ALKHOBAR: Saudi Arabia’s next phase of digital transformation could see artificial intelligence move beyond supporting individual government services to reshaping how public services are designed around citizens’ lives.
The Kingdom has already built strong digital foundations through years of investment in online services, cloud infrastructure and data capabilities under Vision 2030. In the 2024 UN E-Government Development Index, Saudi Arabia ranked sixth globally, placing it among the world’s leading digital governments.
The next challenge is to move from digital government toward an “AI-native” model, in which intelligent systems are embedded into how services operate rather than added later as standalone tools.
Ashwaq Alshathri, managing director of Publicis Sapient Saudi Arabia, said the Kingdom is particularly well positioned for that transition because digital transformation has been treated as a long-term national priority.
“Through Vision 2030, the Kingdom has invested not only in digital infrastructure, cloud capabilities and AI, but also in rethinking how government services can better support citizens and businesses,” she told Arab News. “That creates the conditions to move beyond simply digitizing existing processes and instead redesign how public services are delivered.”
