08/18/2023
Al-Swaha Highlights Kingdom’s Vision 2030 Role in Empowering the Youth and Women
Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha underlined the pivotal role played by the Kingdom's Vision 2030 in boosting the Kingdom's leading role and competitiveness by empowering the youth and women, and building a sustainable future based on technology and innovation.
In a speech he delivered at the G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting in India, Al-Swaha said that digital economy is the largest economic multiplier that creates future jobs and new business models. Yet, 2.7 billion people around the world are yet to be connected to the internet, he said, adding that this requires, globally, 4 million data scientists and 4 million cybersecurity professionals.
The minister highlighted the Kingdom’s efforts, which contributed to reducing the digital gap in the Kingdom and three other G20 countries to 1%. He added that Saudi Arabia provided the world with a pioneering model in bridging the digital divide, as it successfully reached 99% of the total population through digital infrastructure, and the first connection through Non-Terrestrial Networks.
He said that the Kingdom launched the largest virtual hospital in the world that uses artificial intelligence to provide advanced medical services, and lauded the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which, among others, plays an important role in empowering the youth and women; the Kingdom achieved in a short time a huge leap in empowering women, from 7% to 33% in the technical sector, topping the average in the G20 and EU.
Al-Swaha also highlighted the most important sustainable initiatives and undertakings in the Kingdom, like the largest battery storage facility of the Red Sea project, with a capacity of 1.3 GWh, and the use of technology and artificial intelligence to carry out the largest marine surveys to protect coral reefs.
The minister touched as well on the many turning points brought about by artificial intelligence, which is expected to create, around the world, an economic value equal to $1 trillion during the current year and nearly $14 trillion by 2030.
He praised the Indian presidency’s efforts within the G20 Digital Economy Working Group and its initiatives related to public digital infrastructure, stressing the Kingdom's determination to continue its endeavor to seize the opportunities of the 21 century and help the world overcome the challenges facing the digital economy.