Saudi Arabia ranks among top 10 global markets for private AI investment

Saudi Arabia is emerging as a major player in the global artificial intelligence economy, ranking among the world’s top 10 countries for private AI investment, according to the World Bank Group’s World Development Report 2026.

The report examines how AI could reshape developing economies, while highlighting the infrastructure, skills, data and institutions countries need to capture its economic potential and manage its risks.

Saudi Arabia’s growing position in the sector comes as the Kingdom accelerates investment in computing infrastructure, data centers and digital connectivity as part of its broader economic diversification under Vision 2030.

Data center capacity increased from 68 MW in 2021 to 440 MW in 2025 before reaching 467 MW in the first quarter of 2026. Meanwhile, 4G and 5G coverage reached 99% by the end of 2025, while average internet speeds climbed to 216 Mbps.

The World Bank has previously highlighted Saudi Arabia and the UAE as regional and increasingly global leaders in AI readiness, supported by investments in data centers, high-performance computing, startup ecosystems and government adoption of generative AI.

Saudi Arabia is also attracting more specialized AI talent. In 2025, the Kingdom was among the economies recording the highest net inflows of AI professionals per 10,000 LinkedIn members, alongside Luxembourg, Australia and Switzerland.

The Kingdom’s wider technology workforce has grown to around 426,000, up from 150,000 in 2018, representing cumulative growth of 186.6%. Women now account for 35% of professionals working in communications and information technology.

Beyond infrastructure and talent, the report points to Saudi Arabia’s public data ecosystem. A platform operated by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority enables data integration across more than 60 government entities while keeping information within each entity’s respective systems.

The approach illustrates how governments can build systems for structured data exchange while maintaining governance and data protection — increasingly important as AI becomes embedded in public services.

Saudi Arabia’s digital economy now contributes 16% of GDP, while its communications and information technology market reached SAR 199 billion in 2025.

The World Bank’s wider assessment of AI argues that access to compute, data and skills will be crucial in determining which economies capture the technology’s benefits. It also warns that AI development remains heavily concentrated among high-income economies and a relatively small number of companies, creating the risk of widening existing economic and technological divides.

For Saudi Arabia, the findings come as AI takes a more prominent place in its national economic strategy. In March, the Kingdom designated 2026 as the “Year of AI,” reinforcing its push to expand the use of the technology across the economy and public sector.

The investments form part of Saudi Arabia’s broader ambition to position itself as a global hub for data and AI, combining infrastructure development with talent, capital and government-led digital transformation.