Riyadh: Director of the National Information Center (NIC) at the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) Dr. Esam bin Abdullah Al-Wagait affirmed that data- and AI-driven digital transformation plays a pivotal global role, influencing economies, governments, societies, and individuals.
According to Saudi Press Agency, he noted that the technologies are reshaping the global economy, impacting international relations, removing borders between countries, unleashing innovation, and profoundly transforming every aspect of life in unprecedented ways.
His remarks came during his participation in a session at the closing conference of the GREAT FUTURES initiative, held alongside the fifth meeting of the economic and social pillar of the Saudi-UK Strategic Partnership Council, co-chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
'Super apps are a game-changing example in digital transformation, enabling users to easily access a wide range of digital services from multiple providers,' Dr. Al-Wagait said, noting that SDAIA develops and operates the national super app Tawakkalna, which serves more than 34 million users with over 1,000 services provided by more than 140 service providers.
He added that another prominent example is the Absher platform, the Ministry of Interior's digital service platform, which has reduced the need for in-person visits to government offices, thereby easing congestion in offices and on roads.
A previous study showed that between 2018 and 2020, Absher helped cut paper usage by around 560 million sheets and reduced carbon emissions by about 500 million kilograms, generating annual savings of more than SAR17 billion, Al-Wagait said.
He noted that SDAIA launched the National Strategy for Data and AI as part of Saudi Vision 2030, aiming to position the Kingdom as a global leader among data- and AI-driven economies.
Dr. Al-Wagait also highlighted Saudi Arabia's significant progress in the 2024 Open Data Inventory (ODIN) report by Open Data Watch, in which the Kingdom rose to 41st place globally - advancing 28 spots compared to 2022 - and improved its ranking among Group of Twenty (G20) countries from 15th to 9th.
He stressed the importance of international partnerships and cooperation in addressing the complex global digital challenges, including AI governance, global supply-chain issues, cybersecurity risks, data privacy, standardization challenges, as well as talent shortages and digital skills gaps.
Additionally, he indicated that recognizing the value of such partnerships, Saudi Arabia -- through SDAIA - established the International Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics (ICAIRE) in Riyadh, under the auspices of UNESCO, which granted it the status of Category 2 Center.