Saudi Arabia strengthens AI, space sector partnerships in China

BEIJING — The Minister of Communications and Information Technology met with government leaders and major technology companies in China to strengthen partnerships in artificial intelligence and the space sector. Minister Abdullah Alswaha was accompanied by Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) Governor Haytham AlOhali and Saudi Ambassador to China Abdulrahman Alharbi during a series of meetings with senior government officials and business leaders. Among the meetings, Alswaha met with China’s Minister of Science and Technology, Yin Hejun, where the two sides discussed expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence, the digital economy, technology transfer, and talent exchange programs. They also explored opportunities to expand the presence of major Chinese technology companies in Saudi Arabia. **media[2736889]** In the space sector, Alswaha met with Dr. Shan Zhongde, Administrator of the China National Space Administration and Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, to discuss opportunities for cooperation in space technologies, expanding innovation partnerships, and developing capabilities in the sector. Alswaha also met with the executive leadership of Moonshot AI, the developer of the Kimi LLM large language model. The meeting covered the development of large language models and AI-powered generative technologies, as well as technology transfer and commercialization to support the growth of Saudi Arabia’s digital economy and emerging technology sectors. In addition, Alswaha met with ByteDance China Chairman Zhang Lidong to discuss cooperation in generative artificial intelligence, data centers, the development of algorithms and large language models, and expanding the company’s presence in the Kingdom, contributing to the growth of Saudi Arabia’s technology innovation ecosystem and enhancing the competitiveness of its digital economy. The meetings form part of Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to build high-value international partnerships, attract advanced technologies and investments, develop national capabilities, and strengthen its global presence in technology, artificial intelligence, and the space sector.