Elon Musk in Riyadh: Robotics and AI Drive Saudi-US Strategic Partnership

Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI CEO Elon Musk and Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha speak at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI CEO Elon Musk and Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha speak at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
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Elon Musk in Riyadh: Robotics and AI Drive Saudi-US Strategic Partnership

Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI CEO Elon Musk and Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha speak at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI CEO Elon Musk and Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha speak at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)

Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI CEO Elon Musk and Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha took part on Tuesday in a high-profile dialogue session during the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh. The event underscored the strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Alswaha said relationship between the two nations has entered a new phase, moving from an energy-based economy to one driven by innovation, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI), praising Musk's influence in advancing global technological transformation.

The minister stressed that under the leadership of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Saudi Arabia has aimed to adopt transformative technologies, such as AI and robotics, positioning the Kingdom as a global innovation platform and a major hub for AI and the digital economy.

He also highlighted the Kingdom’s progress in enabling cloud services, digital infrastructure, and AI value chains, saying these efforts reflect Saudi Arabia’s ambition to lead in the post-data era. He underlined the Kingdom’s goal of becoming a hub for responsible and effective AI innovation.

The strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and the United States is a foundation for building a smarter, more just, and sustainable global economy, he stressed, while underscoring the need for continued collaboration to drive innovation for the benefit of humanity.

For his part, Musk said humanoid robots represent a productivity revolution that could expand the global economy tenfold. This could lead to an economy of abundance and a model of “comprehensive high income” that goes beyond the traditional universal basic income concept.

He thanked Saudi Arabia for adopting the Starlink service in the aviation and maritime sectors, describing it as a significant step toward supporting the future of global communications technology.

He discussed potential cooperation in smart mobility, including RoboTaxi projects and The Boring Company’s tunnel transportation systems for Saudi cities. Such technologies, he said, could transform urban areas and improve transit efficiency.

Musk closed the session with an optimistic outlook for humanity, urging a model of progress that blends prosperity, exploration, and coexistence with advanced technology. He called for international cooperation to establish ethical frameworks for AI and emerging technologies.



SDAIA Receives Recognition for Innovative Projects at WSIS Summit in Geneva

SDAIA’s nominated projects represented a distinguished set of technological initiatives that demonstrated innovation, relevance, and impact in their respective fields - SPA
SDAIA’s nominated projects represented a distinguished set of technological initiatives that demonstrated innovation, relevance, and impact in their respective fields - SPA
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SDAIA Receives Recognition for Innovative Projects at WSIS Summit in Geneva

SDAIA’s nominated projects represented a distinguished set of technological initiatives that demonstrated innovation, relevance, and impact in their respective fields - SPA
SDAIA’s nominated projects represented a distinguished set of technological initiatives that demonstrated innovation, relevance, and impact in their respective fields - SPA

The Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) received certificates for its nominated projects, which were recognized among the best entries at the 2025 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes held in Geneva, Switzerland, highlighting SDAIA’s innovative contributions to the fields of data and artificial intelligence (AI).

SDAIA’s nominated projects represented a distinguished set of technological initiatives that demonstrated innovation, relevance, and impact in their respective fields.

Out of 973 submissions from various countries, they were chosen after an expert evaluation conducted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), SPA reported.

The nominated projects included the government cloud-computing platform “Deem,” which provides integrated and flexible cloud services for government entities; the “Nafath” application for biometric identity verification; the “Serti” service within the “Tawakkalna” app that enables users to display their certified academic qualifications; the “Tahseen” project, which uses AI to restore and enhance historical media; and the “Allam” and “Sawtak” projects, both of which represent a significant leap in supporting and processing Arabic using large language models and speech recognition technologies.

These achievements reflect the Kingdom’s commitment, through SDAIA, to reinforcing its global standing as a trusted authority in data and AI, advancing the national digital transformation agenda, and supporting the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. They also contribute to enhancing the Kingdom’s regional and international competitiveness in technology and innovation.