5 November 2024, Tue |
3:04 PM
A leading tech expert from Saudi Arabia said at the GITEX Global Leaders Vision conference that artificial intelligence cameras have helped halve the number of road fatalities in the Kingdom and reduce injuries by almost a third (32 percent) over the past three years (DWTC).
Sultan Al Mutairi, Head of Vision Realisation Office, Ministry of Interior, got things underway at the conference by giving an overview of the Ministry’s role with Saudi Vision 2030.
“This is the greatest application of artificial intelligence that affects daily life in the Kingdom,” Dr. Alarifi said.
“We hope to have these solutions available within the next year,” he said.
Dr. Abdul Rahman Alarifi, General Manager of Systems Engineering at the Saudi Technology & Security Compliance Control Company (Tahakom), said AI had improved road safety compliance in the Kingdom and that more advanced technology solutions will be introduced in the coming year as part of the day’s agenda.
Key successes, he said, included achieving 99% compliance on the non-use of mobiles while driving, a five-fold increase in adhering to seat belt laws, and a tripling of adherence to truck exclusion regulations.
Following the life-changing adoption of advanced technology, Alarifi stated that new AI solutions, such as vehicle motion violation monitoring, systems to check highway and road conditions, and smart checkpoints, are now being developed in Tahakom’s R&D labs to further improve driver behaviour in the Kingdom.
Tahakom, according to Dr. Alarifi, is leading the push in developing local digital talent, with 60 young Saudi nationals now employed across its AI operations.
Dr. Al Shoaili said the program is part of national efforts to diversify Oman’s economy and promote research and innovation in the Sultanate, where advanced technology competencies are viewed as “enablers to improve the competitive capabilities of the national economy in line with Oman’s 2040 vision.”
Oman will name consultants for the formulation of a national space strategy next week as part of its aspirations to launch its first satellite in 2024. Dr. Saoud Humaid Al Shoaili, Director General, Policies & Governance, Oman’s Ministry of Transportation, Communications, and IT, announced the impending award of a tender launched in May this year at the GITEX Global Leaders Vision Summit. The policy, according to Dr. Al Shoaili, will also include the development of the Sultanate’s institutional and individual capacities for its space program.
