1 million+ Saudis trained in AI
Three-year target met in under one year
Ambitious Nation pillar3 sourcesLast verified 2026-05-16
Hero metric
Saudis trained and certified in AI through SAMAI
1.1M+
End 2025Launched Sept 2024 at GAIN Summit. Hit 1M target in under 1 year (original timeline: 3 years).
Publishers include: Ministry of Education · Arab News · Education Saudi
Trend over time · 5 data points
2020 → 2025
Hover any point for the period, value, and primary publisher.
The Story
Before
AI was reshaping work globally — but for most Saudis, it was a headline, not a skill. There was no nationwide path to AI literacy, no certification recognized across employers, no Arabic-language curriculum at population scale.
Initiative
SDAIA, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources & Social Development launched SAMAI ('One Million Saudis in AI') in September 2024 at the GAIN Summit. Free, fully online, Arabic-language curriculum covering AI concepts, applications, ethics, and practical tools — with official SDAIA certification at no cost.
Outcome
By November 2025, the program had certified over 1.1 million Saudis — a target originally set for three years, achieved in under one. 52% of trainees were women; 48% men. 70% were already employed; 30% were students. SAMAI 2, launched in 2026, now focuses on the entire ~1.2M-strong government workforce.
For citizens
AI is no longer a closed conversation among specialists. A teacher in Tabuk, a small-business owner in Abha, a final-year student in Dammam — all have a recognized, free path into the technology that will define the next decade of work.
Supporting metrics
Female participation
52%
Cohort 1
Male participation
48%
Cohort 1
Employees
70%
Cohort 1
Students
30%
Cohort 1
Share of Saudi labor force trained in 5 years
~10%
unprecedented in international comparison
Female participation in SAMAI
~35%
of all SAMAI participants are women
Closest international analogue
South Korea early-2000s IT training
600K participants over a decade in a country with twice the population
Data-center capacity
467 MW
Q1 2026 (60+ data centers, 2nd globally in market attractiveness)
Timeline of Milestones
2024
SAMAI launched at GAIN Summit (Sept)
2025· milestone
1.1M+ Saudis trained — 3-year target met in <1 year
2026
SAMAI 2 launches, focused on government workforce
Evidence library · 3 primary sources
Sorted by tier, newest first
Saudis studying at the world's best universities
70,000 students abroad by 2030 — 23,400 already at top-200 institutions
23,400
6 million students on one school platform
98% of K-12 reached — equal access from Riyadh to remote villages
6M+
King's scholarship — cumulative since 2005
250,000+ Saudis funded to study abroad over two decades
250K+
Active Madrasati teachers
525,000+ Saudi teachers operating in the unified digital platform
525K+
Initiative attribution: SAMAI (One Million Saudis in AI) — SDAIA + MoE + MHRSD. Citizen benefit category: AI literacy & future skills.