Google has signed a final agreement with the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security and Programming to set up five Google Innovation Hub centers in different regions of Saudi Arabia. The first center, which is set to open in Riyadh, will be the largest of its kind in the world, with the capacity to accommodate 40,000 trainees in a year. The partnership aims at incorporating local talent in the production of prototypes, mobile applications, and artificial intelligence.
There are several key aspects that will be covered by the agreement. According to Arabian Business, these include the provision of educational and technical materials and advanced technology curricula. In addition, a training laboratory will be provided in an environment conducive to local talent development, as well as support and guidance for local IT professionals, advanced software, and artificial intelligence for developers and innovators.
According to Saudi Gazette, the agreement was signed by Saud Al-Qahtani, adviser at the Royal Court and president of the federation, and Matt Prater, president of Google for the Europe, Africa and Middle East region. Speaking on the occasion, Al-Qahtani said that this agreement with a company like Google would not have been possible without the vision and continuous support of Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman.
"This is a continuation of the successes of the Crown Prince’s visit to the United States. The agreement would contribute to attract Saudi boy and girl students who have talent and innovative skills,” he explained.
Since his ascension to his role, the Crown Prince has been working diligently to ensure that Saudi Arabia remains steadfast on its journey towards realizing Vision 2030, a national strategy to haul its economy out of decades of oil dependency into a more technology and knowledge-based phase. Under this ambitious plan, digital infrastructure and investments in emerging technologies have been identified as integral to the Kingdom’s future industrial activities, as well as the competitiveness of the economy.
