The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) has signed a cooperation agreement with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA).
The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) was established in 2018 as a closed joint-stock company wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia to drive the development of the Red Sea Project, a regenerative tourism destination along Saudi Arabia’s west coast.
This partnership will introduce innovations in smart technology to build national capabilities in the field of data and artificial intelligence.
It will also work on cooperation in digital government, enhance technical cooperation between the two parties, and provide training, development, and consultancy in the field of data and information technology.
Both the parties will work to contribute to Enhancing joint achievements inside and outside the Kingdom in the fields of data and artificial intelligence, as stated by them at the signing ceremony.
After signing the deal with John Pagano, the agreement intends to achieve leadership in smart technology and enhance cooperation in data and artificial intelligence, stated Dr Issam bin Abdullah Al-Waqit, Director of the National Information Center in SDAIA, the CEO of TRSDC.
Pagano said the signing of the agreement indicates the duo’s joint intention to establish an innovation centre for data and artificial intelligence and support new talents in AI and data and cooperate in areas related to digital governance.
“The MoU includes providing technical support to the smart traveller at the Red Sea International Airport, which is scheduled to serve about one million passengers annually when the project is completed in 2030, with a total capacity of 900 passengers per hour during peak times, and the site will be operated with 100% renewable energy,” stated Pagano.
“Through this deal, we aim to achieve our vision of establishing a unique infrastructure for the Red Sea destination among the most ambitious renewable tourism destinations in the world, which will help provide advanced and sustainable services and will contribute to the digital transformation that is proceeding at an accelerating pace in Kingdom following the directives of Vision 2030,” he added.
Through this MoU, the Authority seeks to encourage emerging sectors to achieve joint integration, maximise and sustain the impact of data and AI and provide innovative solutions that contribute to technology localisation.
It is important to support the economy and innovation in this field to achieve the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, stated Al Waqit.
TRSDC is one of the key large-scale giga-projects that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the year before.
TRSDC also partnered with the government’s Human Resources Development Fund last August to deliver high-quality vocational local training programs.
The move follows a series of previous steps the company took to lift local opportunities, such as a program to prepare 500 young Saudis for careers to support the eco-tourism complex.
Besides shaping diverse professional development opportunities, TRSDC also expands social and economic opportunities for local communities, such as advancements in agriculture, through a partnership with social investment company Ethmar and charitable foundation Ghoroos, the company told Arab News.
