The World Bank highlighted Saudi Arabia’s experience in data governance and in developing national infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence (AI). This came in WB’s October 2026 regional economic report for the Middle East and North Africa, titled “From Gap to Opportunity: Artificial Intelligence, Jobs and Growth.” The report also showcases Saudi progress in building AI models, computing capabilities and technology investments.
Moreover, the report commended the progress achieved by the Kingdom, represented by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), in building a national data and AI ecosystem. It described the Saudi experience as a reference that can be leveraged to develop institutional models for data and AI governance. Furthermore, the report underscored the role of institutional integration and national support in accelerating capacity-building in this field.
In this context, the World Bank devoted a standalone case study to SDAIA’s experience, examining its role in governing the national data ecosystem. The study highlighted SDAIA’s role in accelerating the adoption of AI technologies through the National Data Management Office, the National Center for Artificial Intelligence and the National Information Center. The study also tackled their regulatory, developmental and technical roles supporting digital transformation in the Kingdom.
World Bank
The World Bank highlighted the Kingdom’s advancement in adopting AI technologies. Moreover, it noted that adoption among Saudi establishments reached around 28% in 2024. This exceeds the OECD average of 20% in 2025, with the highest adoption rates recorded in the communications, information technology, and financial and insurance activities sectors.
It also presented findings from an International Finance Corporation study showing that AI adoption reached 100% among companies headquartered in the Kingdom.
The report drew attention to the Kingdom’s progress in Stanford University’s AI Index. It indicated that Saudi Arabia is among the world’s leading countries in developing frontier AI models. Nevertheless, Saudi is also one of the first countries in the region to develop such models, WB report added.
Furthermore, WB also praised SDAIA’s efforts in developing the national data infrastructure through the Data Bank. It also lauded its role in enhancing data integration and sharing among entities while reducing duplication and fragmentation, thereby supporting the development of reliable AI applications.
On governance, the report highlighted the Kingdom’s progress in developing regulatory frameworks for data governance and protection. This was done through SDAIA’s role in implementing the Personal Data Protection Law and developing national controls and standards.
Additionally, the National Data Index, which monitors government entities’ compliance with data management and governance controls, and the National AI Index, which measures government entities’ readiness to adopt AI technologies and tracks their progress in this area.
Moreover, the World Bank also noted the Kingdom’s efforts in building human capabilities in AI. It cited SDAIA’s “Sumaya” initiative, which exceeded its target by training more than 1.2 million people in AI skills. This reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to expanding AI knowledge and making these skills accessible to broad segments of society.
Finally, the report affirmed the importance of the Kingdom’s experience in establishing reliable national foundations for data and AI. It stressed that effective data governance is a key pillar for supporting digital transformation, stimulating innovation and developing safe and responsible AI applications. It concluded that the Saudi experience offers a useful reference for countries seeking to develop their national ecosystems in this field.
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