Saudi Arabia leads AI global index for strategy as Israel tops Mideast rankings

DUBAI — Saudi Arabia took the lead in the category of government strategy according to a global artificial intelligence (AI) study released last week by Tortoise Media. The United States snagged the top position for the best total score over all categories, ahead of China and Singapore.

Israel was the only country in the region to make the global top-10 list in 7th place for the overall AI index, while Saudi Arabia landed in 31st position. The United Arab Emirates, which has an AI minister, was the highest-ranking Arab country in 28th position for the overall index.

They are among a list of 62 countries measured using more than 100 indicators to measure AI levels in a variety of categories including talent, infrastructure, research and development and commercial activity in addition to government strategy.

Saudi Arabia topped the global chart for AI government strategy, which measures the depth of national spending commitments and strategies, while other MENA states lagged further behind, beginning in 23rd place. 

Here are MENA’s leading countries for AI government strategy and their global ranking:

1. Saudi Arabia: 1

2. Egypt: 23

3. UAE: 24

4. Turkey: 27

5. Qatar: 46

6. Israel: 47 

7. Morocco: 50 

8. Tunisia: 58 

9. Bahrain: 61 

MENA countries predominantly scored lower in the categories for for skilled talent (43rd place and below) and also for research and development, yet with some outliers.

Israel ranked well above Middle East countries in most categories and higher than its global neighbors in many. In the fourth iteration of the index, the categories of scale, a nation’s AI output on the global stage, and intensity, a nation’s AI output relative to a country's population, were introduced for the first time. Israel took 2nd place for the latter compared globally, only falling behind Singapore.

The UAE achieved a 4th place position for AI infrastructure that measures factors ranging from the reliability of the internet and electricity to the abilities of supercomputers.

Qatar received the highest score in the Arab world for AI research, placing it in 17th position and ahead of nations such as Japan and India.

While countries like the United Kingdom fell to fourth place for the first time since the index began in 2019, Arab countries have been making moves to improve their AI presence and capacity. 

In late 2020, Saudi Arabia launched its National Strategy for Data and Artificial Intelligence (NSDAI) with the goal of attracting $20 billion in foreign and local investments by 2030.

The UAE established its five pillar AI strategy in 2017 that aims to see the country’s government form an AI council, develop the skills of talent, and also establish rules for the safe use of AI by its 2071 target, which is also its centennial of existence as a nation.

International Data Corporation, a market intelligence agency, said that the world’s fastest AI spending growth through 2026 will emerge from the MENA region according to its 2023 Worldwide Artificial Intelligence Spending Guide.

The report estimates that regional spending will reach $3 billion in 2023 and equate to two percent of the global total ($151.4 billion). MENA’s compound annual growth rate is expected to be 29.7% from 2022 to 2026, reaching $6.4 billion in 2026.