On 17 September, the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) launched the Data and AI Training Program Standards Framework at the fourth UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Riyadh. Its Capacity Building sector has begun applying the framework in cooperation with the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, Gulf Digital News reported on 23 September.
Key points
- SDAIA has evaluated 10 training programmes in the first phase of applying the standards.
- The authority launched four professional certifications in data management and governance during the Riyadh forum.
- The training framework is one of five covering different stages of education and professional development.
- More than 850 trainees from more than 55 government entities attended 31 SDAIA training programmes in the week before 23 September.
Ten programmes enter the first review
The first phase covers 10 programmes intended for nonspecialists, practitioners, specialists and leaders. SDAIA’s Capacity Building sector evaluated them against the framework’s standards. That gives the authority and the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation a set of programmes on which to begin using the standards, rather than leaving the framework solely as guidance for programmes developed later.
The framework sets quality standards for data and AI training programmes. Its stated aim is to bring course content into line with labour-market needs and national laws and regulations. The account of its application also describes professional requirements, AI ethics and awareness of risks associated with using AI as matters the framework covers. Those are distinct demands on a course: what its trainees need for work, what national rules require and how they are taught to use the technology responsibly.
At the forum, SDAIA’s Capacity Building sector introduced four professional certifications covering the governance and management of data, Gulf Digital News reported. The certifications concern professional qualifications, while the initial evaluation concerns training programmes for groups ranging from nonspecialists to leaders. Together, the two measures put course content and professional skills within the authority’s workforce-development work, although the reported evaluation concerns only the 10 programmes in its first phase.
Five SDAIA frameworks cover education and work
The training standards sit within a wider set of five frameworks that SDAIA launched in Riyadh on 17 September. They address general education, higher education, training and professional development through separate approaches to programmes, competencies and curricula. The partners differ according to the area being covered: the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation worked with SDAIA on the training standards now being applied.
For higher education, the Data and AI Academic Program Standards Framework was developed with the Education and Training Evaluation Commission. It sets minimum requirements for academic programmes, including learning outcomes, units of knowledge and requirements at each qualification level. A separate Data and AI Curriculum for University Students Across Disciplines sets minimum learning outcomes for students to work with data and use AI responsibly and effectively, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
For schools, SDAIA developed the Data and AI Competency Framework for K-12 with the National Curriculum Center. It defines learning outcomes for students’ use of data and AI and gives guidance on responsible use by teachers and pupils. The Data and AI Professional Standards Framework, developed with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development through its Digital Sector Skills Council, defines professions, roles and required competencies in the field.
The five frameworks therefore address different points at which people acquire or use data and AI skills. Academic standards concern qualifications, the school framework concerns pupils and teachers, and professional standards concern roles at work. The programme standards now being applied concern the quality and content of training. SDAIA’s stated aim for the wider set is to develop national capabilities across education and professional development while promoting responsible use of data and AI.
SDAIA training reaches government entities
Saudi Arabia designated 2026 as the Year of Artificial Intelligence in March. The Year of Artificial Intelligence aims to expand adoption across sectors and strengthen national capabilities, while the training drive forms part of Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Strategy for Data and AI, People Matters reported. SDAIA’s training work includes programmes for the wider population as well as specialised provision for students, researchers and technology professionals.
SDAIA said in June that more than 1.56 million citizens had benefited from its data and AI training programmes, including more than 14,495 specialists and experts. In July, the authority announced 18 specialised bootcamps covering subjects including data engineering, computer vision, AI agent systems and responsible AI use.
The authority’s recent training activity also reaches staff across government. Gulf Digital News reported that, in the week before 23 September, SDAIA ran 31 training programmes for more than 850 trainees drawn from more than 55 government entities.
