It has now been more than 6 years since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman unveiled the first details of the Saudi Vision 2030 strategic framework. With its main purpose being to "create a more diverse and sustainable economy", the program's roadmap has been radically changing the country's approach to international trade and cementing its reputation as a leader in the region. While the framework has seen great success in areas like energy, tourism, healthcare, housing, genetics, and manufacturing, artificial intelligence (AI) has certainly been one of the biggest winners. Starting with granting citizenship to Hanson Robotics's Sophia to the creation of the Saudi Arabia National AI strategy, the Saudi Arabian government has made clear its intention to become a global leader in the development of AI. With this purpose in mind, the government has established policies like the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, which seeks to attract over $20 billion in foreign and local investment by 2030. Through the program, the country has established important partnerships that have allowed it to become a major player in research and development, as well as in the organization of international events. Back on November 30, 2022, it was announced that SAFCSP and Informa would be forming a new joint venture by the name of "Tahaluf" with the purpose of supporting the Kingdom's Vision 2030 objectives. The formation of the joint venture was just natural after the successful launch of events like LEAP and Black Hat MEA. Now, Tahaluf is getting ready for what promises to be one of the biggest tech events of the year and a testament to the success of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. Not only will LEAP will be returning to Riyadh on February 7th but it will also be collocated with DeepFest, a conference specifically designed around artificial intelligence. "It is not easy to accurately predict the future, but as experts we have to possess the strategic foresight to identify patterns and spot seismic shifts as they happen, and in my personal opinion what is happening in Saudi Arabia is truly remarkable and deserves recognition," says AI expert and entrepreneur Dr. Abdalla Kablan, who will be speaking at the event. "With an ambitious and intelligent leadership, a young and bright population, and the genuine will to become a world's top destination for innovation, Saudi Arabia is very well positioned to be at the forefront of the global digital shift that is in the making," he added. "With the advancements in AI, Machine Learning, Blockchain Technology, and the advent of the Metaverse, new economies will emerge, and they will quadruple the world economy just as the internet doubled the size of world's economies in the past decades. With Saudi Arabia's strong vision for 2030 that names the thriving economy one of its main pillars, I believe that the Kingdom is in an incredibly exciting situation to stand out globally as a leader in the technology sector and will be at the centre of these new digital economies. Events like LEAP serve as a great platform to amplify such a message and ambition." In addition to having founded and invested in several AI-related startups, Dr. Kablan is one of the most prominent academics in the field of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and financial engineering. He has also advised governments all around the world when it comes to establishing policies and programs. While Dr. Kablan himself believes that there is still a lot of work to do until AI achieves "true wisdom", he has been vocal about his excitement about recent developments. At a time when AI is in the spotlight DeepFest and Leap have become much more important, with their impact being sure to play a major role in the future of humanity itself. "Personally, I want to re-discover my Arabian roots by investing heavily in promoting and implementing many of my ideas and tech-driven initiatives in the Arabian Gulf, a region that is dear to my heart,,and I think that today it has a lot of potential to witness a renaissance of the Arabian ingenuity," says Dr. Kablan. He added: "From AI and process engineering all the way to neuromorphic and quantum computing there is an opportunity for these technologies to prosper in this region. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's great efforts and impeccable vision are paving the way for everyone who wants to create true positive impact for the whole world right from the heart of Arabia."
