Riyadh – Sharikat Mubasher: Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Abdullah Al-Sawaha, held a series of meetings during the participation of the Saudi delegation at the World Economic Forum in Davos to discuss opportunities for digital investments and partnerships with ministers and global business leaders.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, meetings included a discussion with Prasert Jantararuangtong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Economy and Society of Thailand, to expand the horizons of partnership in digital infrastructure, innovation, and the exchange of technical expertise between the two countries.
In another meeting, Al-Sawaha discussed opportunities for technological innovation and improving public service efficiency using artificial intelligence with Óscar López, Minister of Digital Transformation and Civil Service in Spain.
To enhance digital investments, Al-Sawaha met with Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of Blackstone, to explore opportunities for investing in the digital economy to promote innovation and sustainability and support Saudi Arabia’s efforts in technology and AI investments.
Furthering partnerships with leading tech companies, the Saudi Minister met with Bill McDermott, Chairman and CEO of ServiceNow, to discuss qualitative partnership investments in Saudi Arabia, focusing on cloud computing and artificial intelligence. They also explored expanding the partnership to develop digital solutions and enhance the efficiency of government digital operations.
To support innovation in the Kingdom, Minister Al-Sawaha held talks with Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google, to strengthen strategic partnerships in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and cloud computing, aiming to advance innovation in Saudi Arabia.
As part of fostering global partnerships in technological innovation, the minister met with Chuck Robbins, Chairman and CEO of Cisco, to discuss supporting the growth of the digital economy through innovation, digital infrastructure technologies, and developing digital capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
To enhance the shared economy, Al-Sawaha met with Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, to discuss economic opportunities in the smart transportation sector and foster innovation in the digital economy ecosystem.
Al-Sawaha also met with Börje Ekholm, CEO of Ericsson, to advance digital infrastructure and discuss the future of fifth and sixth-generation technologies and their role in driving innovation.
To develop the space sector in Saudi Arabia, the minister discussed with Dylan Taylor, CEO of Voyager, a partnership to provide innovative technological solutions in the space sector, as well as the development of modern technologies that support innovation and achieve human progress in space exploration.