The World Bank has highlighted the role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), in building an integrated data ecosystem and supporting data integration across government entities in the Kingdom. The report reviewed Saudi Arabia’s experience in data and artificial intelligence, highlighting it as a model for building digital infrastructure for data and AI, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. This was stated in the World Development Report 2026, released by the World Bank Group, titled The Promise of Artificial Intelligence. The report noted that SDAIA enables data integration across more than 60 government entities while keeping data within their own systems, placing the Saudi experience among the models that support organized and secure data sharing across government entities. The report also examined the Kingdom’s position in the global AI landscape, placing Saudi Arabia among the top 10 countries worldwide for private investment in artificial intelligence. It also highlighted the Kingdom’s ability to attract specialized talent. These achievements reflect a comprehensive national strategy, aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, to build a data-driven, computing-enabled, and innovation-focused economy. In terms of AI talent, the report indicated that in 2025, Saudi Arabia ranked among the economies with the highest net inflows of AI professionals per 10,000 LinkedIn members. The Kingdom recorded a net inflow of 3.08 AI professionals per 10,000 LinkedIn members, underscoring the attractiveness of Saudi Arabia’s technology ecosystem to highly skilled talent. The report's publication coincides with the designation of 2026 as the “Year of Artificial Intelligence” in the Kingdom, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s continued commitment to advancing data and AI technologies and leveraging them to support development, innovation, and competitiveness, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
