RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's education sector is undergoing a strategic shift as it focuses on specialized fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics and nuclear energy.
Driven by the Vision 2030 economic growth plan, this marks an important step in equipping the Kingdom's future workforce with the advanced skills needed to secure the jobs of tomorrow.
Mansoor Ahmed, managing director of the Middle East and North Africa region at Colliers, a professional management company in Canada, said that AI and technology changes are creating new jobs and driving education innovation. top
“Graduates with skills in these fields will fill the most senior positions, helping to reduce youth unemployment,” Ahmed told Arab News.
Saudi Arabia's National Strategy for Data and Artificial Intelligence, launched in 2020, plans to attract $20 billion in investment by 2030 and cultivate 20,000 AI workers and experts data specifics.
Ahmed said the emergence of a highly skilled tech workforce would help attract foreign investment, “positioning Saudi Arabia as a potential leader in innovation.”
AI could add more than $320 billion to the Middle East economy. PWC analysis predicts that Saudi Arabia is expected to see the biggest gain in absolute terms, amounting to $135.2 billion, and the UAE will see the biggest overall impact at 14 percent of the country's output. house expected by 2030.
“The development of nuclear power plants and the introduction of AI in various fields will create special roles in engineering, data analysis and machine learning,” Ahmed said. “This highlights the need to prioritize education in technology, AI, robotics and nuclear energy.”
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Saudi Arabia has strengthened its commitment to future technologies by being the center of global events and forums such as LEAP, the Global AI Summit, and the International Exhibition and Conference for Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Computing.
However, if the State hopes to lead in these specific areas, it must first close the gap between market demand and educational outcomes.
A report produced by Colliers found that the current enrollment distribution at the State's public universities is “out of step with the labor market”, with students still appreciate humanism and Islamic learning.
This is changing now. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology has an Artificial Intelligence Initiative focused on graduate-level research and education, while KAUST Academy focuses on developing AI talent with programs aimed at students there outside.
“KAUST aims to address this gap by offering specialized training and development programs in areas of greatest student need, helping students transition from traditional fields of study to the course is more relevant to the market,” Sultan Albarakati, director of KAUST Academy, told Arab News.
“We are focused on improving the skills of many students to prepare them for the future job market.”
YOUKNOW?
Saudi Arabia's national strategy for data and artificial intelligence seeks to achieve an investment of 20 billion dollars by 2030.
The Government aims to cultivate 20,000 AI workers and data specialists by the end of the decade.
AI can add more than $320 billion to the Middle East economy, with Saudi Arabia alone receiving $135.2 billion.
Supported by the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence, KAUST Academy's AI program covers the entire spectrum, from basic to advanced, with projects that allow students to demonstrate their acquired knowledge.
The program focuses on improving skills in key areas such as deep learning libraries, optimization, linear algebra, machine learning, computer vision, artificial intelligence applications, Python programming and deep learning. vast.
To support AI research in Saudi Arabia, Silicon Valley technology giant Google recently awarded five grants to KAUST faculty. The grant, worth $100,000, will fund projects focused on multi-language machine learning, particularly generative and large-scale language models.
KAUST Academy focuses on developing AI talent with programs aimed at international students. (given)
Ahmed said the State's investment in AI is multi-sector, entering the health, robotics, manufacturing and service sectors – introducing new roles that require technical and analytical skills. .
“This cross-industry application will greatly expand the career opportunities for graduates,” he said.
AI is expected to change the world of work in the coming years. About 23 percent of jobs are expected to change by 2027, with 69 million new jobs created and 83 million lost, according to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2023.
In order to ensure the adaptation of educational outcomes to the needs of the labor market, the Human Skills Development Program of Saudi Arabia has planned to review the higher qualifications based on the results of recent and expected work.
“Training in these advanced skills will equip Saudi citizens to succeed in a technology-driven economy, with the HCDP emphasizing critical thinking, problem-solving and strategic skills.” techniques,” Ahmed said.
