The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority “Sadaya” has announced the utilization of artificial intelligence technologies to support the Green Saudi initiative in collaboration with several governmental entities. This aims to enhance the kingdom’s commitment to environmental protection and to place it on an ambitious roadmap that contributes to global efforts in this field. This falls within the role of “Sadaya” as a national reference for data and artificial intelligence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The efforts of “Sadaya” align with the overall vision adopted by the kingdom since the launch of Saudi Vision 2030, aiming to build a more sustainable future. “Sadaya” sets ambitious goals to address climate change and achieve net zero emissions by 2060 to protect the planet.
On the day of the officially approved Green Saudi initiative, on March 27 of each year, we emphasize the importance of national environmental work and reaffirm the kingdom’s commitment to addressing environmental challenges and collaborating with countries and international organizations to preserve the earth. The initiative’s efforts aim to increase awareness in communities about the importance of environmental conservation and contribute to building a more sustainable future.
In support of this national direction, ” Sadaya” has engaged in diverse efforts within its responsibilities. It used data and artificial intelligence technologies to provide intelligent solutions to combat the impacts of climate change. It has supported a campaign to plant 10 billion trees efficiently by identifying the most effective locations for planting, classifying each tree according to its specific needs such as regional climate data, soil conditions, elements, moisture, available water, and compatibility with plants in the region.
Considering the mission of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority in providing data resources, predictive capabilities, and enhancing them with innovation in the field of artificial intelligence, “Sadaya” has developed its capabilities in this domain due to the importance of artificial intelligence technologies in environmental projects. It has efficiently identified unsuitable agricultural sites, such as damaged, arid, alkaline, and saline lands. In addition, it has followed sustainability principles and used artificial intelligence techniques to achieve 5% to 10% of the carbon neutrality goal by 2030 by predicting phenomena, monitoring emissions, and implementing integrated systems with artificial intelligence technologies to achieve effective energy utilization.
“Sadaaya is involved in greenery and landscaping monitoring in Riyadh using satellite imagery through the National Smart Cities Platform, to build and train artificial intelligence models and process data. A visual representation of green areas in Riyadh was showcased, along with the creation of indicators measuring the percentage of green areas in Riyadh and Diriyah, enhancing the quality of life in the region under the memorandum of understanding between “Sadaaya” and the Riyadh Municipality.
Sadaaya announced the launch of the Artificial Intelligence Center for Environment, Water, and Agriculture in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture during this year’s Global Artificial Intelligence Summit. The center aims to develop innovative solutions for environmental challenges and apply artificial intelligence in these sectors. The first phase of the project focuses on developing solutions for monitoring environmental changes, enhancing data access and artificial intelligence tools to develop new use cases and transfer knowledge while building capabilities.
The center launched the “Smart Planet Program,” an intelligent platform that utilizes historical land data to build predictive algorithms, study and design preliminary solutions for artificial intelligence algorithms, and share them with reserves, the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, aiming to generate innovative solutions from untapped resources, ensure their sustainability, and monitor changes in vegetation, crops, and water bodies.
A new life model has been created thanks to these efforts, relying on artificial intelligence techniques to analyze 9 historical Earth datasets to determine their relationship with vegetation changes and predict changes that will occur in the next six years with up to 99% accuracy. This model offers a range of applications that directly contribute to combating climate change impacts, predicting droughts, increasing vegetation to build a healthy community, and enhance the aesthetics of the Kingdom.
To maximize the benefits of data and artificial intelligence, the Ministry of Energy collaborated with “Sadaaya” to launch the Artificial Intelligence Center for Energy. The center aims to support sector development initiatives, build a strong foundation in data and artificial intelligence, and enhance the Kingdom’s leadership in the energy sector globally in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
The center worked on a project to predict renewable energy production through artificial intelligence to improve the stability and efficient management of the power grid, contributing to achieving the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative by reducing carbon emissions, increasing renewable energy production, and improving operational efficiency of renewable energy production sites.
The center fostered collaboration with major national and international companies in the energy and artificial intelligence fields to stimulate investment. The center established a specialized artificial intelligence research center in collaboration with King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, implementing several important projects in the energy sector with companies operating in this sector. Artificial intelligence and computer vision were used to monitor compliance with personal safety equipment in facilities without requiring changes to the current infrastructure.
The Artificial Intelligence Center for Energy plays a vital role in developing artificial intelligence and modern technologies in the energy sector. Experts in digital technologies collaborate with energy experts in one team in this center, developing a clear methodology to prioritize artificial intelligence solutions. This has assisted in evaluating multiple opportunities to apply artificial intelligence in the energy sector and pinpoint the most critical ones for implementation. The center started implementing artificial intelligence solutions for sector priorities such as solar energy prediction and wind energy using artificial intelligence.
To achieve sustainable urban development and enhance quality of life, “Sadaaya” recently organized the Global Smart Cities Forum in Riyadh.Under the title “Quality Life,” where 100 speakers representing 40 countries around the world participated. The forum enjoyed various topics, including planning for sustainable and green cities in the next decade, with an elite selection of experts in the fields of smart cities and artificial intelligence worldwide. The forum was distinguished by the inspiring discussions that took place during it.
Efforts by “Sadaya” come to realize the aspirations of wise leadership in utilizing and implementing advanced technologies in the government sectors to support digital transformation. “Sadaya” also focuses on providing services in the field of data and artificial intelligence, with an emphasis on enhancing these two areas to benefit humanity.
