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SDAIA President: Establishing ICAIRE in Riyadh Is Significant Achievement for Kingdom's AI Leadership 

Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi speaks at the forum. (SPA)
Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi speaks at the forum. (SPA)
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SDAIA President: Establishing ICAIRE in Riyadh Is Significant Achievement for Kingdom's AI Leadership 

Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi speaks at the forum. (SPA)
Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi speaks at the forum. (SPA)

Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi emphasized on Monday that the cabinet's decision to establish the International Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics (ICAIRE) in Riyadh, and its classification as a UNESCO Category II International Center, mark significant achievements in line with SDAIA's vision.

Al-Ghamdi stated that such a vision positions Saudi Arabia as a global leader in ethical artificial intelligence (AI) by providing support for research and development in the field, enhancing awareness of AI ethics, and offering consultative support in AI policies and capacity building.

He made his remarks at a ministerial session, “Regional Approach to Advance Ethical Governance of Artificial Intelligence” during the Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, organized by the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Slovenia’s Ministry of Digital Transformation in Kranj.

The forum, held under the theme “Changing the Landscape of AI Governance,” is taking place from February 5 and 6 with the participation of several distinguished ministers of technology and AI from various countries.

“The Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence reminds us of our shared responsibility in dealing with the complexities of AI. It also emphasizes the need for a collaborative spirit in shaping the future of artificial intelligence,” Al-Ghamdi said.

The ICAIRE center in the Kingdom has taken significant steps in regional collaboration and capacity building, hosting in the past two weeks two sessions on AI governance regarding UNESCO's methodology for ethical readiness for AI, he added.

These sessions were held in collaboration with UNESCO, the Arab League, and the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Al-Ghamdi noted.

The sessions were aimed at aligning regional ethical practices for AI, fostering awareness, achieving dissemination, and unleashing the inherent value of AI while ensuring adherence to the correct standards, he continued.

He added that the Kingdom's central geographic and cultural location in the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds "gives us a profound responsibility" because Muslims account for nearly a quarter of the world's population and a significant portion also speak Arabic.

"This necessitates our progress in AI to be comprehensive and culturally sensitive. Therefore, we pay special attention to the development of Arabic language technologies and large language models to ensure the region's presence in the framework of advancing AI," Al-Ghamdi said.

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Technology

Swiss Interior Minister Open to Social Media Ban for Children

A teenager poses holding a mobile phone displaying a message from TikTok as law banning social media for users under 16 in Australia takes effect, in Sydney, Australia, December 10, 2025. (Reuters)
A teenager poses holding a mobile phone displaying a message from TikTok as law banning social media for users under 16 in Australia takes effect, in Sydney, Australia, December 10, 2025. (Reuters)
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Swiss Interior Minister Open to Social Media Ban for Children

A teenager poses holding a mobile phone displaying a message from TikTok as law banning social media for users under 16 in Australia takes effect, in Sydney, Australia, December 10, 2025. (Reuters)
A teenager poses holding a mobile phone displaying a message from TikTok as law banning social media for users under 16 in Australia takes effect, in Sydney, Australia, December 10, 2025. (Reuters)

Switzerland must do more to shield children from social media risks, Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider was quoted as saying on Sunday, signaling she was open to a potential ban on the platforms for youngsters.

Following Australia's recent ban on social media for under-16s, Baume-Schneider told SonntagsBlick newspaper that Switzerland should examine similar measures.

"The debate in Australia and the ‌EU is ‌important. It must also ‌be ⁠conducted in Switzerland. ‌I am open to a social media ban," said the minister, a member of the center-left Social Democrats. "We must better protect our children."

She said authorities needed to look at what should be restricted, listing options ⁠such as banning social media use by children, ‌curbing harmful content, and addressing ‍algorithms that prey on ‍young people's vulnerabilities.

Detailed discussions will begin ‍in the new year, supported by a report on the issue, Baume-Schneider said, adding: "We mustn't forget social media platforms themselves: they must take responsibility for what children and young people consume."

Australia's ban has won praise ⁠from many parents and groups advocating for the welfare of children, and drawn criticism from major technology companies and defenders of free speech.

Earlier this month, the parliament of the Swiss canton of Fribourg voted to prohibit children from using mobile phones at school until they are about 15, the latest step taken at ‌a local level in Switzerland to curb their use in schools.

Technology

Google Warns Staff with US Visas against International Travel

FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is displayed during a press conference in Berlin, Germany, November 11, 2025. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is displayed during a press conference in Berlin, Germany, November 11, 2025. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo
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Google Warns Staff with US Visas against International Travel

FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is displayed during a press conference in Berlin, Germany, November 11, 2025. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is displayed during a press conference in Berlin, Germany, November 11, 2025. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo

Alphabet's Google has advised some employees on US visas to avoid international travel due to delays at embassies, Business Insider reported on Friday, citing an internal email.

The email, sent by the company's outside counsel BAL Immigration Law on Thursday, warned staff who need a visa ⁠stamp to re-enter the United States not to leave the country because visa processing times have lengthened, the report said.

Google did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Some US embassies and consulates face visa ⁠appointment delays of up to 12 months, the memo said, warning that international travel will "risk an extended stay outside the US", according to the report.

The administration of President Donald Trump this month announced increased vetting of applicants for H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, including screening social media accounts.

The H-1B visa program, widely used by the US ⁠technology sector to hire skilled workers from India and China, has been under the spotlight after the Trump administration imposed a $100,000 fee for new applications this year.

In September, Google's parent company Alphabet had strongly advised its employees to avoid international travel and urged H-1B visa holders to remain in the US, according to an email seen by Reuters.

Technology

AI Boom Drives Data-Center Dealmaking to Record High, Says Report

AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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AI Boom Drives Data-Center Dealmaking to Record High, Says Report

AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Global data-center dealmaking surged to a record high through November this year, driven by an insatiable demand for ​computing infrastructure to meet the boom in artificial intelligence usage.

Data from S&P Global Market Intelligence showed that there were more than 100 data center transactions during the period, with the total value sitting just under $61 billion.

WHY ‌IT'S IMPORTANT

Interest ‌in data centers ‌has ⁠swelled ​this ‌year as tech giants and AI hyperscalers have planned billions of dollars in spending to scale up infrastructure.

AI-related companies have powered much of the gains in US stocks this year, but concerns over lofty ⁠valuations and debt-fueled spending have also sparked worries ‌over how quickly corporates can ‍turn the investments ‍into profits.

BY THE NUMBERS

Including M&As, asset ‍sales and equity investments, data center investments hit nearly $61 billion through the end of November, already surpassing 2024's record high $60.81 billion.

Since ​2019, data center dealmaking in the US and Canada totaled about $160 billion, ⁠with Asia-Pacific reaching nearly $40 billion and Europe $24.2 billion.

GRAPHIC KEY QUOTE

"High interest comes from financial sponsors, which are attracted by the risk/reward profile of such assets. Private equity firms are eager buyers but are generally reluctant sellers, creating an environment where availability for sale of high-quality data center assets is scarce," said Iuri ‌Struta, TMT analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence.