A total of 334,000 Saudi citizens have now completed Artificial Intelligence (AI) training under a national initiative launched by Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Human Resource and Social Development. The “One Million Saudi in AI in AI” program launched in September 2024 is aimed at equipping citizens with the necessary AI knowledge and skills in all age groups and professional backgrounds. This initiative is part of Saudi Arabia’s comprehensive digital change strategy to prepare its workforce for the future.Speaking during the Non-Group Region Forum in education and training held at Riyadh on 2 July, SDAIA President Abdullah Alaghmadi highlighted the major milestone received so far. He emphasized the importance of inter-agency cooperation in increasing Saudi Arabia’s global status in AI empowerment, especially to promote women’s participation and increase community awareness. The major results of the program are the endowed initiative launched at the Global AI Summit, which provides AI learning ways adapted to diverse audiences.SDAIA also introduced the “Road to Ethka” initiative, which trained over 570,000 students on founder AI concepts. This was complemented by the “Future Intelligence Programmer” program, which targeted teachers, trained more than 10,000 teachers under the AI ​​instructions. Another major achievement was the National Olympiad for Programming and Artificial Intelligence (Athka), with more than 260,000 students from intermediate and secondary schools. Among them, 10,000 advanced in the final stages of the competition.To further strengthen AI integration in education, SDAIA and Ministry of Education jointly established the Center for Excellence in Education. The Center focuses on institutionalizing AI-based education, maintaining educational initiatives prepared for the future and improving student results through smart technologies. The program continues to work as the foundation stone of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives, aimed at promoting digital literacy, promoting innovation and building a technical-capable knowledge economy.
