Riyadh: Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Saudi Arabia, and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, participated in a high-profile dialogue session during the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh. The minister emphasised that under the leadership of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Saudi Arabia has aimed to adopt transformative technologies such as AI and robotics, positioning the Kingdom as a global innovation platform and a major hub for AI and the digital economy.
According to Bahrain News Agency, Musk said during the session that humanoid robots represent a productivity revolution that could expand the global economy tenfold. He argued this could lead to an economy of abundance and a model of "comprehensive high income" that goes beyond the traditional universal basic income concept.
Alswaha highlighted the Kingdom's progress in enabling cloud services, digital infrastructure, and AI value chains, saying these efforts reflect Saudi Arabia's ambition to lead in the post-data era. He affirmed the Kingdom's goal of becoming a centre for responsible and effective AI innovation.
Musk thanked Saudi Arabia for adopting the Starlink service in the aviation and maritime sectors, describing it as a significant step toward supporting the future of global communications technology. He discussed potential cooperation in smart mobility, including RoboTaxi projects and The Boring Company's tunnel transportation systems for Saudi cities. Such technologies, he said, could transform urban areas and improve transit efficiency.
Alswaha noted that the strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and the United States is a foundation for building a smarter, more just, and sustainable global economy. He emphasised the need for continued collaboration to drive innovation for the benefit of humanity.