Saudi Arabia

Saudi Data and AI Authority rules governing issuance of accreditation certificates for controllers and processors

SDAIA issued rules governing the issuance of Accreditation Certificates for Controllers and Processors, establishing a framework where an Accreditation Certificate serves as formal evidence of compliance with the Personal Data Protection Law.

Data governance framework in General Rules for Secondary Use of Data

On 25 December 2025, the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) adopted the General Rules for Secondary Use of Data. They establish a data governance framework across government and private entities, defining scope, objectives, and mechanisms governing data-sharing requests, including controls for data classification levels and confidentiality of government data. The rules set out procedures for submitting, assessing, approving, or rejecting data-sharing requests through the Data Marketplace pla...

Data protection regulation in General Rules for Secondary Use of Data

On 25 December 2025, the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) adopted the General Rules for Secondary Use of Data. They establish data protection regulations governing the secondary use of data for purposes other than those initially specified at the time of data collection. The general rules require compliance with the Personal Data Protection Law and its Implementing Regulations. They apply to data-sharing requests between government entities, from government entities to private entities for...

China and Saudi Arabia pledge deeper hi-tech cooperation

United States-Saudi Arabia strategic Artificial Intelligence partnership

On 19 November 2025, the United States Department of State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia signed the strategic Artificial Intelligence (AI) partnership. The partnership is a government-to-government framework to support advanced semiconductor supply, AI application development, cloud and AI infrastructure services, and high-value technology investments across sectors, including health, education, energy, mining, and transport. The partnership introduces com...

US approves sale of 70,000 AI chips to UAE and Saudi Arabia

Primary source (commerce.gov) dated 19 November 2025 in SA. See linked source for full text.

US and Saudi Arabia sign strategic AI partnership

On the occasion of the signing by His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and The Honorable Secretary of State of the United States of America, Mr. Marco Rubio, of the Strategic Artificial Intelligence (AI) Partnership between the two countries, His Highness and Secretary Rubio affirmed that the signing of the Strategic AI Partnership is a historic step that establishes a new milestone in the strategic relationship between the two countries. It reflects the firm commitment of both sides to advance innovation an

Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority Artificial Intelligence Index

On 22 July 2025, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) launched the “National AI Index” to assess government readiness for adopting artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The index is structured around three main pillars, seven core dimensions, and 23 subcategories to enable a comprehensive evaluation of institutional AI adoption maturity. It is designed to monitor progress, provide recommendations, and facilitate the alignment of government efforts with national pr...

Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority: technical sandbox for the national platform Tawakkalna

On 20 July 2025, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) launched the technical sandbox for the national platform Tawakkalna and commenced accepting applications from the first group of private sector companies. The sandbox enables companies to test digital services with real users in a secure technical environment, facilitating integration between public and private entities under a flexible and regulated framework. The initiative supports the expansion of Tawakkalna’s f...

Saudi Arabia commits $600 billion investment in US, covering AI

STRENGTHENING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS FOR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY: Today in Saudi Arabia, President Donald J. Trump announced Saudi Arabia’s $600-billion commitment to invest in the United States, building economic ties that will endure for generations to come. The first deals under the announcement strengthen our energy security, defense industry, technology leadership, and access to global infrastructure and critical minerals.

BRICS+ sign declaration on AI governance

Declaração da Presidência da Reunião de Ministros das Relações Exteriores/Relações Internacionais dos Países Membros do BRICS [*]

Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority inquiry into agentic AI

On 3 August 2025, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) released a report detailing the dimensions, technological developments, and applications of Agentic Artificial Intelligence (Agentic AI) at global and national levels. The report outlines its core capabilities, perception, reasoning, learning, action-taking, communication, and autonomous operation, and its integration in sectors including healthcare, education, and energy. The report examined the historical evoluti...

SDAIA releases report on agentic AI and national applications

Primary source (sdaia.gov.sa) dated 3 August 2025 in SA. See linked source for full text.

Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority risk assessment guideline for cross-border personal data transfers

In February 2025, the Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) published its "Risk Assessment Guideline for Transferring Personal Data Outside the Kingdom", providing a framework for entities to assess risks associated with disclosing personal data to foreign entities. The guideline outlines four phases: preparation, assessing negative impacts and potential risks of personal data processing, conducting a risk assessment for data transfer or disclosure, and identifying factors relate...