黑料社区

AI as a key economic driver for 黑料社区

AI as a key economic driver for 黑料社区

Short Url

The Kingdom of 黑料社区 is at the crossover of an economic transformation driven by innovations and technology advancement in artificial intelligence. As the Kingdom continues to diversify or shift from its previous oil dependency, AI offers a significant opportunity to create jobs, bolster productivity, and enhance overall economic output and gross domestic product growth. By 2030, AI is estimated to contribute 12 percent to 黑料社区鈥檚 GDP, highlighting the nation鈥檚 commitment to leveraging AI for sustainable economic development.

The Kingdom鈥檚 Vision 2030 framework focuses on reducing the nation鈥檚 reliance on oil through fostering technology-led industries with cutting-edge innovations. AI is vital and plays a significant role in this transition, especially by enhancing productivity in various sectors and facilitating the creation of a knowledge-based economy. A recent study by the ITU indicates that AI technologies are likely to contribute more than $13 trillion to the global economy by 2030, and 黑料社区 has the potential to capture a giant share of this growth.

Recently, 黑料社区鈥檚 investments in digital infrastructure have given the Kingdom a stronger foundation for AI adoption. For example, World Bank reports indicate that 黑料社区鈥檚 digital economy projects, such as the National Strategy for Digital Transformation, are laying a solid foundation for the country to adopt cutting-edge technologies across its sectors.

The adoption of AI technologies presents a conducive environment to create jobs, especially in high-skilled sectors. AI鈥檚 cutting-edge technologies can foster the creation of new markets and services, which are critical in generating employment opportunities. A report by the IMF indicates that AI has great potential to create a positive effect on job creation, and this can be done through enhancing productivity and the automation of routine tasks.

Whereas AI technologies present many opportunities for countries to foster their economic growth, some challenges cannot be overlooked.

Hamad S. Alshehab, Hassan M. Alzain

Like never before, the adoption of AI in 黑料社区 is likely to increase the demand for high-skilled workers in various fields. The country is focusing on training and education programs that aim at educating the workforce with the skills needed to ensure job creation and new opportunities. This is evident through the remarkable achievement of training more than 628,000 beginners in one year and offering specialized programs for about 7,625 experts in data and AI. The report by the World Economic Forum indicates that 75 percent of organizations across the world plan to adopt AI, and this is likely to create jobs, but also displacements. Despite the challenges that are likely to come with the adoption of AI, the Kingdom has the opportunity to mitigate them by reskilling its workforce for emerging roles in the modern world.

AI technologies are expected to enhance productivity in the country, through the automation of repetitive tasks, improving decision-making processes as well as optimizing supply chains. Research from the ITU says that AI is poised to boost global GDP by more than 16 percent by 2030. This is largely because of the implementation of automation and innovation. Thus, countries like 黑料社区 are positioned to utilize AI in various sectors, including financial services, logistics and even manufacturing. For instance, the use of AI technologies in logistics has the potential to reduce costs, and at the same time, improve delivery time.

The government has been working proactively to create a conducive environment for new technologies such as AI. Programs such as the Saudi Data and AI Authority, and the National Strategy for AI, highlight the Kingdom鈥檚 commitment to take advantage of AI, and position itself to rank among the top 10 global leaders in data and AI by 2030. The country has created better grounds for international investments by fostering innovation, placing 黑料社区 at the forefront of the global AI race, as evidenced by the $1.7 billion in total funds attracted by Saudi AI companies in 2023.

Whereas AI technologies present many opportunities for countries to foster their economic growth, some challenges cannot be overlooked. Thus, 黑料社区 must address these challenges to utilize the full potential of AI. One of the critical challenges has been job displacement, especially in the low-skilled sectors. Although this might be the case, the IMF indicates that AI鈥檚 impact on job displacement is not entirely negative. For example, by implementing automation of routine tasks, AI allows the human workforce to focus on high-end activities, which can help countries increase productivity.

AI has already proved to be a major economic driver for countries like 黑料社区. As the Kingdom continues its journey toward economic diversification, AI technologies play a critical role. By creating new job opportunities, enhancing productivity and fostering innovation, AI is poised to increase the Kingdom鈥檚 GDP growth soon. However, to be a global leader in this revolutionary AI era, 黑料社区 must implement the right policies to allow better investments for a knowledge-based economy.

  • Hassan M. Alzain is pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in environmental management at Yale University. He led the Environmental Science, Sustainability and Policy Group at Aramco鈥檚 Environmental Protection, and is experienced in areas such as sustainability reporting, climate policy, environmental technology and data assurance.
  • Hamad S. Alshehab is pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in finance at London Business School. He led the Strategy, Finance & Governance at Aramco鈥檚 Innovation & Product Development Center (LAB7) and is experienced in areas including control systems, digital transformation, entrepreneurship and innovation.
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point of view

Trump is marching the country into a government shutdown, says Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries

Trump is marching the country into a government shutdown, says Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries
Updated 1 min 38 sec ago

Trump is marching the country into a government shutdown, says Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries

Trump is marching the country into a government shutdown, says Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries
  • Jeffries laments that Trump cancelled his meeting with Democratic leaders ahead of the Oct. 1 deadline
  • Democrats are trying to strike a deal to save health care funding from cuts, but the Republicans won't budge

 

WASHINGTON: House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said President Donald Trump and the Republican Party are 鈥渕arching the country鈥 into a government shutdown over their refusal to meet with Democrats and strike a deal to save health care funding from cuts.
Jeffries told the Associated Press in an interview late Friday that he remained hopeful Congress could reach an agreement to prevent a federal funding lapse next week, ahead of the Oct. 1 deadline.
But with Republicans having canceled next week鈥檚 House voting session and Trump canceling his meeting with the Democratic leaders this week, he said, 鈥渢he onus is on Donald Trump to show some presidential leadership.鈥
鈥淒onald Trump and Republicans are chaos agents,鈥 Jeffries said. 鈥淎t moments in time that require stable, presidential leadership, Donald Trump is incapable of providing it.鈥
This shutdown, not the nation鈥檚 first, could be more difficult. Trump鈥檚 budget office this week ordered federal agencies to prepare a mass firing of federal workers, rather than the typical temporary employee furlough, if the federal government were to close.
The Republican leaders, Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, say a shutdown can still be avoided if Democrats drop their demands. Before leaving town, House Republicans approved legislation that would keep the government funded into November, as Congress works to finish up its regular appropriations work. But that measure failed in the Senate, as did a Democrat alternative that included the health care funds.
鈥淚t鈥檚 my hope that we can find resolution over the next few days and avoid a government shutdown,鈥 Jeffries said.
The Democratic leader, who is in line to become the House speaker if Democrats regain the majority in next year鈥檚 midterm elections, has become the party鈥檚 chief messenger in the high-stakes funding fight. The Democrats are confronting restive voters demanding that they stand up to the Trump administration and quit funding the White House鈥檚 agenda.
Trump may not say Jeffries鈥 name out loud 鈥 the Democratic leader said he was informed recently that in the past decade, since Trump entered politics, the Republican president has not mentioned the Democrat from Brooklyn 鈥 but Jeffries this week repeatedly name-checked him.
鈥淒onald Trump, Get back to Washington, DC.,鈥 Jeffries said earlier at the US Capitol, as the president attended the Ryder Cup in New York. 鈥淲hy are you at a golf event right now? And the government is four days away from closing. That鈥檚 outrageous.鈥
After Trump abruptly canceled the planned meeting with him and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Jeffries said at the Capitol, 鈥淲hy did you back out of the meeting, bro?鈥
Jeffries told his colleagues on a private conference call on Friday with House Democrats to 鈥渟tay the course.鈥
Democrats are fighting to shore up health care funding, and in particular to prevent the expiration of enhanced subsidies, put in place during the COVID-19 crisis, that helped Americans pay for insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchanges. Without action, the boosted subsidy will lapse, risking premium spikes for millions of Americans nationwide.
Republicans have said Democratic demands to roll back the Medicaid cuts in the GOP鈥檚 big tax cuts and spending bill that Trump signed into law this summer are a nonstarter. And the GOP leaders have said talks on the ACA subsidies can wait until the end of the year, when they are set to expire.
鈥淗ouse Democrats are united,鈥 Jeffries said. 鈥淒onald Trump and the Republican Party are marching the country into a painful government shutdown because they do not want to address the health care crisis that they created.鈥
The Republican congressional leaders believe Democrats are heading toward a political cliff.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e walking in a trap they all set for themselves,鈥 Johnson, of Louisiana, said during an interview on the Moon Griffon radio show in his home state.
Johnson acknowledged he encouraged Trump not to meet with the Democratic leaders this week after the White House had already agreed to Thursday鈥檚 scheduled meeting. Trump abruptly pulled out.
鈥淗e and I talked about it at length yesterday and the day before. I said, look, when they get their job done, once they do the basic governing work of keeping the government open, as president, then you can have a meeting with him,鈥 Johnson said on the Mike & McCarty Show. 鈥淥f course, it might be productive at that point, but right now, this is just a waste of his time.鈥
Trump has been here before. During his first term, the country endured the longest shutdown, some 35 days over the 2018-19 winter holiday season, as lawmakers refused his demand for funding to build a promised US-Mexico border wall.
Before that, the government shut down for more than two weeks in 2013, during the Obama administration, over failed Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
Jeffries expects this shutdown, if it happens, would end as those past ones did, he said.
鈥淎t the end of both of those shutdowns, Republicans came to the conclusion that their position was unsustainable,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd in my view, that鈥檚 exactly what will take place this time around, if Republicans shut the government down because they want to continue to gut the health care of everyday Americans.鈥
 


US to revoke Colombian president鈥檚 visa over 鈥榠ncendiary actions鈥

US to revoke Colombian president鈥檚 visa over 鈥榠ncendiary actions鈥
Updated 4 min 53 sec ago

US to revoke Colombian president鈥檚 visa over 鈥榠ncendiary actions鈥

US to revoke Colombian president鈥檚 visa over 鈥榠ncendiary actions鈥
  • The US State Department said: 鈥淲e will revoke Petro鈥檚 visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions鈥

WASHINGTON: The US State Department said Friday it would revoke the visa of Colombia鈥檚 leftist President Gustavo Petro for his 鈥渋ncendiary actions鈥 during a street protest in New York.
鈥淓arlier today, Colombian president @petrogustavo stood on a NYC street and urged US soldiers to disobey orders and incite violence,鈥 the State Department said in a post on X.
鈥淲e will revoke Petro鈥檚 visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions,鈥 it said.


South Korea鈥檚 top diplomat says his nation has asked Trump to be a 鈥榩eacemaker鈥 with North Korea

South Korea鈥檚 top diplomat says his nation has asked Trump to be a 鈥榩eacemaker鈥 with North Korea
Updated 17 min 12 sec ago

South Korea鈥檚 top diplomat says his nation has asked Trump to be a 鈥榩eacemaker鈥 with North Korea

South Korea鈥檚 top diplomat says his nation has asked Trump to be a 鈥榩eacemaker鈥 with North Korea
  • Trump 鈥渨elcomed鈥 the request from Seoul聽鈥渁nd he expressed his willingness to be engaged with North Korea again,鈥 says South Korean FM
  • The US president聽and North Korea's Kim Jon Un met three times in 2018 and 2019 as North Korea was building a nuclear weapons stockpile聽

UNITED NATIONS: South Korea鈥檚 president has asked President Donald Trump to become 鈥渁 peacemaker鈥 and use his leadership to get North Korea to talks to reduce military tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the South鈥檚 top diplomat said Friday.
Trump 鈥渨elcomed鈥 the request from President Lee Jae-myung 鈥渁nd he expressed his willingness to be engaged with North Korea again,鈥 Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said in an interview with The Associated Press. There was no immediate word from the White House.
Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met three times as North Korea was building a nuclear weapons stockpile, which Kim views as key to the country鈥檚 security and his continued rule of the northeast Asian country.
There were two summits in Singapore in June 2018, and in Vietnam in February 2019, where Trump and Kim disagreed about US-led sanctions against the North. A third meeting that year at the border between the two Koreas failed to salvage their nuclear talks 鈥 and Kim has since shunned any diplomacy with the US and South Korea.
鈥淚t would be fantastic if they met with each other in the near future,鈥 Cho said. 鈥淎nd President Lee Jae-myung made it clear to President Trump that he will not be sitting in the driver鈥檚 seat. He asked president Trump to become a peacemaker, and he relegated himself to become a pacemaker,鈥 the foreign minister said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 mind. On the contrary, we want president Trump (to) exercise his leadership to pull North Korea to dialogue table.鈥
Can a meeting happen?
Since Trump returned to power in January, he has repeatedly expressed hope of restarting talks with Kim. The North Korean leader said Monday he still has 鈥済ood memories鈥 of Trump but urged the United States to drop its demand that the North surrender its nuclear arms as a precondition for resuming long-stalled diplomacy.
Trump is expected to visit South Korea next month to attend the Asia-PacificEconomic Cooperation summit, which has prompted media speculation that he might meet Kim again at the border. Trump is also expected to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during that meeting.
The foreign minister said Lee asked Trump to take the lead because the world has changed and become 鈥渕uch more precarious鈥 since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
鈥淎ccordingly, we are equally worried about any possible military skirmish on the Korean Peninsula,鈥 Cho said. 鈥淪o we are compelled to explore dialogues with North Korea to reduce the military tension, and at least we want to have a hotline.鈥
He stressed that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula 鈥渋s the imperative 鈥 we cannot let it go.鈥
Tensions between the Koreas continue apace
Early Friday, South Korea鈥檚 military said it fired warning shots to drive away a North Korean merchant ship that briefly crossed the disputed western sea boundary between the two countries, amid continuing high tensions.
鈥淚鈥檓 not surprised at all,鈥 Cho said, 鈥渂ut this incident justifies the policy of the new government that we need to have a hotline between the militaries, reduce the military tension and build confidence between the two parties.鈥
Lee, who headed the left-leaning Democratic Party, won a snap election in June following the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol after his short-lived imposition of martial law in December. Cho, a career diplomat and former UN ambassador, took office as foreign minister on July 19.
In Lee鈥檚 speech to the annual meeting of world leaders at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, he said South Korea has come back to the international community as a normal state after the domestic turmoil and has demonstrated its commitment to democracy.
Cho said he felt 鈥渁 bit uncomfortable鈥 talking about the previous government compared to the current government, since Yoon was elected. But Cho recalled that when Yoon was elected, he was convinced 鈥渉e would become an aberration.鈥
Peace is the priority, the diplomat says
Since becoming foreign minister, Cho said he has been explaining to neighboring countries, including during visits to Japan and China, that the new government 鈥渋s determined to seek peace on the Korean Peninsula and also in northeast Asia.鈥
He said the government wants to engage China and he had a 鈥渧ery good constructive meeting鈥 with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, 鈥渂ut I meade it clear that there are certain things we cannot accept.鈥
Cho referred to China鈥檚 installation of 鈥渟omething鈥 in the Yellow Sea that infringes on South Korea鈥檚 sovereignty. 鈥淪o we made it clear that it be removed. Otherwise, we would think about taking proper measures,鈥 he said.
Cho flew to Washington after a massive raid by US immigration officers at a Hyundai plant in southeast Georgia detained 475 people, the majority of them South Koreans, became a major diplomatic issue between the two countries. The minister said Trump intervened and wanted them to remain, but they were chained and handcuffed and his primary objective was to get them back home.
Cho said his talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio ended up having 鈥渁 silver lining鈥 because obtaining visas for South Korean workers has been a longstanding problem and 鈥渨e were able to address this issue squarely and we will be able to sort out the problem.鈥
 


Australia鈥檚 Albanese confident on AUKUS pact after meeting UK鈥檚 Starmer

Australia鈥檚 Albanese confident on AUKUS pact after meeting UK鈥檚 Starmer
Updated 27 September 2025

Australia鈥檚 Albanese confident on AUKUS pact after meeting UK鈥檚 Starmer

Australia鈥檚 Albanese confident on AUKUS pact after meeting UK鈥檚 Starmer

SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed confidence on Friday that the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal with the US and Britain would move forward, after meeting his British counterpart, Keir Starmer.
Speaking in London, Albanese said the meeting was a chance to discuss the 鈥渟trongly building鈥 support for AUKUS between the two allies but would not be drawn on the position of US President Donald Trump.
The AUKUS pact, sealed in 2021, aims to provide Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines from the next decade to counter China鈥檚 ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region.
Trump鈥檚 administration is undertaking a formal AUKUS review led by Elbridge Colby, a top Pentagon policy official and public critic of the agreement.
Asked if his meeting with Starmer gave him increased confidence that AUKUS would proceed, Albanese said: 鈥淚 have always been confident about AUKUS going ahead.
鈥淓very meeting I鈥檝e had and discussions I鈥檝e had with people in the US administration have always been positive about AUKUS,鈥 he said, according to an official transcript.
Under AUKUS 鈥 worth hundreds of billions of dollars 鈥 Washington will sell several Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to Canberra, while Britain and Australia will later build a new AUKUS-class submarine.
Australia and Britain signed a treaty in July to bolster cooperation over the next 50 years on AUKUS.
During his visit, Albanese is also expected to meet with King Charles, Australia鈥檚 official head of state.


King Salman Royal Reserve reports successful rehab of 750,000 hectares of degraded land

King Salman Royal Reserve reports successful rehab of 750,000 hectares of degraded land
Updated 27 September 2025

King Salman Royal Reserve reports successful rehab of 750,000 hectares of degraded land

King Salman Royal Reserve reports successful rehab of 750,000 hectares of degraded land
  • Royal reserve also reports successful planting of 3,992,200 seedlings across the 130,700-square km reserve

SAKAKA: 黑料社区's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority said Friday that 750,000 hectares of degraded land so far had been successfully rehabilitated under its restoration and greening programs.

In a report carried by the Saudi Press Agency on the occasion of World Agriculture Day, the authority also reported successfully planting 3,992,200 seedlings across the 130,700-square kilometer reserve.

To support the natural regeneration of forests and rangelands, workers at the reserve had dispersed a total of 7,500 kilograms of local seeds so far, including yarrow, artemisia and haloxylon, the authority said. 

These projects are part of the wider Saudi Green Initiative launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on March 27, 2021, a comprehensive national plan aligned with Saudi Vision 2030鈥檚 goals to combat climate change by reducing carbon emissions, increasing afforestation, and protecting land and marine ecosystems.

Restoration and rehabilitation efforts are focused on reclaiming vast areas affected by desertification and overgrazing. (SPA)

At the royal reserve, restoration efforts are focused on reclaiming vast areas affected by desertification and overgrazing, thereby paving the way for the return of plant life, the authority said.

Named after the Kingdom's incumbent king, the reserve was established by royal order in June 2018, consolidating existing protected areas spanning the Kingdom's northern provinces in Tabuk, Northern Borders, Al-Jouf, and Hail.

It is home to more than 550 plant species, representing significant environmental wealth that requires sustained protection to ensure the sustainability of its natural resources for future generations.

The reserve has so far relocated 1,235 wildlife species, including Arabian oryx, sand gazelles, Arabian gazelles, and Arabian leopards.

The reserve is also a vital hub for migratory birds. It serves as the Kingdom鈥檚 first stop for flocks arriving from Asia and Europe in the fall, and their last station before departing Africa in spring.