Saudi AI initiative ‘SAMAI’ trains 330,000 citizens

More than 334,000 Saudis have benefitted from a national initiative aimed at empowering citizens with artificial intelligence (AI) skills, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) announced during the Non-Profit Sector Forum in Education and Training 2025 held in Riyadh.

Speaking at the forum, SDAIA President Dr. Abdullah Alghamdi said the Kingdom now ranks first globally in empowering women in AI and second in raising community awareness, thanks to key partnerships between SDAIA and other government agencies.

The AI empowerment initiative, known as SAMAI, was launched in September 2024 during the Global AI Summit (GAIN). It is a joint effort by SDAIA, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, targeting all age groups and professional sectors.

One of the flagship projects under the program is the National Olympiad for Programming and Artificial Intelligence, also called the ATHKA Competition. More than 260,000 intermediate and secondary school students took part, with 10,000 advancing to the final stage.

Another major initiative, the “Road to ATHKA,” has provided AI training to over 570,000 students, while the “Future Intelligence Programmers” program has trained more than 10,000 teachers in AI concepts and applications.

To further embed technology into education, SDAIA and the Ministry of Education jointly launched the Center for Excellence in Education. The center aims to institutionalize technology integration, support forward-looking educational initiatives and enhance learning outcomes through AI.

These efforts form part of Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy under Vision 2030 to become a global leader in digital transformation and AI-driven education.