Artificial intelligence is Saudi Arabia’s new dream
One of the most important aspects of the commercial battles between developed and developing countries is investments in AI-related infrastructure. Previously, we discussed the extensive range of activities by major American tech companies to provide the boundless energy needed for AI systems and narrated the massive investments by some large companies in specific countries to create and develop their systems.
Among these, one of the most important topics in this field is the intense and historic competition between the United States and China. Due to American sanctions and restrictions, China has found itself in a unique position and has been deprived of important AI hardware and software. The Chinese have responded to this shortage by purchasing from secondary sources at several times the price and by reciprocating American restrictions by limiting the export of precious metals needed for semiconductors. In any case, these restrictions are costly for the Chinese, but they have also caused problems for other countries, including Saudi Arabia, which is making significant investments in the AI sector and must navigate through legal and commercial barriers in the US.
The Saudis, who have established a special organization in the field of artificial intelligence and have been planning in this area for months, recently held a major conference and hosted top figures in the global technology sector. It was during this conference and its side programs that new dimensions of the Saudi approach in this field became clear. The Saudis have even initiated the establishment of a charter for Islamic AI.
What ties the Saudis’ hands is their balancing act in simultaneously interacting with both the Chinese and the Americans. This issue has become seriously apparent at a time when the Saudis are trying to move beyond mid-range and standard systems to access the most powerful hardware. One of the Saudis’ dream items is the most powerful chips produced by Nvidia. The Saudis are attempting to persuade American officials to bypass commercial barriers and export restrictions on this particular item, a process that will take several months. If successful, the Saudis will have achieved a significant milestone.
By the end of this decade, Saudi Arabia’s investment in the field of artificial intelligence will reach 12% of the country’s gross domestic product.