Saudi Arabia has participated in G20 Digital Economy Meeting held in the city of Maceio, Brazil.
Ahmed Mohammed Al-Suwaiyan, Head of the Saudi delegation to the G20 digital economy working group in Brazil and Saudi Digital Government Authority (DGA) Governor, highlighted the kingdom’s commitment to accelerating generative artificial intelligence (AI) to empower individuals, protect the planet, and flourish new opportunities.
Al-Suwaiyan underscored the support and empowerment provided by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH Crown Prince and Prime Minister in the fields of the digital economy and innovation, also highlighting the key achievements of Saudi Vision 2030 in developing a digital society and economy, especially in empowering youth and women, which resulted in a remarkable growth in women’s participation in the technology sector from 7 percent in 2018 to 35 percent today.
Regarding digital government, Al-Suwaiyan explained that the digital identity is an integral part in fostering digital inclusion, stressing its significance in establishing trust in the digital economy. Al-Suwaiyan praised the digital government in Saudi Arabia, pointing out that the World Bank ranked the Kingdom third globally in the e-government maturity index (GOVTECH).
DGA governor highlighted the launch of the AI framework during the Global AI Summit organized by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), and the inauguration of the International Center for AI Research and Ethics in partnership with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Over the two-day period, Al-Suwaiyan held several separate meetings with Brazilian Minister of Communications Juscelino Filho, Norwegian Minister of Digital Transformation and Public Governance Kariann Tong, Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology Mohammad Cagir, Spanish Minister of Digital Transformation and Public Works José Luis, UN International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan, and UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information Tawfiq Jlassi.
The meetings focused on exploring partnership opportunities in various fields of digital economy, digital government, digital entrepreneurship, digital inclusion, space connectivity technologies, and boosting technological investments between Saudi Arabia and friendly nations.
