{
  "id": 13040290,
  "title": "World Bank hails Saudi Arabia as global model for AI governance",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/world-bank-hails-saudi-arabia-as-global-model-for-ai-governance",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-09T05:38:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ajel English",
    "slug": "ajel-english",
    "url": "https://english.ajel.sa/business/vbrztfir2"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The World Bank has commended Saudi Arabia for its exemplary data governance and advancements in artificial intelligence, positioning the nation as a global model in its latest regional economic report. Released in October 2026, the report titled \"From Gap to Opportunity: Artificial Intelligence, Jobs, and Growth\" emphasizes Saudi Arabia's leadership in developing a robust national ecosystem for data and AI, primarily spearheaded by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA). The report underscores the significance of institutional integration and national support in accelerating capacity building in the AI sector. It provides a case study on SDAIA's multifaceted role, including the governance of the national data ecosystem, the establishment of the National Data Management Office, the National Center for Artificial Intelligence, and the National Information Center. These entities collectively contribute to Saudi Arabia's digital transformation.\n\nThe World Bank highlights that AI adoption among Saudi enterprises reached approximately 28% in 2024, outpacing the OECD average of 20% in 2025. The telecommunications, information technology, financial, and insurance sectors exhibit the highest AI adoption rates. Furthermore, the International Finance Corporation's study indicates that AI adoption is 100% among companies headquartered in Saudi Arabia. The report also commends Saudi Arabia for its progress in AI development, recognizing the Kingdom as a global leader in creating advanced AI models and a pioneer in the region. It praises the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) for its efforts in developing the national data infrastructure through the Data Bank, which facilitates data integration and exchange, thereby supporting reliable AI applications and minimizing data duplication and fragmentation. On governance, the report applauds Saudi Arabia's advancements in developing regulatory frameworks for data protection and management, such as the implementation of the Personal Data Protection Law, the establishment of national standards, and the creation of the National Data Index to monitor compliance and the National AI Index to measure readiness for AI adoption. The report also notes Saudi Arabia's commitment to building human capacity in AI, citing the SDAIA's SMART initiative, which exceeded expectations by training over 1.2 million individuals in AI skills. This achievement reflects the Kingdom's dedication to broadening knowledge and making AI skills accessible to a wide segment of society. In conclusion, the World Bank underscores the importance of Saudi Arabia's experience in establishing a solid foundation for data and AI, affirming that effective data governance is essential for driving digital transformation, fostering innovation, and developing safe and responsible AI applications. The Saudi model serves as a valuable reference for countries aspiring to develop their national ecosystems in these areas.",
  "summary": "The World Bank has praised Saudi Arabia’s data governance and AI development, calling it a global benchmark in its latest regional economic report.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}