Bridging the gap: Lessons from the HealthTech Summit for Saudi Arabia’s edtech future

Education technology and artificial intelligence are no longer future concepts, but have become vital components of modern pedagogy, profoundly transforming how educators teach and learners acquire knowledge.

Under its ambitious Vision 2030 blueprint, Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a regional leader in these innovative arenas. The Kingdom recognizes the immense potential of AI and edtech to foster a knowledge-based economy that keeps pace with global advances.

An embodiment of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to leveraging technology for improved public services was the recent HealthTech Innovation Summit and Expo held in Riyadh this month. This event was not only a celebration of advancements in healthcare technology, but also a testament to the Kingdom’s broader dedication to digital innovation.

Notably, the ambition captured at the summit also resonates with the Kingdom’s aspirations for its education sector. Vision 2030 has central objectives to transform Saudi Arabia’s education sector by embracing digital innovation in classrooms, and incorporating edtech and AI into mainstream educational practices.

The summit highlighted Saudi Arabia’s strides in integrating edtech, especially within the healthcare sector. High-fidelity simulations showcased at the summit exemplified game-changing applications of edtech in medical education. This technology enables aspiring doctors and nurses to practice complex surgeries in a risk-free environment, a powerful example of how technology can enhance learning experiences.

Building on this, the fusion of edtech and AI in education empowers learners and prepares them for future careers in healthcare from an early stage. By providing immersive learning experiences, it bridges the gap between theory and practice, while aligning with Vision 2030’s goals to cultivate a highly skilled and competitive workforce.

The challenge for the Kingdom is to extrapolate these successes in the healthcare sector and implement similar technology-enhanced learning approaches across the broader education system.

In education, the applications of AI and edtech are many. Personalized learning, powered by AI algorithms, is one of the most promising. These algorithms can adapt to a student’s unique learning pace, providing customised content and assessments that cater to the individual needs of each learner. This results in a more effective learning experience that encourages learner autonomy, an aspect of education becoming increasingly critical in the 21st century.

The fusion of edtech and AI in education empowers learners and prepares them for future careers in healthcare from an early stage.

Furthermore, edtech is pivotal in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. With the aid of virtual and augmented reality, complex scientific phenomena can be visualized and understood more clearly. Additionally, coding and programming, the new literacy in the digital age, is becoming central to the curriculum, cultivating a new generation of tech-savvy learners ready to thrive in a digital future.

The impact of edtech extends beyond traditional classrooms. It has transformed medical education, where aspiring doctors and nurses can use simulations to practice complex procedures in a safe and controlled environment. This application of edtech, as demonstrated at the HealthTech Innovation Summit, could prove particularly relevant for Saudi Arabia as it seeks to develop a robust healthcare sector under Vision 2030.

Despite the promising trajectory of AI and edtech, their incorporation into the education system comes with challenges. Cost and accessibility, the need for systemic integration, and data security and privacy concerns are significant issues to navigate. However, the potential benefits of a tech-enhanced education system make it a venture worth pursuing. To this end, Saudi Arabia is making substantial efforts to overcome these obstacles, with a surge in public and private investment in the edtech sector indicating a robust appetite for digital innovation in education.

Signs of policy development are visible, aimed at facilitating the integration of AI and edtech into the education system. Institutions such as the Kingdom’s National Center for Artificial Intelligence and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority are leading in setting the stage for this digital revolution in education. Also, Saudi Arabia is investing in a burgeoning startup ecosystem, focusing on nurturing homegrown edtech companies to cater to the needs of the Saudi education system.

In line with Vision 2030’s objectives, the Ministry of Education is attracting top global educational institutions and promoting private sector involvement in the country’s education system. Recent data and research indicate a growing number of students enrolled in private colleges and universities, and significant opportunities for private operators. This is part of the government’s broader initiative to transition the Kingdom toward a knowledge-based economy.

In conclusion, the HealthTech Summit has provided invaluable insights that pave the way for integrating edtech and AI into Saudi education. The potential of such integration goes beyond enhancing teaching and learning. It also creates a vibrant, innovative and knowledge-based economy, thus bridging the gap between present needs and the goals outlined in Vision 2030.

By learning from the advancements showcased at the summit, we can better understand how to utilize technology in education, from high-fidelity simulations in medical training to AI-driven personalized learning in classrooms. This is more than just a technological shift; it is about shaping a future-ready generation of learners equipped to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

With these lessons, Saudi Arabia is poised to lead a socioeconomic transformation, turning challenges into opportunities and ambition into achievement. By drawing from the HealthTech Summit’s breakthroughs, and embracing edtech and AI, Saudi Arabia is not just preparing for a digitally driven future but is actively creating it.

• Ahoud Alshaikh, Ph.D., MSc, MA, Harvard CSML, is an education expert specializing in edtech, educational assessment, public-private partnerships, and educational corporate governance.