Saudi Arabia recently announced a new initiative called the "Beyond Plan," which is expected to invest up to $100 billion to build a comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem. The plan is led by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, with funding allocated for data center expansion, the development of tech startups, workforce training, and collaboration with leading technology companies.
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The goal of this plan is to position Saudi Arabia as one of the top 15 AI centers in the world within the next decade and gradually become an exporter of AI solutions. Through the "Beyond Plan," Saudi Arabia aims to foster the growth of startups and create an environment conducive to AI innovation and experimentation.
During the implementation of the project, Saudi Arabia will focus on workforce training to enhance AI literacy and establish a supportive regulatory framework to attract and retain top talent. Additionally, the Public Investment Fund plans to collaborate with several tech giants and has already reached a preliminary agreement with Google. Earlier, Google announced plans to establish an advanced AI center in Saudi Arabia, which is expected to contribute up to $71 billion to the country's economy. Under the agreement, Google will invest up to $10 billion in AI-related projects, including the development of Arabic language models to address the region's AI accessibility challenges.
Moreover, other major tech companies have also invested in Saudi Arabia. Microsoft has invested $2.1 billion in building a global super cloud computing platform; Oracle has announced a $1.5 billion investment to launch a new cloud service region; and Huawei has invested $400 million in cloud infrastructure.
The "Beyond Plan" is closely related to Saudi Arabia's "Vision 2030," which aims to shift the national economy from oil dependency to technology and digital innovation, with artificial intelligence being a key pillar of this strategy. Previously, the Public Investment Fund also invested $100 billion in a sustainable manufacturing initiative called "Alarat," aimed at establishing Saudi Arabia as a global hub for electronic products and advanced industries.
Key Points:
🌍 Saudi Arabia launches the "Beyond Plan," investing $100 billion to build an AI ecosystem.
🤝 Collaboration agreement reached with Google, with an expected investment of up to $10 billion.
🚀 The "Beyond Plan" aims to enhance Saudi Arabia's position in the global AI field and support economic diversification.