Saudi Arabia Ranks 1st in Government Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Tortoise Global AI Index

The Kingdom ranked first in the Government Strategy Index for Artificial Intelligence and secured 31st position in the total classification indicators issued by Tortoise
The Kingdom ranked first in the Government Strategy Index for Artificial Intelligence and secured 31st position in the total classification indicators issued by Tortoise
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Saudi Arabia Ranks 1st in Government Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Tortoise Global AI Index

The Kingdom ranked first in the Government Strategy Index for Artificial Intelligence and secured 31st position in the total classification indicators issued by Tortoise
The Kingdom ranked first in the Government Strategy Index for Artificial Intelligence and secured 31st position in the total classification indicators issued by Tortoise

Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in the Government Strategy Index for Artificial Intelligence, one of the indicators of the global classification of artificial intelligence issued by Tortoise Intelligence, which evaluates more than 60 countries in the world.

Germany and China secured the second and third rankings, respectively.

The Global Ranking of Artificial Intelligence incorporates more than 100 indicators, categorized into seven sub-pillars: government strategy, research, development, talent, infrastructure, operating environment, and commercial.

The Kingdom ranked first in the Government Strategy Index for Artificial Intelligence and secured 31st position in the total classification indicators issued by Tortoise, a company that has a global advisory board that includes experts in artificial intelligence from around the world.

The Kingdom has accomplished a remarkable feat, scoring 100% in all criteria of the index related to artificial intelligence. This includes the establishment of the National Strategy for Data and AI (NSDAI) within the Kingdom, the presence of a dedicated government authority for artificial intelligence, the allocation of funding and budget for AI initiatives, and the formulation and monitoring of national targets for artificial intelligence.

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority has led the national plans for data and artificial intelligence to achieve the aspirations of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the SDAIA Board of Directors, and the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030.

It has worked to develop the National Strategy for Data and AI (NSDAI) to unify efforts and launch national initiatives in data and artificial intelligence and make optimal use of them.

This significant achievement by the Kingdom perfectly aligns with the overarching goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to position the country prominently in global indicators across various domains.



Apple Okays Epic Games Marketplace App in Europe

Smartphone with Epic Games logo is seen in front of Apple logo in this illustration taken, May 2, 2021. (Reuters)
Smartphone with Epic Games logo is seen in front of Apple logo in this illustration taken, May 2, 2021. (Reuters)
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Apple Okays Epic Games Marketplace App in Europe

Smartphone with Epic Games logo is seen in front of Apple logo in this illustration taken, May 2, 2021. (Reuters)
Smartphone with Epic Games logo is seen in front of Apple logo in this illustration taken, May 2, 2021. (Reuters)

Apple said on Friday it has approved Epic Games' games marketplace app on iPhones and iPads in Europe, after the "Fortnite" maker escalated its feud with the technology giant, accusing it of hindering its efforts to set up a games store on the devices.

Apple said the latest spat concerned the Epic Sweden AB Marketplace and has nothing to do with the video games maker's Fortnite app which has already been given the green light.

Apps developers and antitrust regulators have criticized Apple's tight control of the iOS app ecosystem.

Before Apple's announcement, Epic said the iPhone maker had twice rejected documents the video-game publisher submitted to launch the Epic Games Store because the design of certain buttons and labels was similar to those used by its App Store.

"We are using the same "Install" and "In-app purchases" naming conventions that are used across popular app stores on multiple platforms, and are following standard conventions for buttons in iOS apps," Epic said in a series of posts on X.

"Apple's rejection is arbitrary, obstructive, and in violation of the DMA (Digital Markets Act), and we've shared our concerns with the European Commission," it said.

The European Commission, which opened an investigation into the checks and reviews put in place by Apple to validate apps and alternative app stores to be sideloaded last month, declined to comment.

Epic and Apple have been waging a legal battle since 2020, when the gaming firm alleged Apple's practice of charging up to 30% commissions on in-app payments on its iPhone Operating System (iOS) devices violated US antitrust rules.

Early this year, Apple proposed changes to its App Store policies to comply with certain directives of the DMA that went into force in March.

It allowed alternative app stores on iPhones and an opt-out from using the in-app payments system, but set a "core technology fee", which several developers found exploitative.