Saudi Arabia is entering a new phase in the process of adopting artificial intelligence, in which it is moving from building capabilities and technical readiness to expanding the scope of practical uses in various sectors of the economy, at a time when the need for digital infrastructure is increasing, capable of combining communication, computing, data management, and security and compliance requirements.
Engineer Ahmed Al-Anqari, CEO of Etihad Salam Telecommunications Company (Salam), believes that the year 2026 represents an important turning point in this path. During this period, the Kingdom moves from the stage of preparation for artificial intelligence to the stage of actual empowerment, with the next stage focusing more on expanding the scope of technology adoption, and transforming investments and advanced capabilities into practical applications that achieve real value for the business sector.
Al-Anqari said - in an interview on the sidelines of Salam’s participation as a strategic sponsor in the “LEAP 2026” conference in Riyadh - that the Kingdom has succeeded in laying strong foundations for the artificial intelligence system, supported by an advanced data infrastructure, integrated national coordination, and ambitious investments aimed at achieving the desired transformation.
He explained that the company’s participation in the conference comes under the slogan “We enable what is coming.” It displays a range of integrated solutions supported by artificial intelligence in the industrial, healthcare, transportation and security sectors, with the aim of developing scalable applications and contributing to driving the growth of the digital economy in the Kingdom.
According to Al-Anqari, the role of telecommunications companies is no longer limited to connecting individuals and companies to networks, but is increasingly moving toward connecting them with artificial intelligence capabilities, explaining that “Salam” is working, through its infrastructure and integrated solutions, to bridge the gap between national ambitions in this field and the practical application of technologies in daily business, by providing safe, easy-to-access solutions that are appropriate to the needs of the local market.
Regarding the transformations that the telecommunications sector is witnessing with the expansion of the use of artificial intelligence, Al-Anqari said that the technology has fundamentally changed the needs of business sector customers, such that the traditional model based on providing connectivity and data capacities is no longer sufficient to meet the requirements of the new stage.
He explained that companies today are looking for a partner who can combine connectivity services, computing capabilities, and technical capabilities, and manage them within one integrated system. Pointing out that this trend represents the essence of the concept of “Integrated Communication” (Connectivity+) adopted by Salam, and embodies its transformation from a communications company to an integrated technology company.
He added that this model is based on providing a system that includes fiber optic networks, data centers, edge computing infrastructure, and cloud partnerships, in addition to technical integration expertise, allowing for dealing with the needs of new companies imposed by artificial intelligence applications.
The CEO of Salam pointed out that accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence in the business sector is linked to three main factors, which are confidence in where the data resides, clarity about compliance requirements, and the presence of a partner capable of simplifying technical complexities.
He pointed out that many institutions have a clear ambition to benefit from artificial intelligence, but at the same time they face challenges related to internal readiness, starting with organizing data and determining responsibilities for its management and ownership, and extending to how to move from initial experiments to integrated operational systems capable of meeting regulatory requirements.
He said that Salam is working to address these challenges by providing a sovereign infrastructure that ensures that data remains within the Kingdom, and environments that are compatible with regulatory requirements and designed for artificial intelligence workloads, in addition to linking artificial intelligence solutions to existing business systems, which, according to him, contributes to making technology adoption easier and more effective.
Al-Anqari stressed that the launch of the “Salam 2.0” business sector services group in its new form - as one of the enablers of the company’s NEXT strategy - comes in the context of enhancing the company’s transformation from a provider of communications services to a technical partner, and contributing to shaping the future of the government, business and individual sectors in the Kingdom.
Al-Anqari believes that providing communication capacities alone is not enough to fully benefit from artificial intelligence. Especially in applications that require immediate decisions and responses. He gave examples of this in applications for detecting defects on production lines, real-time rerouting of vehicles in the logistics sector, and inventory management based on direct demand indicators, explaining that such applications require computing capabilities close to the place where the data is generated, and capable of responding within fractions of a second.
He stressed that the real impact of artificial intelligence will not only be measured by the size of data centers or major national projects, but rather by the extent of its use in various components of the economy, including small and medium enterprises.
He pointed out that these facilities need ready-made, easy and secure solutions that can be adopted without having to establish their own data centers or employ large teams specialized in artificial intelligence.
Regarding the sectors in which the impact of artificial intelligence is expected to appear more quickly, Al-Anqari pointed out that there is growing momentum in the sectors of energy, health care, government, manufacturing, tourism and hospitality.
The CEO of Etihad Salam Communications Company confirmed that the company is working to contribute to achieving the goals of “Saudi Vision 2030” related to developing the digital infrastructure and building an advanced system capable of supporting major national projects in the Kingdom.
Al-Anqari stressed the importance of digital sovereignty as one of the basic axes in building the artificial intelligence system, explaining that the concept of sovereignty is not limited to applications or software, but rather starts from the actual infrastructure, where the data is located, how it is transmitted, and the party that controls access to it.
He explained that building huge national computing capabilities, in return, requires a strong national network capable of preserving sensitive data within the Kingdom and transferring it with the efficiency and speeds required by artificial intelligence applications.
He said that “Salam” has a digital infrastructure that includes a national fiber-optic network, extending more than 19,000 kilometers, linking the main cities in the Kingdom, in addition to neutral data centers for telecommunications operators in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Khobar, as well as edge computing infrastructure and fiber network loops within the cities.
He added: “Our ambition in this field is for Salam to go beyond its role as a telecommunications company, to be a major enabler of national ambitions in artificial intelligence, and to contribute to transforming its potential into a tangible impact.”
