The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has announced that more than one million Saudi citizens have now received training in artificial intelligence skills under its SAMAI initiative: a figure representing around nine percent of the Kingdom’s working-age population.
Dr. Majed Al-Shehri, spokesperson for SDAIA, revealed the milestone during a ceremony at the Ministry of Education headquarters in Riyadh on Sunday. He described it as a major achievement in national efforts to strengthen AI proficiency and digital literacy across Saudi society.
According to SDAIA, 52 percent of those trained were women and 48 percent were men. Employees accounted for 70 percent of participants, while students made up the remaining 30 percent. The initiative has reportedly attracted participants from across all regions of the Kingdom.
The SAMAI programme aims to equip Saudis with foundational knowledge of artificial intelligence and promote awareness of its benefits in both professional and academic fields. Dr. Al-Shehri credited the success of the programme to the strong collaboration between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
He explained that this partnership made it possible to reach a broad range of school and university students, as well as teachers and staff within the education sector.
Dr. Al-Shehri also highlighted that SDAIA has rolled out advanced training programmes and camps, including specialised courses in AI Agentic technologies. These courses are designed to transfer expertise and enable the use of modern AI tools to enhance efficiency and innovation in the field.
Senior officials attending the ceremony included Minister of Education Yousef Al-Bunyan, SDAIA President Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Inas Al-Issa, President of Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University Dr. Ahmed Al-Amri, and Director of the National Information Center at SDAIA Dr. Esam Al-Wagait.
Speaking at the event, Al-Bunyan praised the milestone as a result of investing in human capital and developing its capabilities, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
He added that the ministry has supported the initiative since its inception, opening access to school and university students to help them gain vital skills in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, CEO of the Capacity Building Sector at SDAIA, said that the SAMAI initiative had surpassed its goal of training one million Saudis. “This reflects the success of its objectives, which aim to raise awareness among the nation’s youth in the fields of data and artificial intelligence technologies that have become a significant reality in our modern lives. These technologies also play a fundamental role in contributing to building a knowledge-based society and supporting the Kingdom’s efforts to lead the transformation towards a thriving knowledge economy based on innovation and technology,” he said.
Launched in September 2024, the SAMAI initiative is one of SDAIA’s flagship programmes. Developed in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, it focuses on empowering citizens with practical AI and data skills. The training covers applications, ethics, and real-world uses of artificial intelligence in both business and daily life.
The initiative forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader ambition to establish itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence by 2030, while nurturing a digitally skilled and knowledge-driven workforce prepared for the technologies of the future.
