Royal Commission for AlUla Partners with Google Cloud to Train Over 3,000 Community Members

RCU will invite more than 3,000 participants from AlUla to enroll in specialized courses designed to enhance their knowledge and expertise in key areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data analytics, and other digital fields - SPA
RCU will invite more than 3,000 participants from AlUla to enroll in specialized courses designed to enhance their knowledge and expertise in key areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data analytics, and other digital fields - SPA
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Royal Commission for AlUla Partners with Google Cloud to Train Over 3,000 Community Members

RCU will invite more than 3,000 participants from AlUla to enroll in specialized courses designed to enhance their knowledge and expertise in key areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data analytics, and other digital fields - SPA
RCU will invite more than 3,000 participants from AlUla to enroll in specialized courses designed to enhance their knowledge and expertise in key areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data analytics, and other digital fields - SPA

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has signed a collaboration agreement with Google Cloud, marking a significant step towards realizing its ambitious vision of transforming AlUla into a center for digital growth and innovation.
Announced at the Google Cloud Summit in Riyadh, the agreement will see the launch of AlUla Skills Lab (ASL), a key initiative aimed at equipping AlUla's residents with cutting-edge digital skills. This milestone underscores RCU's commitment to digital transformation and the enhancement of human capital in the region, SPA reported.
Through this initiative, RCU will invite more than 3,000 participants from AlUla to enroll in specialized courses designed to enhance their knowledge and expertise in key areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data analytics, and other digital fields.
The training programs will be delivered both in-person and online, following three main tracks: foundational and professional digital skills, data and artificial intelligence, and cloud computing.
The AlUla Skills Lab will also welcome students, educators, and digital enthusiasts from AlUla, providing them with hands-on learning experiences through Google Cloud's suite of digital tools and services. Community members eager to develop their digital expertise and professional skills will have the opportunity to register for these courses, which are open to individuals with a strong interest in exploring the latest technological advancements and applications Google Cloud offers.
Through the ASL initiative, RCU seeks to ensure that the program aligns with its long-term goals for human capacity development. The collaboration also aims to establish an official Google Innovation Lab in AlUla, serving as a dedicated hub for community learning, innovation, and digital literacy.
Developing digital capabilities in AlUla is a fundamental pillar of RCU’s broader strategy, which focuses on expanding smart and digital services to improve the daily lives of residents, businesses, and investors. Enhancing digital skills within the local workforce will also contribute to the sustainable growth and economic diversification of Northwest Arabia and the Kingdom at large.



Trump Joins Tech and Energy Executives amid AI Push

A car drives past a building of the Digital Reality Data Center in Ashburn, Virginia, US, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo
A car drives past a building of the Digital Reality Data Center in Ashburn, Virginia, US, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo
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Trump Joins Tech and Energy Executives amid AI Push

A car drives past a building of the Digital Reality Data Center in Ashburn, Virginia, US, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo
A car drives past a building of the Digital Reality Data Center in Ashburn, Virginia, US, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo

President Donald Trump will join executives from some of the largest US tech and energy companies for a summit in Pittsburgh on Tuesday as the administration prepares fresh measures to power the US expansion of artificial intelligence.

Top economic rivals US and China are locked in a technological arms race over who can dominate AI as the technology takes on increasing importance everywhere from corporate boardrooms to the battlefield.

The Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University is expected to bring tech executives and officials from top energy and tech firms including Meta, Microsoft, Alphabet and Exxon Mobil to discuss how to position the US as a leader in AI. Trump will use the summit - put together by US Senator Dave McCormick, a Republican ally from Pennsylvania - to announce some $70 billion in artificial intelligence and energy investments in the state, Reuters reported.

Big Tech is scrambling to secure vast amounts of electricity supplies to power the energy-guzzling data centers needed for its rapid expansion of artificial intelligence. Companies began announcing their plans in early on Tuesday, with Google inking a $3 billion electricity deal and CoreWeave touting a $6 billion AI data center.

Google will invest $25 billion in regional data centers, while FirstEnergy will invest $15 billion in Pennsylvania's energy grid, Semafor reported. The CEOs expected to attend include Khaldoon Al-Mubarak of Mubadala, Rene Haas of Arm, Larry Fink of BlackRock, Darren Woods of ExxonMobil, Brendan Bechtel of Bechtel and Dario Amodei of Anthropic. The White House is considering executive actions in the coming weeks to make it easier for power-generating projects to connect to the grid and also provide federal land on which to build the data centers needed to expand AI technology, Reuters previously reported.

The administration is also weighing streamlining permitting for data centers by creating a nationwide Clean Water Act permit, rather than requiring companies to seek permits on a state-by-state basis.

Mike Sommers, head of the influential American Petroleum Institute, said executive action is welcomed to unlock the energy needed to power the data centers, but a more durable solution is needed.

"Real durable permitting reform requires an act of Congress, not just an executive order," Sommers said in an interview with Reuters. Trump ordered his administration in January to produce an AI Action Plan that would make "America the world capital in artificial intelligence" and reduce regulatory barriers to its rapid expansion.

That report, which includes input from the National Security Council, is due by July 23. The White House is considering making July 23 "AI Action Day" to draw attention to the report and demonstrate its commitment to expanding the industry, Reuters has reported.

US power demand is hitting record highs this year after nearly two decades of stagnation as AI and cloud computing data centers balloon in numbers and size across the country. The demand is also leading to unprecedented deals between the power industry and technology companies, including the attempted restart of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania between Constellation Energy and Microsoft.

The surge has led to concerns about power shortages that threaten to raise electricity bills and increase the risk of blackouts, while slowing Big Tech in its global race against countries like China to dominate artificial intelligence.