Data And AI Capacity Building At ICAN 2026 Riyadh Highlights National Talent Empowerment

The International Conference on Data and AI Capacity Building (ICAN 2026) has begun its workshop programme, offering intensive sessions on leadership, skills and practical tools in data and AI. Global experts are training participants to apply these technologies across education, finance, language, and content creation, in line with Saudi Arabia’s digital economy ambitions.

The event is drawing professionals from technology firms, universities, government bodies and the private sector, alongside large numbers of students. Sessions are aimed at both beginners and experienced specialists, with a strong focus on developing local talent and preparing participants to work with advanced data systems and artificial intelligence solutions across different industries.

IBM delivered two targeted workshops for leaders and sector experts as part of ICAN 2026’s data and AI capacity building efforts. The first examined how reliable AI depends on strong data foundations. It explained links between data quality, availability, governance and final model performance, and mapped typical data issues that can weaken AI projects without immediate detection.

IBM’s second session addressed banking, concentrating on AI and generative AI applications in core and support banking activities. Participants discussed suitable use cases, from risk assessment to customer services, and evaluated when local solutions and private large language models are preferable for protecting sensitive financial data within the Kingdom’s regulatory environment.

Consulting firm PwC used its workshop to examine global AI readiness indicators within the wider data and AI capacity building agenda. The session reviewed the structure of the international AI ecosystem, with emphasis on governance, standards and responsible AI. Experts presented findings from three major AI readiness indices for 2024/2025, comparing strengths and gaps.

Pwc also highlighted the ISO/IEC 42001:2023 standard for AI management systems. The session outlined how organisations can use this framework to structure AI processes, manage risks and demonstrate accountability. Participants discussed how alignment with such standards may support national strategies and help institutions in Saudi Arabia measure progress in AI readiness over time.

ICAN 2026 data and AI capacity building in education and language

Within the education track, Atomcamp hosted a workshop on using data to guide decisions in learning environments. The session showed how academic, behavioural and demographic data can be assessed in a structured way. A live demonstration of agentic AI tools and a predictive analytics exercise helped participants identify students who face potential academic underperformance.

The King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) organised a guidance workshop for students preparing for university admissions and international tests, including the SAT, IELTS and TOEFL. Trainers explained performance strategies and how to build a complete student profile, encouraging clear leadership examples and impactful personal statements within application materials.

ICAN 2026 data and AI capacity building for Arabic and creative content

The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language led an in-depth session on Arabic Natural Language Processing and its movement toward Large Language Models. Speakers traced key stages in this field’s development and the main factors behind contextual models. They analysed current technical options for Arabic applications and outlined methodological obstacles affecting model design.

The academy also proposed a structured approach for selecting Arabic linguistic tools, helping participants match technical methods with real use cases. Alongside this, Amazon ran a creative workshop on AI-powered content, training attendees to use Amazon Nova Canvas and Amazon Nova Reel for generating and editing images and videos through text prompts and interactive notebooks.

These ICAN 2026 workshops show the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority’s focus on data and AI capacity building. The programme joins theory with practical exercises, supports sectors from banking to education and language, and aims to equip individuals in Saudi Arabia with skills needed for the changing digital economy.

With inputs from SPA