Saudi Arabia Highlights Digital Leadership And Commitment To ITU Goals At WSIS 2024

Saudi Arabia showcased its strides in digital leadership at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva, Switzerland. The Kingdom reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the summit's objectives and enhancing the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) role in promoting inclusive and sustainable digital communities. Vice Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Haytham AlOhali, represented Saudi Arabia at this global forum.

AlOhali highlighted Saudi Arabia's achievements in advancing ITU's strategic goals, citing key global indicators of success. He noted that Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in the ICT Development Index issued by ITU. This reflects significant progress in the ICT sector. The Kingdom is also a leader in digital government services, securing sixth place globally in the UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI) for 2024.

The Kingdom's digital economy reached $132 billion in 2024, accounting for 15% of its GDP and half of the region's digital economy. AlOhali emphasized that Saudi Arabia has developed a robust ICT infrastructure to support this growth. He stated, "Today, we possess the largest technical workforce in the region, comprising over 381,000 specialists, with an annual growth rate of 8.8% compared to 350,000 in 2023."

In 2018, Saudi Arabia began investing over $25 billion in digital infrastructure with private sector partnerships. This investment helped the Kingdom top the 2025 ICT Development Index. AlOhali mentioned that Saudi Arabia is expanding investments through alliances with major AI companies like AMD, AWS, Qualcomm, and a strategic partnership with NVIDIA to establish a 500MW data center.

The launch of "Humain" signifies creating a regional and global AI powerhouse supported by strong infrastructure and cloud computing capabilities. These initiatives underscore Saudi Arabia's commitment to fostering a thriving AI ecosystem and reinforcing its position as a global hub for sustainable innovation.

AI Ecosystem Development

During his participation at the AI World Summit session on regulatory frameworks for innovation, AlOhali stressed that building a sustainable AI ecosystem requires investment in human capital, infrastructure, and clear standards. He added that these efforts reflect Saudi Arabia’s dedication to becoming a leader in AI development.

The Kingdom continues to scale up its investments through strategic alliances with major global AI companies. These partnerships aim to bolster Saudi Arabia’s position as a leader in AI technology and innovation on both regional and global scales.

Saudi Arabia’s participation at WSIS highlights its ongoing efforts to lead digitally while supporting international collaboration for sustainable development. The Kingdom remains committed to advancing its digital economy and strengthening its role as an innovator on the world stage.

With inputs from SPA