Saudi Arabia and International Telecommunication Union Announce MOU to Support AI for Sustainable Development
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 23, 2020 -- Saudi Arabia, represented by the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) today announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on initiatives aimed at supporting and strengthening efforts to optimize the benefits of AI technologies and applications for sustainable development.
Under the partnership, Saudi Arabia will support ITU in developing projects, activities and initiatives that will, among other things, aim to facilitate greater multi-stakeholder participation, international cooperation, and knowledge sharing to accelerate progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This could potentially include developing initiatives such as an “AI Readiness Landscape Framework” that would explore and highlight country responses, progress and best practices related to AI policy frameworks.
The MoU was announced by HE Dr. Abdullah Bin Sharaf Alghamdi, President of SDAIA, and HE Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General of ITU, in a virtual ceremony as part of the Global AI Summit 2020.
“Around the world, nations have recognized the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and are preparing themselves to harness the benefit of AI to support their development strategies and goals,” said HE Dr Abdullah Bin Sharaf Alghamdi.
“With the announcement of this MoU, Saudi Arabia intends to support ITU to design activities that will help strengthen global efforts to use AI technologies for the advancement of sustainable development and growth. SDAIA has been established to drive AI programs in the Kingdom, and enable Saudi Arabia to become a global leader in AI. Through this partnership we will support the sharing of knowledge and experience among all nations, to further the use of AI for the benefit of humanity,” HE Dr Alghamdi said.
“AI is being used to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges, from climate change to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. “With only 10 years left to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, ITU looks forward to working with SDAIA to develop projects and initiatives that can accelerate progress toward the SDGs and promote AI as a force for good ─ for humanity and the planet.”
Saudi Arabia is supporting ITU in this space as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to become a world leader in AI innovation and in advancing knowledge and research into the beneficial use of AI.
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority was founded in 2019 as a world-class governance body to drive Saudi Arabia’s AI programs and ecosystem, and to lead global innovation and enable economic development powered by AI.
SDAIA is hosting the Global AI Summit, an international forum that brings together some of the world’s leading decision makers, technologists, innovators and investors, under the theme of using AI for the good of humanity. The event explores the global disruption of the pandemic, and how the pandemic is changing and accelerating the transformative potential of AI and robotics to shape the new normal and create a better future for all.
About the Global AI Summit
The Global AI Summit, organized by the Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA), is the world's premier platform for dialogue that brings together stakeholders from public sector, academia and private sector, including technology companies, investors, entrepreneurs and startups, to shape the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The inaugural edition of the Summit takes place virtually on 21 and 22 October 2020. The Global AI Summit is a unique opportunity to explore what the new global era means to AI, how AI's transformational potential can best be used to create a better future for all, and what this means for policy and decision makers interested in leveraging the potential of AI for the good of humanity.
https://www.theglobalaisummit.com/
About SDAIA
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) was established in 2019 as the owner of Saudi Arabia’s national and artificial intelligence agenda, mandated with unlocking the value of data and artificial intelligence to elevate Saudi Arabia as a pioneering nation among the elite league of data-driven economies.
SDAIA delivers on its mandate through three executional arms: 1) the National Data Management Office (NDMO) which is the main regulator and enabler of national data policies and best practices, 2) the National Information Center (NIC) which is the main operator of government data infrastructure, advanced analytics and AI-powered insight platforms, and G-Cloud services, and 3) the National Center for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) which drives the national AI strategy execution, AI innovation and capabilities building.
SDAIA’s Board of Directors reports to the Prime Minister and is chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister.
About the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the specialized United Nations agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), driving innovation in ICTs together with 193 Member States and a membership of over 900 companies, universities, and international and regional organizations. Established over 150 years ago in 1865, ITU is the intergovernmental body responsible for coordinating the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoting international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, improving communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishing the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems. From broadband networks to cutting-edge wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, oceanographic and satellite-based earth monitoring as well as converging fixed-mobile phone, Internet and broadcasting technologies, ITU is committed to connecting the world. For more information, visit: www.itu.int
Source: The Global AI Summit, Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA)
