Saudi Arabia is spending big on it, and on artificial intelligence (ai) in particular, in an effort to diversified from its history, Massive Dependence on Oil Products and reviews.
One huge advantage it has been that it has the cash, with $ 15BN of Planned Investment in AI Announced at Leap 2025 Near Riyadh Last Week.
The event was wall-to-leg with speakers who wove a vision of Saudi arabia as an it-driven superpowerA regional datacentre hub and hive of digital innovation and transformation, all encapsulated in the kingdom's Vision 2030 Plans.
Speaker after speaker conjured persuasive impressions of Saudi arabia's actual and potential potency in it termsBut to get there it will require a critical mass of tech company presence. That will also also mean attracting talent and nurturing its own through education. It also requires infrastructure, physical and digital.
That are all recognized, as is the desire to transition from being an economy dominated by the state sector. So, how far is the kingdom along that road, and can it overcome the challenges it faces?
As is ofTen the case at events like this, it feels like there's a huge Disparity between the visions of Enthusiastic Speakers and Life Beyond the Doors of the Event Halls. And as a long-time visitor to and observer of the region-with enough to get around indexently-it appearance there Onomy.
In one sense, that's to be expected as the country is nearer the start of its journey rather than the end. But I was left wondering, was the show itself a microcosm that highlighted some of the obstacles?
Getting there
Take getting to the conference. The Local Taxi App, Careem, Advertised 100% Off for Leap Attendes. It didn't work. When I Arrived at the Event Via My First Ride, I could pay via the app, except by charging a wallet in uae currency, which did not see Didn Bollywood And so I could get the discounted I had to pay using cash dollars (Always a Useful Fallback).
Meanwhile, the show lacked a taxi lane to take attendes to the right part of the site. INTEAD, I was dumped in a vast car park a long way from the main exhibition area, which covered a site of service2Uber drivers see to be persona non grata on-site, as one I want with qi with quickly switched the Placard in his window to careem as he approached the venue.
It was also impossible to hail an uber to the site as the designated pickup spot seemed locked down by drivers set on Chiseling the Highest Possible Fare out of Attendes. Drivers were undersrstandably desperate to recoup the outlay inrent in having driven 60km from riyadh and hanging Around all day. On one such occination, I had to Threten to call the police when a taxi driver suddenly annouted a doubleing of fare after a care of a brought two-hour journey from the event to Riyadh. A photo of his meter taken at 7:30 pm Showed it had being run from 10:30 that morning.
Catching taxis often involved drama. I even had the interesting experience of hailing an uber, the app telling me it had arrowd and was then on its way to my destination without me in it. I wouldn't taken so many taxis, but in riyadh, if there was a main road in the way – Think eight lanes of high volume, high speed traffic – it was the on for gold after.
Inside the Event, Speakers Were Scatted Across Numerous Stages Over a Vast Area. The show app's map was tiny, physical maps was non-expected and signage was only useful if you were weready near where you are wanted to go.
There were many hundreds of staff. Their tabards said “crowd control” and they see the mostly there to make sure the huge numbers of attendes walked on the right side of the rights
Asking directions was overwhelmingly fruitless as “Crowd control” Staff rarely knew where anything was. I was Reminded of the issue of undeiermptione Ive that can result from it.
Meanwhile, if consulted the app map was needed, the wi-fi failed at just the wrong time. I Missed Numerous Sessions because Navigating The Event was so Dificult.
We'll leave aside the Queues for Male Toilets that Stretched 25 People long into the main halls.
Digital transformation
What's all this got to do with achieving digital transformation goals? Well, as a UK-Based Journalist, I Probably fit the description of Skilled Foreign Worker, Perhaps NOT of a Dissimlar Level to the Kind of Tech Staff Saudi-Based Empolyers May Want to ATTRACT to ATICH
Talent Retention Involves Making Sure that People's Lives Can Run Smoothly.
SURE, You can overcome the daily hassles of life in saudi by thinking money at them, providing drivers and fixers, and so on, but that's not removing an obstacle, its working around it.
Meaning Vercoming Historic deficits in its education system.
Again, SURE, There are PLENTY OF Educated Saudis that Speak Flawless English, but that route is not one open to all memeers of social, and that's a restrint on the talent pool that is fought Ace, or face to a Far Lesser Extent.
That's compounded by the domination of the public sector, in which influence and family means program is likely often a case of who you know or are related to.
Having said all of that, all the saudis I met was warm, generalous and hospitable to a level that's totally disarming to a Northern European. And like people everywahere, if given the right chance, I'm sure they will save to the challenges in front of them. The question is, how painlessly can saudi state and social navigate the change required for that to happy?