Rio de Janeiro: The President of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Dr. Munir bin Mahmoud Eldesouki, affirmed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to investing in science and technology to become one of the world’s leading countries by 2030, through launching national aspirations and priorities for research, development, and innovation that are consistent with its ambitious vision and aim to promote global stability, prosperity and well-being for future generations.
This occurred while he was leading the delegation of the Kingdom participating in the G20 Science Summit (Science20), which was held in Rio de Janeiro, under the presidency of the Federal Republic of Brazil, and which was attended by representatives of the scientific academies of the G20 countries, as well as representatives of international scientific institutions and national networks.
Dr. Eldesouki explained that the Kingdom seeks to achieve leadership in the field of Artificial Intelligence through its commitment to
governance, innovation, and employing artificial intelligence ethics principles in future expectations for research and development. International cooperation and knowledge exchange will provide a sustainable path to ensuring global security and ethical considerations.
He stated that the Kingdom is committed to economic diversification and sustainability, which are central to its ambitious 2030 vision, as well as investing in the bioeconomy, desert agriculture, water conservation technologies, and finding renewable energy solutions through the ‘Green Saudi Arabia’ initiative that aims to plant 10 billion trees in the coming decades to reduce carbon emissions by 278 million tons per year, and protect 30% of land and marine areas by 2030.
In the field of energy, Dr. Eldesouki emphasized that the Kingdom aims to achieve leadership in the field of clean energy, and to contribute to global efforts to combat
climate change, as it works to diversify the national energy mix used to producing electricity, which con
sists of renewable energy and gas by 50%, to gradually eliminate liquid fuel. In addition to adding 20 gigawatts of renewable energy annually to reach 130 gigawatts by 2030, more than 80 initiatives are being implemented in the public and private sector, with over 705 billion riyals invested.
In terms of health, he pointed out that the Kingdom has initiated a national biotechnology strategy to address health challenges, promote medical innovation through genomics and precision medicine, transform health care outcomes, and improve quality of life at the national level. Additionally, the Kingdom has strengthened mental health care by implementing programs targeting vulnerable populations, to raise awareness of mental health and develop strong policies and support systems.
In relation to social justice, he confirmed the Kingdom’s firm commitment to the principles of social justice, eradicating poverty, and reducing inequality, and cited the Kingdom’s efforts to empower women through its receipt of the Global A
ward for Empowerment of Women in the field of technology from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2020. As a result of its efforts, the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked the Kingdom as one of the three most improved countries in the world in closing the gender gap in 2022. This makes us the first country in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to receive the Award for Women’s Empowerment in the technology sector. In 2023, the participation of women in the communications and information technology sector increased to 35%, exceeding the European Union, the G20, and Silicon Valley.
At the end of his speech, Dr. Eldesouki expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the Federal Republic of Brazil for its presidency of the G20 for the excellent efforts in facilitating the successful Science Summit and called for agreement on a framework that is consistent with the aspirations of participants to meet future challenges in the science and technology sector and secure a promising future for future generat
ions.
Source: Saudi Press Agency