KOTRA Accelerates AI and Smart City Cooperation with Saudi Arabia at 'AI·City·Energy Roadshow'

AI, Cloud, Mobility, and Energy B2B Networking
From UAE and Qatar to Saudi Arabia
Expanding AI Cooperation Networks with Middle Eastern Oil-Producing Countries

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced that on November 19, it held the "Korea-Saudi Arabia AI·City·Energy Roadshow" in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, together with the Saudi Ministry of Investment and the Saudi Investment Promotion Authority.

KOTRA headquarters building. KOTRA

KOTRA has recently been pursuing AI cooperation with Middle Eastern oil-producing countries in succession. This event was held as part of these efforts. In September, KOTRA signed an MOU for AI cooperation with the Dubai Future Foundation and held the "Korea-Qatar AI Cooperation Forum" in Doha. This was followed by the "Korea-Saudi AI Future Cooperation Partnership" event. Last month, KOTRA operated the Korea Pavilion at the Middle East Information and Communication Exhibition (GITEX), and this roadshow continued those activities.

Saudi Arabia has announced "Saudi Vision 2030" and is promoting the application of AI technology, the creation of smart cities, and diversification of the energy mix as core pillars of national growth. In line with this demand, 17 Korean companies in the fields of AI, smart cities, and energy, as well as around 70 Saudi organizations, including smart city promotion agencies and major demand companies, participated in the roadshow.

The roadshow consisted of an AI forum, one-on-one business meetings, and networking programs. During the forum, the National Information Society Agency (NIA) of Korea and the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) presented directions for policy and technological cooperation, while Naver Cloud and Saudi Arabia’s leading digital company Humane shared their business models.

In the subsequent business-to-business (B2B) meeting, Korean companies specializing in AI, energy, and smart cities, such as Kakao Mobility and SoluM, held a total of over 200 export consultations with more than 70 local related companies and organizations.

Kim Myunghee, Executive Vice President and Head of the Industrial Innovation Growth Division at KOTRA, stated, "Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern oil-producing countries are focusing on Korea as a reliable partner with advanced AI technology. At this roadshow, we were able to confirm the high level of local interest in Korea’s AI and smart city technologies. KOTRA will actively promote the entry of our AI ecosystem into the Middle Eastern market by leveraging our local networks and demand."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.