Published on: 4/13/2026
The Situation
Saudi Arabia has designated 2026 the Year of AI, with 664 active data and AI companies and 9.1 billion US dollars in funding closed through 2025. The specialist talent pool sits at roughly 5,000 against a 20,000 national target, a 75 percent structural gap. PDPL enforcement is live with fines up to 5 million Saudi riyals per violation, and regional
disruption has broken the offshore delivery models most MENA enterprises depend on