MIAMI — Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah Al-Swaha affirmed that Saudi Arabia has become a strategic partner for the United States and the world in bridging digital gaps and leading the transformation toward the "smart age". In his speech at the main session of the third edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII Priority) Summit held in Miami, US, under the title "Investing with Purpose," AlSawaha underscored Saudi Arabia's efforts and ambitious vision to enhance global cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. He pointed out that Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, constituted "the most prominent success story of the twenty-first century", with the country's digital economy reaching nearly $132 billion, contributing 50% of the regional digital economy of $260 billion. He noted the increase in the number of technical talents in Saudi Arabia from 150,000 to 381,000. He highlighted the interest of major global investors such as Oracle, Google, and Microsoft, which made Saudi Arabia one of the fastest growing technology centers in the world. Al-Sawaha concluded his speech by calling on the world to consider Saudi Arabia as the ideal partner to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence. He expressed his confidence in the ability of international cooperation to overcome challenges and reach the stage of sustainable productivity in this field, appreciating the role of the Future Investment Initiative in bringing together thought and investment leaders to create the future of technology. On the sidelines of the summit, Al-Sawaha met with Oracle CEO Safra Ada Katz to discuss expanding the partnership in the fields of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, and its role in supporting the digital economy in Saudi Arabia. He also met with NEA CEO Tony Florence to discuss supporting tech entrepreneurs and stimulating investment in tech and innovation startups in Saudi Arabia.
