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Saudi claimed the top spot among Arab countries in AI advancement and placed 14th globally in the rankings of the Global AI Index 2024, published by Tortoise Media. The index “benchmark[s] nations on their level of implementation, innovation and investment in artificial intelligence.”
The breakdown: The report ranked the Kingdom as the first globally in terms of government strategy, citing public investments in AI that “significantly outrank those of the US and China.” Saudi Arabia’s AI output was at number 10 worldwide, with output relative to population size and economy — as proxied by the “intensity” measure — placing the country at number 24. Saudi Arabia also came in 7th in the commercial category, 60th for talent, 29th for infrastructure, 41st in operating environment, 42nd in research, and 26th in development.
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PIF governor in the spotlight: The report also listed PIF Governor Yasir Al Rumayyan as number one in its “People to Watch” category, pointing to the fund’s substantial investments in semiconductors and AI.
Methodology: The index evaluates artificial intelligence in 83 countries, measuring their AI capabilities through 122 indicators. These are grouped into the three pillars of implementation, innovation, and investment, which are further subdivided into seven categories.
How our Arab peers fared: UAE, Egypt, and Qatar followed Saudi in the overall global rankings, with the UAE outperforming the Kingdom in several categories including infrastructure and intensity.
Leading the global stage was the US, followed by China, with the pair retaining their “historical positions” as first and runner up in the latest ranking.
