RIYADH: The Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence (SDAIA) on Thursday signed memorandums of understanding (MoU) with IBM, Alibaba and Huawei in areas of artificial intelligence (AI) at a summit.
SDAIA and Alibaba Cloud announced an MoU to partner in supporting Saudi Arabia’s path to develop smart cities through AI. “Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has clear goals to transform (the Kingdom’s) cities into smart ones by unlocking the value of city data as a national asset to realize Vision 2030 aspirations,” said Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi, president of SDAIA.
SDAIA and Huawei signed an MoU to recognize the Arabic language and its characters using AI technology and with the help of researchers from the Kingdom and Huawei, according to SDAIA’s Twitter account.
SDAIA is seeking IBM’s help in developing “real use cases” of AI in areas of health, energy and other sectors, as well as training through a strategic relationship, it said.
Saudi Arabia wants to train 20,000 people over the next decade in the field of AI.
“The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will share the best practices in the field of AI with the Kingdom. This will help in shedding light on how to sponsor and support emerging companies and new incubators in the national space, especially as there is no official framework that currently exists to support the AI readiness of countries and international cooperation,” Alghamdi said.
Mishari Almishari, deputy director of the National Information Center, told Arab News: “We need to have clear work procedures before we reach the phase of agreements that achieve the interests of the parties concerned. The development of AI research and innovation have really begun now.
“The summit was a resounding success and the participants were supposed to be physically present but we decided to organize it virtually and it came out well. We are proud of the speakers. Over 12,000 people attended virtually and over 60 speakers gave speeches.
“AI is replete with challenges and questions which need to be answered. Saudi Arabia organized this international dialogue so that initiatives and solutions come from here,” he added.
“The success of the first virtual summit gives us hope that the second one will succeed with physical presence of all participants and attendees. At SDAIA we look forward to AI global dialogue and enhancing Saudi Arabia’s position as a global AI hub. This is one of the reasons why we organized the event.”
Charles Yang, president of Huawei Middle East, said: “Huawei has adopted an ambitious long-term research and development strategy regarding AI, creating unprecedented opportunities through the synergy of AI with 5G connectivity, cloud, computing, and industry applications. In cooperation with SDAIA, we look forward to creating new value across these tech domains, collaborating with local AI developer and industry partners to transform the Kingdom into a leading data-driven economy.”
Houlin Zhao, ITU secretary-general, said: “AI is being used to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges, from climate change to the (coronavirus disease) COVID-19 pandemic. With only 10 years left to achieve the UN sustainable development goals, ITU looks forward to working with SDAIA to develop projects and initiatives that can accelerate the progress toward the SDGs and promote AI as a force for good for humanity and the planet.”
The Global AI Summit is an international showcase for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to help achieve the objectives of Vision 2030, strengthen the nation’s role and spearhead global efforts in AI.
It is a unique annual platform that encourages discussions, collaborations and networking opportunities between thought leaders, innovators and decision-makers from all over the world, with the aim of mapping the future of AI.
