Riyadh: President of the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi and UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Sciences ad interim Abou Amani honored eight government entities on Tuesday during the UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (GFEAI 2026) in Riyadh for achieving advanced levels in the National AI Index in its first assessment cycle.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the honoring recognized their leadership in adopting AI technologies and institutionalizing their use, as well as their excellence in developing AI capabilities and applications and achieving sustainable impact.
The recognition included the Ministry of Energy in the 'Excellence' category, while the 'Empowerment' category included the Ministry of Interior; the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture; the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development; the Saudi Water Authority (SWA); the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI); the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources; and the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing.
The index evaluates government entities under a comprehensive national framework for measuring their maturity in adopting artificial intelligence. It covers seven areas: strategy, governance, data, infrastructure, human capabilities, applications, and impact.
The framework aims to promote the responsible adoption of these technologies, strengthen institutional capabilities, and enhance the technological enablers of government entities in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
The recognition promotes competition, innovation, and cooperation among government entities to advance AI maturity levels and support Saudi Arabia's drive for global leadership in the field by developing capabilities and linking plans and applications to tangible impact.