SDAIA Launches 'National AI Index' to Measure Saudi Govt Readiness for Adopting AI 

SDAIA Launches 'National AI Index' to Measure Saudi Govt Readiness for Adopting AI 
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SDAIA Launches 'National AI Index' to Measure Saudi Govt Readiness for Adopting AI 

SDAIA Launches 'National AI Index' to Measure Saudi Govt Readiness for Adopting AI 

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) launched the "National AI Index," with over 180 representatives from participating government entities attending the first assessment cycle.

The goal of the index is to evaluate institutional readiness for adopting artificial-intelligence (AI) technologies, regularly monitor progress, and provide recommendations to support development efforts and achieve the desired national impact, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday.

The index aims to align government efforts and national priorities in the field of AI, while providing the necessary enablers to support government entities in adopting and developing effective and sustainable AI solutions that contribute to achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

The index is built on three main pillars, seven core dimensions, and 23 subcategories to ensure a comprehensive assessment of government entities' readiness in the AI field. It provides results that reflect the maturity level of AI adoption across entities, along with the necessary support to enhance their capabilities in developing innovative solutions that sustain national efforts and maximize their impact in priority sectors.

The index is part of SDAIA's broader efforts as the national reference for data and AI in the Kingdom, overseeing their regulation, development, and application.

It aims to promote the adoption of AI technologies and improve institutional performance, thereby advancing digital transformation across government entities. The initiative aligns with SDAIA's strategic partnerships to support the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to build a knowledge- and innovation-based economy.



Microsoft Announces 4,800 Job Cuts as it Revamps Xbox

FILED - 30 January 2026, Bavaria, Munich: FILE PHOTO - The Microsoft logo can be seen on the Microsoft Germany headquarters building in Munich. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa
FILED - 30 January 2026, Bavaria, Munich: FILE PHOTO - The Microsoft logo can be seen on the Microsoft Germany headquarters building in Munich. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa
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Microsoft Announces 4,800 Job Cuts as it Revamps Xbox

FILED - 30 January 2026, Bavaria, Munich: FILE PHOTO - The Microsoft logo can be seen on the Microsoft Germany headquarters building in Munich. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa
FILED - 30 January 2026, Bavaria, Munich: FILE PHOTO - The Microsoft logo can be seen on the Microsoft Germany headquarters building in Munich. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa

Microsoft said Monday it was eliminating about 4,800 jobs -- roughly two percent of its global workforce -- in a sweeping restructuring concentrated in its Xbox gaming divisions, AFP reported.

The cuts include the deepest overhaul in Xbox's history, with approximately 3,200 gaming jobs to be shed over the coming fiscal year, four game studios being spun off or sold, and a fifth entering a review process that could lead to closure, the company said.


UN Chief Warns AI is Developing Faster than Rules Can Keep Up

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a statement during a media conference at the EU summit in Brussels, March 19, 2026. (AP)
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a statement during a media conference at the EU summit in Brussels, March 19, 2026. (AP)
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UN Chief Warns AI is Developing Faster than Rules Can Keep Up

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a statement during a media conference at the EU summit in Brussels, March 19, 2026. (AP)
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a statement during a media conference at the EU summit in Brussels, March 19, 2026. (AP)

The United Nations secretary general on Monday warned that AI is developing faster than anyone can keep up, ‌urging the ‌need for ‌globally ⁠harmonized rules to reduce ⁠potential risks - especially to children, Reuters said.

"A technology that can reshape ⁠economies, transform the world ‌of ‌work, sway ‌elections and tilt ‌the balance of security is being deployed faster than ‌anyone – including the people building it – ⁠can ⁠keep up," Antonio Guterres told delegates at the first-ever government-level global dialogue on AI in Geneva.


Samsung Appliance Workers to Stage Rally Protesting Chip Workers' Wage Deal

FILED - 10 September 2025, Bavaria, Munich: FILE PHOTO - The Samsung logo can be seen at the Samsung stand during the International Motor Show (IAA Mobility). Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa
FILED - 10 September 2025, Bavaria, Munich: FILE PHOTO - The Samsung logo can be seen at the Samsung stand during the International Motor Show (IAA Mobility). Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa
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Samsung Appliance Workers to Stage Rally Protesting Chip Workers' Wage Deal

FILED - 10 September 2025, Bavaria, Munich: FILE PHOTO - The Samsung logo can be seen at the Samsung stand during the International Motor Show (IAA Mobility). Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa
FILED - 10 September 2025, Bavaria, Munich: FILE PHOTO - The Samsung logo can be seen at the Samsung stand during the International Motor Show (IAA Mobility). Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa

Workers in Samsung Electronics' smartphone, television and home appliance division will stage a rally on July 16, their union said, to protest the big bonuses the company's chip workers have negotiated.

Workers in the company's booming semiconductor division recently won a wage deal led by ⁠another union.

The ⁠non-chip division's workers are expected to receive a bonus of 6 million won ($3,900) in treasury shares for 2026, compared to up to 600 ⁠million won for those at the semiconductor division, Reuters quoted Yonhap News Agency as saying.

Roughly 2,000 or 3,000 workers are expected to participate in the rally near Samsung's headquarters in Suwon, Yonhap reported, citing the largest union for workers in the company's mobiles and ⁠consumer ⁠electronics division said.

The union has about 28,000 members.

Samsung is expected to flag its operating profit surged about 18-fold from a year earlier in the second quarter, when it releases its earnings estimate for the April-June quarter on Tuesday.