Saudi tech giant bets on US AI, locals left guessing
A Saudi technology company and an American artificial intelligence firm announced plans to bring advanced industrial software to enterprises throughout the Middle East. Echelon Digital Group revealed its agreement with Elutions to implement the Maestro AI system across energy facilities, petrochemical operations, mining companies and educational institutions.
Prince Khaled bin Badr Al Saud, who chairs Echelon Digital, said the arrangement supports efforts to bring sophisticated technologies into the kingdom while developing local technical expertise. The collaboration targets improvements in operational performance and sustainability objectives for critical industries. Chief executive Omar Saleh noted the work advances Vision 2030 development priorities.
Paul Doucas from Elutions said the platform has demonstrated energy savings between 15 and 30 percent along with productivity increases reaching 25 percent at major global facilities. The companies plan eventual formation of a joint venture to establish Saudi Arabia as a regional center for industrial automation. Government projections estimate artificial intelligence will generate more than $135 billion in economic value by 2030, representing approximately 12.4 percent of gross domestic product.
