Riyadh, December 21, 2025(Kamran Raja): Saudi Arabia has ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa in the Government AI Readiness Index 2025, published by Oxford Insights, reaffirming the Kingdom’s leadership in adopting and advancing artificial intelligence at the governmental level.
The index, one of the world’s most authoritative benchmarks used for decision-making and regulatory planning in artificial intelligence, assesses the ability of governments to adopt and leverage AI in public policy and service delivery. In its 2025 edition, the index evaluated 195 governments worldwide across key criteria related to governance, infrastructure, and institutional readiness.
Saudi Arabia’s top regional ranking reflects its rapid and sustained progress in deploying AI applications in a responsible, effective, and sustainable manner. The result underscores the maturity of the Kingdom’s national AI ecosystem and its growing role in promoting advanced technologies to enhance quality of life, improve government service efficiency, and support the goals of Vision 2030.
Globally, Saudi Arabia achieved notable placements, ranking seventh in the governance pillar and ninth in public-sector AI adoption, highlighting balanced advancement across both regulatory frameworks and practical implementation of AI solutions within government.
This achievement comes amid continued high-level support for the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) from His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of SDAIA’s Board of Directors. This support has enabled SDAIA to accelerate the development of national data and AI capabilities, strengthen foresight, and drive innovation, positioning Saudi Arabia among the world’s leading data- and AI-driven economies.
The Oxford Insights report also highlights Saudi Arabia’s strong performance across several core pillars, including AI infrastructure, supported by advanced national platforms such as HUMAIN, which enhance computing capacity and enable the development of sophisticated AI models.
In addition, the Kingdom has made significant strides in AI governance, the adoption of smart technologies in the public sector, the formulation of forward-looking national policies, and the acceleration of AI system development and deployment—while maintaining flexibility in embracing emerging technological solutions.
Together, these achievements reinforce Saudi Arabia’s status as a regional and global leader in government AI readiness and its commitment to harnessing artificial intelligence for inclusive growth and sustainable development.