Saudi Arabia launches national framework for AI risk management

Saudi Arabia has introduced a national framework to help government agencies and businesses identify and manage risks associated with artificial intelligence as adoption of the technology accelerates.

Developed by the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), the National AI Risk Management Framework provides a unified methodology for identifying, assessing, treating and monitoring AI-related risks, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The framework comes as AI activity expands across Saudi Arabia. Commercial registrations for AI-related activities reached 24,552, up from 19,042 at the end of 2025 and 14,163 a year earlier, according to Ministry of Commerce data.

It recognizes that AI risks can emerge unexpectedly, evolve over time and be more difficult to explain or reproduce than issues associated with conventional technologies. For businesses, the framework is emerging as companies increasingly deploy autonomous AI systems, raising questions about data access, automated decision-making and human oversight.

Saudi Arabia has also designated 2026 as the Kingdom’s Year of AI, with SDAIA leading related initiatives under the National Strategy for Data and AI and the wider Vision 2030 program.

The framework is structured around four phases: defining the context and scope of an AI system, identifying and assessing risks, treating those risks, and continuously monitoring and reviewing the system.

It uses a matrix that combines the likelihood and potential impact of a risk to determine its severity and help organizations prioritize their response. It covers seven principal risk categories and seven core principles, including integrity, privacy, transparency and accountability.

SDAIA launched the framework in July and later presented its methodology to more than 150 specialists from 45 public- and private-sector organizations at a forum in Riyadh.