DHAHRAN: As Saudi Arabia accelerates its push to become a global hub for artificial intelligence, the research labs at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology are working to ensure the Kingdom doesn’t just consume AI — but helps build it.
On KAUST’s Red Sea campus, the newly established Center of Excellence in Generative AI — CoE Gen AI — is at the heart of this effort.
One of its founding members, Prof. Peter Wonka, is leading a team developing foundational models and tailored tools designed to align with Saudi Arabia’s national priorities — from personalized education and energy modeling to AI-generated Arabic content.
“This is a really exciting time to be involved in AI,” Wonka, who is originally from Austria, told Arab News. “This is the time of tremendous progress.”
Saudi Arabia’s ambitions are part of a global race to dominate generative AI. PwC estimates that AI will contribute about SR 878 billion ($235 billion), or roughly 12.4 percent of Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product, by 2030.
