Saudi Arabia Attracts Top Artificial Intelligence Talent, Climbs Global Rankings
In a recent survey conducted by LinkedIn, it has been revealed that Saudi Arabia is becoming a hotbed for artificial intelligence talent. The Kingdom has climbed nine spots in the global rankings for attracting AI experts, now ranking 15th globally in talent attraction in this sector relative to population size. This marks a significant improvement from its 24th position last year, indicating a positive net flow of talent.
Advancements in AI Skills Penetration
Moreover, Saudi Arabia has also advanced five positions in AI skills penetration over the past year, moving from 35th place to 30th place. Ali Matar, the Europe, Middle East, and Africa growth markets leader at LinkedIn, highlighted that this data showcases the Kingdom’s efforts to establish itself as an AI and data leader. The growing tech industry in Saudi Arabia is curating a savvy and adaptive workforce, making it one of the most attractive places to work as it progresses toward Vision 2030.
Rapid Transformation of Saudi Workforce
LinkedIn’s latest data offers insights into the rapid transformation of the Saudi workforce to align with the ambitions of Vision 2030 and the rise of AI. With over 9 million members in the Kingdom, LinkedIn highlighted that Saudi Arabia leads the MENA region in disruptive digital skills such as development tools, materials sciences, and nanotechnology.
Exceptional Proficiency in Digital Skills
The report also revealed that Saudi Arabia ranks second in the MENA region across all digital skills categories on an aggregate level. The country demonstrates exceptional proficiency in applied digital skills like animation and computer graphics, surpassing the global average in animation skills. Moreover, Saudi Arabia’s cybersecurity trends outperform the global average, indicating a high level of expertise in this specific digital skill area.
Gender Diversity and Inclusivity
Saudi Arabia is progressively narrowing the gap in gender diversity within the industry, showing positive momentum toward fostering inclusivity and representation. The country’s AI talent pool is steadily rising, with a doubling in the pool between 2016 and 2023. This upward trend is reinforced by a 24 percent year-over-year increase in AI talent hiring relative to overall hiring.
Advancements in AI Skills
The Kingdom’s fastest-growing AI skills include reinforcement learning, pattern recognition, predictive modeling, supervised learning, and PyTorch. These skills contribute to the advancement of generative AI, with 79 percent of Saudi employees anticipating substantial shifts in their work dynamics over the coming year due to AI advancements.