AI can support Saudi Arabia’s ability to meet its Paris Agreement goals, but only as a complementary tool rather than a primary solution.

Saudi Arabia’s generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy has been led by the Saudi Arabia Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA). Its goal is to diversify its economy beyond oil and embrace technological advancements across various sectors. in alignment with its Vision 2030 initiative. 

The strategy focuses on developing the technology and infrastructure needed to build a robust generative AI ecosystem that supports key sectors such as education, healthcare, energy, and finance. For example, the Kingdom is expanding educational programs to train more than 5,000 students in AI-focused courses and to train 25,000 women in data and AI over the next five years through the Elevate program. Moreover, the country has invested $120 million in computing power and data infrastructure to acquire more than 3,000 Nvidia graphics processing units, which are essential for training large-scale AI models. Additionally, the nation is focused on expanding its supercomputing capabilities and data centers, like the Shaheen III supercomputer, which features 35.66 petaflops of computing power. 

Saudi Arabia’s strategy to source at least 50 percent of its power from renewable energy, primarily solar and wind, by 2030 will provide the backbone for sustainable AI expansion. At the US–Saudi Investment Forum on November 19, a joint venture was announced with Advanced Micro Devices and Cisco to build renewable-powered data centers beginning with 100 megawatts in the Kingdom and scaling to 1GW by 2030. Additionally, in September 2022, SDAIA signed a strategic agreement with IBM, in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy in Saudi Arabia, to use artificial intelligence technology to detect, map, and eventually reduce carbon emissions across the country. In its November 2025 report, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) praised the Kingdom’s initiative in leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to reduce emissions by more than 588,000 tons of carbon equivalent annually and to improve energy and water efficiency, through ACWA Power’s Monitoring and Prediction Centre (MPC).

Saudi Arabia faces a clear trade-off in adopting AI for climate action. On one hand, AI offers strong benefits in improving energy efficiency, optimizing oil and gas operations, reducing methane emissions, and supporting renewable energy integration, especially solar, which is central to the country’s transition plans. It can also enhance the efficiency of water desalination and urban planning in large-scale developments. However, these gains come with constraints: AI systems are energy-intensive, and since Saudi Arabia’s power grid still relies heavily on fossil fuels, expanded AI use could increase emissions unless paired with clean energy. There is also a risk that AI prolongs the efficiency and competitiveness of hydrocarbon production, potentially slowing deeper structural decarbonization.

Overall, AI can support Saudi Arabia’s ability to meet its Paris Agreement goals, but only as a complementary tool rather than a primary solution. The country’s net-zero-by-2060 target depends heavily on scaling up renewables, deploying carbon capture technologies, and reducing emissions intensity. AI can accelerate progress in these areas by improving forecasting, optimizing systems, and monitoring emissions. However, achieving meaningful climate targets will still require broader economic diversification and policy shifts away from fossil fuel dependence.

This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard Saudi Arabia Country Managers, Abeer Abdulkareem and Amgad Ellaboudy.