Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) entered into a long-term strategic partnership with Artefact, the leading data and artificial intelligence (AI) consultancy firm, to bolster data and AI transformation in AlUla region, a recent press release announced.

The partnership will focus on providing best-practice technology, developing data and AI products, empowering smart services to the AlUla community, visitors, and investors, and transferring data and AI know-how to create highly skilled jobs in AlUla.

It includes implementing a comprehensive data and AI transformation and governance program to ensure the ethical and responsible use of data.

As per the partnership, Artefact will establish a data and AI academy to train and elevate local talent, in line with Vision 2030’s objective to diversify the national economy and create more jobs.

Lawrence Eta, Vice President for Digital and Analytics at the RCU, affirmed that data and AI play a pivotal role in helping RCU achieve the goals of Vision 2030.

He stated: “This partnership with Artefact is a key step in our digital transformation journey. We are confident that Artefact’s expertise will help us to leverage the latest technologies for the overall progress of AlUla.”

Meanwhile, CEO and Managing Partner at Artefact MENA, Rahul Arya, commented: “With this landmark partnership, we look forward to providing end-to-end products and capabilities that support the promotion of AlUla as a living museum for its community, tourists, investors and the world in a data-driven manner.”

For his part, Omar Hallak, Partner and Global Public Sector Lead at Artefact, noted that the partnership reflects Artefact’s unmatched capabilities and thought leadership.

He added: “Data and AI will play a pivotal role in bringing sustainable and integrated development to AlUla's infrastructure, economy and human capital in line with Vision 2030.”

Furthermore, the partnership will offer a wide range of benefits for AlUla, including AI-powered operations and decision support, next-gen visitor and community services and experiences, in addition to the creation of highly skilled local jobs in Data and AI.

RCU embarks on a long-term plan to develop and deliver a sensitive and sustainable transformation of the region, reaffirming its position as a world-heritage destination for culture and tourism.

Artefact is an international data services company specializing in data transformation as well as data and digital marketing consulting.