Saudi Arabia is currently exploring partnership opportunities with Germany, Japan, and France in emerging technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital infrastructure, with the Kingdom’s government officials convening in Riyadh during the 19th Internet Governance Forum.
Running from December 15-19 at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Centre, the UN-organised forum witnessed global leaders promoting international digital cooperation and addressing emerging challenges in internet governance.
On the sideline of the event, Vice Minister of Communications and Information Technology Haytham Al-Ohali held discussions with officials from the three nations to strengthen collaboration in the digital economy space.
The development comes as Saudi Arabia is working to position itself as a global leader in AI and digital transformation under “Vision 2030” economic diversification agenda. Goals include increasing the digital economy’s GDP contribution from 14% in 2022 to 19.2% by 2025, apart from digitising 92% of government services and raising the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) sector’s GDP share to 4%.
At the forum’s opening, the Kingdom unveiled the Riyadh Declaration, a commitment to developing inclusive and responsible AI technologies to address global challenges and drive economic value, with Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha highlighting the declaration’s focus on AI’s role in increasing digital accessibility, enhancing digital literacy, protecting the environment, and promoting economic inclusion.
Al-Swaha further underscored the importance of ensuring fairness, inclusivity, and safety in the development and deployment of AI technologies while leveraging data for societal advancement.
“The Kingdom is committed to addressing key challenges such as unequal access to algorithms, data, and computing resources,” the Saudi Minister stated.
As part of its Vision 2030 goals, the Kingdom plans to provide high-speed broadband access to 90% of urban households, implement nationwide e-invoicing to enhance tax compliance, and rank among the world’s top 15 countries in AI by the end of the current decade.
While Haytham Al-Ohali’s meeting with Stefan Schnorr, state secretary at Germany’s Ministry for Digital and Transport, focused on strengthening technical cooperation and promoting innovation, the talks with Takuo Imagawa, the vice minister for international affairs at Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, explored Saudi-Japanese partnerships in AI and emerging technologies.
Similarly, Al-Ohali’s meeting with French Ambassador for Digital Affairs Henri Verdier centred on advancing joint initiatives in technical innovation and the digital economy.
Meanwhile, Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi underscored the significance of Saudi Arabia hosting the IGF, reflecting the Kingdom’s leadership in digital governance and commitment to Vision 2030’s objectives.
“This enhances the Kingdom’s position as a key destination for global events aimed at achieving sustainable development across various sectors,” he said, while noting the event highlighting the Kingdom’s communications, information technology, and digital government capabilities.
The forum, attended by over 9,000 participants from 170 countries, featured over 300 sessions under themes such as “Harnessing Innovation and Balancing Risks in the Digital Space,” “Advancing Human Rights and Inclusion in the Digital Age,” and “Improving Digital Governance for the Internet We Want.”
The event highlighted the Kingdom’s growing influence in digital governance and its efforts to harness innovation to drive global sustainability and digital inclusion.