Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: The Saudi Cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, declared 2026 as the Year of Artificial Intelligence, reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as a global hub for data and AI under Vision 2030.

Following this decision, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) unveiled the official logo for the Year of Artificial Intelligence 2026, underscoring the Kingdom’s sustained progress in AI, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Saudi Arabia’s progress in the AI sector is reflected in its performance in global rankings. The Kingdom secured 14th place in the 2025 Global AI Index and maintains a leading position in the Arab world for AI model development.

SDAIA President Abdullah Alghamdi stated that the Year of Artificial Intelligence reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to harnessing AI in the service of humanity, positioning it as an effective tool for building a better future for people worldwide.

He added that declaring 2026 the Year of Artificial Intelligence further solidifies Saudi Arabia's status as a global hub for advanced technologies and a key influencer in shaping global decision-making on these technologies.

This commitment is reflected in the country’s investment landscape. In 2024, government spending on emerging technologies surged by more than 56%, while AI companies secured $9.1 billion in funding.

To bolster its digital infrastructure, Saudi Arabia launched key initiatives, including the Shaheen III supercomputer. It also inaugurated the Hexagon data center, the world's largest government data facility with a capacity of 480 megawatts, and established a National Data Lake integrating more than 430 government systems.

Moreover, the Kingdom was the first Arab country to officially join the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), the largest global AI gathering. It also hosts the UNESCO-sponsored International Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics (ICAIRE).