Saudi Arabia ‘on cusp of AI revolution,' says CEO of PROVEN Arabia
Saudi Arabia is 'on the cusp of an AI revolution' as the Saudi market continues to evolve rapidly, according to the Co-Founder and Group CEO of Saudi holding company PROVEN Arabia.
'With Vision 2030 as the national blueprint, we're seeing accelerated investments in AI, automation, IT infrastructure, and cloud services. These technologies are becoming the foundation of our digital economy,' Zaid al-Mashari, told Al Arabiya English in an interview.
According to CEO, AI is expected to become 'deeply embedded in the critical infrastructure' and to serve as the 'backbone' for any organization that aims to stay competitive and future-ready.
'Every day, through the momentum we're part of at PROVEN Arabia and the energy across the ecosystem, I witness how Saudi Arabia is transforming into a global player in AI, not just in adoption but in creation, investment, and export,' he said.
Building an AI ecosystem
Saudi Arabia has set an ambitious goal to become a global leader in AI by 2030 – positioning AI as a cornerstone of its Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy.
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), established in 2019, is spearheading this initiative by overseeing the National Strategy for Data and AI.
The Kingdom's strategy will transform the Saudi Arabia into a data-driven economy, fostering innovation and technological advancement, al-Mashari explained.
What makes this transformation powerful is the culture of invitation and empowerment that the Kingdom fosters, he said.
'It's not limited to Saudi nationals. Saudi Arabia is becoming a true hub for creators, innovators, and ambitious companies from across the world,' the PROVEN Arabia co-founder and CEO said.
Over the next five years, AI will reshape industries – from smart cities and healthcare to logistics and finance – by transforming service delivery, customer experience, and operational efficiency, he told Al Arabiya English.
'Saudi [Arabia] is actively creating an AI startup ecosystem that helps support local talent, innovation hubs, and incubators. Combining this with developing ethical frameworks and advanced regulatory structures makes Saudi Arabia a serious contributor to the global AI landscape and a leader in the region,' he added.
The main driver of AI adoption in Saudi Arabia has been the government sector, according to the PROVEN Arabia co-founder.
'Government entities are showing strong readiness, infrastructure, and leadership mindset to integrate AI across services and operations. What's interesting is that the equity in adoption between government and private sectors is becoming quite balanced but with key differences in capability and scale,' al-Mashari said.
Moreover, large private companies have also actively embraced AI, particularly those with the maturity, resources, and operational scale to benefit from it efficiently, he noted.
However, when it comes to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the landscape is different.
AI adoption is still in its early stages, often limited to individuals within companies using off-the-shelf AI tools rather than the business itself having a structured AI strategy, al-Mashari explained.
'This gap in adoption reflects both the opportunity and the challenge. The more we empower SMEs with localized, scalable AI products, the faster they can contribute to the national digital transformation. And as the ecosystem continues to mature, I believe we'll see more alignment across all organizational sizes,' he said.
Tackling challenges
The speed of change at which the Saudi market is evolving is both a challenge and an opportunity, according to the PROVEN co-founder and group CEO.
Businesses must adapt quickly to evolving regulations, customer expectations, and technologies, he said.
'Localization is at the heart of our innovation strategy. At PROVEN Arabia, we don't believe in one-size-fits-all technology.
Instead, we develop AI solutions and products that are deeply rooted in the cultural, linguistic, and regulatory realities of Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East,' al-Mashari told Al Arabiya English.
PROVEN Arabia leverages its regional footprint, including offices across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and India, to 'combine deep market understanding with global technical capability' and serve the entire region with 'highly relevant, scalable technologies.'
Whether it's intelligent document understanding in Arabic, robotics interfaces designed for local users, or VR content built around regional healthcare practices, every product is designed with precision and purpose, al-Mashari explained.
'We aim to take our solutions to the global stage, competing with the best from right here in Saudi Arabia. We believe Saudi-built innovation can lead in international markets, and we are building our products and teams to deliver on that vision.'
Through strategic investment, rapid and thoughtful adoption, and exporting solutions that are built here for the world, Saudi Arabia is on the right path to becoming a major player in shaping the future of AI, the PROVEN Arabia co-founder said.
'The ambition is real, the foundation is in place, and we are already contributing to this future through PROVEN Arabia's work across AI, robotics, and emerging technologies.'
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