Saudi Arabia is pursuing a balanced approach to artificial intelligence that pairs getting the most out of the technology and enabling innovation with governance, regulation and privacy protection, said Abdullah Alkhodairi, Chief Strategy Officer at the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA). The approach, he said, serves national ambitions and ensures AI is used responsibly and sustainably.

Alkhodairi spoke Thursday in a session titled "Enhancing Productivity through AI and Automation" on the Main Stage on the fourth day of LEAP 2026 at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham.

He outlined SDAIA's work to prepare government entities to adopt AI and expand its use to raise productivity and efficiency.

He also described the National Artificial Intelligence Index (NAII), which SDAIA developed to assess government entities' readiness for sustainable AI adoption. The index takes an integrated view covering strategy; policies and AI ethics; data quality and readiness; infrastructure; computing and human capabilities; and solutions, use cases and their measured impact on productivity and efficiency.