks that threaten global stability. At such moments, under the leadership of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the Kingdom is moving forward with insightful vision and determination, leading efforts towards a sustainable future.
He added that the Saudi Green Initiative lies at the heart of transformative efforts, being a comprehensive national strategy comprising over 80 initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions, expanding green spaces, and protecting our environment.
Alghamdi noted that SDAIA is monitoring 4 billion square meters of urban areas in Riyadh through analyzing 540 gigabytes of satellite image data that is updated annually through the Smart C national platform for smart cities as part of the authority’s role as the national reference for data and AI.
The SDAIA president spotlighted key digital services that have contributed to the digital transformation of government services and empowering citizens through various government platforms. He said that the Tawakkalna comprehensive national app serves over 32 million users, successfully handling up to 1 billion interactions daily.
Meanwhile, the unified national access platform Nafath handles over 3 billion digital interactions, leading to about 260,000 daily visits to service centers. The National Platform for Charitable Work "Ehsan" contributes to the implementation of 1,150 environmental projects in partnership with 480 charities, while the government cloud-computing platform Deem integrated 260 data centers, reducing energy consumption by 64 megawatts and eliminating around 600,000 tons of carbon emissions.
Alghamdi highlighted that AI contributed to the development of the renewable energy sector, a significant step supporting the Saudi Vision to achieve its ambitious goal of having 50% of its power generated from renewable sources by 2030.
The SDAIA president invited everyone to join the Kingdom's efforts to preserve a flourishing planet for the good of humanity, emphasizing SDAIA’s commitment to enhancing the utilization of data and AI in collaboration with all stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.
