Saudi Arabia’s new initiative to train 7,000 locals in AI

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Keen to achieve regional and global dominance, Saudi Arabia has announced an initiative designed to deepen its artificial intelligence (AI) talent pool as it charts a new digital course.

The Digital Future Readiness Program is intended to give the Gulf nation a competitive edge against its peers as the digital arms race gathers steam. The program, a brainchild of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Human Capacity Development Programme (HCDP), aims to train 7,000 residents in generative AI.

After months of undergoing a detailed pilot, the Ministry says it is ready to proceed with a public rollout for the educational initiative, tapping the Noon Education Company to lead the efforts. Per the announcement, the Noon Education Company will pursue partnership deals with schools and civil societies in the country to improve the stage of generative AI knowledge.

During the formal launch, the Noon Education Company disclosed a partnership arrangement with the Insan Association and several higher learning institutions. The event drew attendance from government agencies, private sector players, and academia, hinting at early signs of success for the ambitious project.

Deputy Minister of Communications Eng. Haitham Al-Ohali and HCDP CEO Anas Al-Mudaifer attended the high-profile event, delivering keynote addresses on the myriad benefits of investing in AI education on a national scale.

This is not the first time Saudi Arabia has unveiled an AI educational initiative, as back in 2023, the Kingdom rolled out a project targeted at high schoolers in the country. Christened the “Artificial Intelligence Hour,” the project involved earmarking learning sessions to introduce high school students to the basics of AI and large language models (LLMs).

According to the 2023 announcement, over 300,000 students from 1,300 schools will have the chance to learn the fundamentals of AI.  Since 2022, Saudi Arabia has been scrambling for talented AI developers, driven by grants from King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity.

Saudi Arabia has no shortage of funds for its educational initiatives, with the country still buzzing from a $40 billion AI investment fund and investments from global technology firms. According to local analysts, the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) possesses the “political will” to drive AI innovation and mass education in the country.

A wave of capital injection

Saudi Arabia has enjoyed several tailwinds in its quest for digitization, including capital injection by venture capital (VC) firms to fund technology innovation in the country. In March, Animoca Brands pitched its tent in the country, offering to back promising Web3 firms in the Gulf State while attracting several industry service providers.

On the private sector side, Saudi firms are bracing to integrate AI and other digital solutions into their operations. A Cisco report disclosed that 93% of Saudi firms have advanced blueprints to adopt AI, but only 8% are ready to proceed with their strategies.

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