RIYADH — Surely and steadily, Saudi Arabia has been taking powerful technological strides. A couple of years down the line, young men and women have been focussing on a variety of modern day topics such as artificial intelligence, deep education (blockchain) and the Internet maze. The focus on such non mundane things, according to Al-Arabiya.net, has become crucial and a touchable reality and it, of course, is a source of pride, self respect and dignity. The talk about Hackathons or the exhibitions and creativity workshops is no longer weird or strange; it is now a next window phenomenon. Families and educational institutions are increasingly encouraging the youth to focus on technical fields. The initiative "Kingdom is programming" that concluded in February, proved beyond any doubt the passion of Saudi citizens for technical knowledge. The initiative participants have now crossed a million mark. The concern of the Saudis for technical knowledge has placed the Kingdom among the advanced countries which are working with confidence to benefit from the output of the upcoming fourth Industrial Revolution. It will further develop the country and its people. These effective technical activities are being led by some creative institutions including Misk academy (an affiliate of Prince Muhammad Bin Salman Charity Foundation) which is training thousands of young men and women who are joining the tracks of programming, data analysis, artificial intelligence and other programs through collaboration with a host of international institutions. This new kind of education is meant to reach all the regions in the Kingdom. On the theater of STC-organized King Faisal Academy, one could see students in various ages seriously studying the new technical subjects. The other party, which is technically sponsoring the talented students, is the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security, Programming and Drones which last week graduated 100 young Saudi men and women from Tuwaiq Camp for Cyber Security. Job offers from companies poured in on the proud graduates. Simultaneously, an academy for cyber security and advanced technologies was launched. The entire world is now aware of the importance of cyber security in preserving the wealth of the nations. These young energies and bright minds will help place the Kingdom on the list of the most advanced countries. This needs a studied government plan which was achieved by the royal order to establish an authority for data and artificial intelligence headed by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman. Minister of Communications and IT Abdullah Al-Sawwaha told Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that the Kingdom was intent on further developing its present digital acumen and build a future which depends on artificial intelligence and innovation. "The authority will further enhance Saudi Arabia's technical knowhow and formulate the future toward being a pioneer in technology and creativity," he said. The minister said the authority was aimed at consolidating the Kingdom's technological achievements to realize the objectives of Vision 2030 and promote the performance of both the public and private sectors. "Artificial intelligence will further improve productivity, support the youth and provide state-of-the-art services to the people," he said.
