RIYADH, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The Global CEO of Saudi Alat Amit Midha has emphasized the importance of partnering with China in Saudi Arabia's ambition in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and smart industries.
Alat, chaired by the Saudi crown prince and owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, is an innovative company focused on transforming the global electronics and industrial sectors and creating a world-class manufacturing hub in Saudi Arabia.
In an interview with Xinhua during the LEAP Tech Conference 2024, which kicked off early this week in Riyadh, Midha said Alat plans to build more partnerships with Chinese companies.
"We choose the right technology partner with a shared vision of AI, sustainability, innovation, and geopolitical resilience," he told Xinhua, noting that the company has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China's Dahua Technology Co., Ltd, an AIoT solution and service provider.
"We'll partner with the right companies and have partners worldwide that help us build an electronics hub and a smart industry," Midha added.
Referring to China's Shenzhen as a digital factory for the world, the CEO, who had worked in China, said the Asian country has many innovative companies in relevant industries.
"My experience in China has helped me sort of get on my feet here in the Kingdom," he recalled, highlighting that Alat would also benefit from Chinese expertise.
"As Alat is a global company ... We have a lot of talent from the United States, Europe, Singapore and China. We'll continue to find the best talent," Midha said.
According to the CEO, Alat focuses on manufacturing products in seven areas: advanced industries, semiconductors, smart appliances, smart health, smart devices, smart buildings, and next-generation infrastructure.
Talking about the advantages for Saudi Arabia to develop cutting-edge industries, Midha said that "we have a tremendous amount of natural resources and capital, and ... from a geopolitical perspective, we can provide resilience and all energy surplus."
Regarding future plans, he disclosed that the initial batch of factories is set to launch this year, with the Kingdom investing 3.2 trillion U.S. dollars by 2030.
During such a process, Midha said, Alat aims to create 39,000 direct jobs in Saudi Arabia and achieve a non-oil GDP contribution of 9.3 billion dollars. ■
