RIYADH — An elite group of postgraduate students have completed their participation in the Global AI Summit, which concluded in Riyadh on Thursday.

Pursuing postgraduate studies in data and AI at internationally-renowned universities, the Saudi and foreign students were invited to participate in the summit, which was held under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) at King Abdulaziz Conference Center in Riyadh from Tuesday through Thursday.

The group’s participation came as part of SDAIA’s Knowledge Exchange Initiative, which hosted 20 students from the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Jordan, Algeria, South Korea, and Nigeria alongside Saudi students from Sorbonne Université in Paris, Oxford University, Durham University, Nottingham University, University of Sussex, University College London, King’s College London, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MiT).

SDAIA’s initiative comes as part of its quest to recruit global AI talent and empower young men and women to lead the national efforts to achieve the targets of Vision 2030 and build an AI-powered future for the Kingdom, the region, and the world.

On the first day of the summit, the guest students met and greeted their way around the hall, with several visiting the AI Beacon. Later, the group traveled to Princess Noura University, where they registered their visit at the Central Library and saw the Robotic Arm in action as it fulfilled students’ book requests, before moving on to visit the ancient scroll room.

As part of the initiative’s open dialog that enriches shared knowledge, the female AI students discussed future employment possibilities in D&AI. The group ended their tour with a visit to the university’s simulation center, where they observed surgical case simulations.

During day two, the students met with Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi, President of SDAIA, to discuss their D&AI-related work. Afterward, the group visited King Saud University’s pavilion at the summit, where they met with Dr. Hiba Jibreen, President of KSU’s AI Center, and were shown the AI projects of their counterparts at the university.

They also visited SDAIA’s National Center for Artificial Intelligence, where they met with researchers to talk about their work as well as future opportunities for collaboration.

After attending day three’s activities, the students went on a visit to the AI Lab at Alfaisal University, where they were briefed about the university’s AI work and students’ AI projects.

The group’s final visit for the day was to Masmak Fortress, where they admired the historic Saudi landmark at the heart of downtown Riyadh.

“The Knowledge Exchange Initiative was designed to achieve several benefits at once,” said Dr. Alghamdi, SDAIA’s President. “These include getting the visiting students involved in the larger knowledge exchange dialog to find future opportunities, as well as familiarizing them with the Kingdom’s efforts to become a D&AI leader and discussing the future of the AI sector with their Saudi counterparts, who are just setting out on their lifelong AI journey together with their international colleagues from world-class universities.”

Dr. Alghamdi continued: “Other benefits include greater involvement for Saudi students in a real dialog that fosters a spirit of leadership and showcases their vast knowledge, which ultimately solidifies the Kingdom’s position as a global D&AI leader.”

“The initiative also is an opportunity to exchange knowledge and foster possible future collaboration that brings Saudi students together with postgraduates around the world.”

Dr. Alghamdi further added that the initiative plays a vital role in highlighting the Kingdom’s civilization by allowing the students the opportunity to showcase the Kingdom's heritage, history, and the country’s development efforts, including in the fields of D&AI.

“With this initiative, SDAIA looks forward to building qualitative partnerships in D&AI that bring in valuable talent,” he said.