Alswaha: Value of Saudi digital economy reaches $140 billion, accounting for 50% of MENA growth

RIYADH — Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha said that the value of the Saudi digital economy has grown to nearly $140 billion, accounting for more than 50 percent of digital economy growth in the Middle East and North Africa. “Saudi Arabia’s record in the digital era reflects its ability to turn visions into tangible achievements,” he said while attending a panel discussion held as part of the Microsoft AI Tour in Riyadh 2026 on Wednesday. Alswaha said the Kingdom, with the support and directives of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, is moving rapidly to consolidate its position as a global hub in the era of artificial intelligence by investing in computing and capital, and enabling clients to scale from the Kingdom to global markets. The minister noted that data center capacity has increased from less than 80 megawatts to more than 440 megawatts and that eight tech startups have reached unicorn status to date. He said that focusing on developing national capabilities marked a strategic turning point, as the number of tech professionals increased from 150,000 to more than 406,000, making the Kingdom one of the region’s largest technology talent hubs and strengthening its readiness to lead in the intelligent era. Alswaha said that leading the artificial intelligence (AI) race requires three core elements: computing, capital, and customers, stressing that the Kingdom provides these enablers to support partners in expanding globally. “The Kingdom has worked to address three major global gaps: the computing gap by securing reliable energy sources to support data centers; the algorithmic gap by developing advanced Arabic language models serving more than 400 million Arabic speakers; and the data gap by enhancing integration between training and deployment to ensure accuracy and reliability in vital sectors,” he said. The minister affirmed that the Kingdom, in partnership with leading global technology companies, is advancing the development of an integrated ecosystem to drive smart economy growth and reinforce its role as a global platform for innovating and scaling AI solutions.