RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and the UAE have emerged as global hubs for artificial intelligence expertise, ranking among the world’s top 20 countries by talent density, a new survey showed.
According to the latest Global AI Competitiveness Index, issued as a collaboration between the International Finance Forum and Deep Knowledge Group, the Kingdom holds 0.7 percent of the global AI talent pool. In comparison, the UAE holds 0.4 percent, placing it ahead of countries like Russia and Italy.
This supports the nation’s National Strategy for Data and AI, which aims to place Saudi Arabia among the world’s top 15 in AI, the top 10 in the Open Data Index, and the top 20 for data and AI-related publications.
It also aligns with projections from PwC that AI will contribute $235.2 billion, around 12.4 percent, to the Kingdom’s gross domestic product by 2030.
“Saudi Arabia and the UAE’s strategic focus on AI, their significant investments in education, infrastructure, and innovation, and their ability to attract top talent and investments are setting the stage for a new era of growth in the region,” Dmitry Kaminskiy, general partner at Deep Knowledge Group, said in a press release.
