Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: The Saudi Data Forum concluded its work on Monday with key objectives of enhancing the concept of data usage, exploring various AI-related topics, and highlighting the role of innovation in the data ecosystem in the Kingdom.
The forum, organized by the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence (SDAIA) in partnership with the National Transformation Program (NTP), underscored the impact of open data on the Saudi business sector.
One of the key goals of the forum was to increase the public trust in open data and motivate individuals to share their personal data with stakeholders when required.
The forum was attended by Bandar Meshari, Assistant Minister of Interior for Technology Affairs, and Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, President of SDAIA, along with a key panel of senior officials.
During the opening session, Esam Alwagait, Director of the National Information Center at SDAIA, emphasized the authority’s commitment to harnessing the full potential of data and artificial intelligence to realize the goals of Vision 2030.
Alwagait stated that SDAIA worked to establish a comprehensive system for the future, where open data is utilized responsibly to enhance individuals’ quality of life.
During the forum, SDAIA launched the first National Data Index (NDI) in Saudi Arabia to assess and monitor the implementation of data management practices across government entities.
SDAIA further introduced the Open Data Portal (ODP) which enables individuals, governmental, and non-governmental agencies to publish their open data and make it available to end users. It includes over 7,000 open databases and more than 190 open data publishers.
For his part, Thamer Al-Sadoun, CEO of NTP, showcased the program’s main objective to foster transparency across government sectors, including transparency in government performance, roles and responsibilities, government objectives, and the fight against corruption.
He added that NTP and SDAIA collaborated to build productive strategic partnerships and implement intelligent business solutions aligning with Vision 2030.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Al-Suwayan, Governor of the Digital Government Authority, affirmed that open data plays a pivotal role in promoting transparency in government operations and institutions.
Moreover, the Saudi Data Forum included four sessions to showcase the latest trends in open data and how to handle it effectively.
