The Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) has entered into a partnership with IBM to explore the creation of an AI Center of Excellence. This agreement was formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed at the Global AI Summit’s third edition, held at the King Abdulaziz International Convention Center in Riyadh. The signatories included Dr. Yaser bin Mohammed Alonaizan, CEO of the National Center for AI (NCAI) under SDAIA, and Fahad Alanazi, General Manager and Technology Leader of IBM Saudi Arabia.
This new center will primarily focus on enhancing AI technologies, tailoring innovative applications to meet the specific needs of government sectors while upholding top international standards and governance. Additionally, the partnership will kick off the ALLaM Challenge, which aims to drive innovation by advancing and refining large language models (LLMs) in Arabic through a designated “science” framework.
This joint initiative is designed to facilitate knowledge sharing and bolster national capabilities, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030’s objectives to transform into a knowledge-driven society and establish Saudi Arabia as a leader in cutting-edge technologies like AI.
This collaboration is also part of SDAIA’s ongoing efforts to promote its “ALLaM” model as the premier Arabic generative AI model on international platforms, particularly according to the Arabic MMLU standards. This model is expected to significantly enhance the tools and technologies available to AI developers and users focused on the Arabic language, both within the Kingdom and worldwide.
Previously, SDAIA and IBM have also integrated the “ALLaM” model into the “Watsonx” platform and the government cloud service “DEEM,” offering stakeholders unique and advanced services that contribute to regional technological progress and innovation.