Riyadh, September 14, 2022, SPA -- Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Ibrahim Al-Khorayef stressed the importance of advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence in the field of industry and mining as well as their role in supporting and increasing productivity, indicating that advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence in the fields of industry and mining contribute to improving reliability, enhancing employee safety, and making our industries more sustainable. This came during his speech at the plenary session held today on the role of advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence in the field of industry and mining within 2nd Global AI Summit which is organized by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) at the headquarters of King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh during the period September, 13-15. He disclosed that the Kingdom has more than 10,000 factories, which constitute 11% of the country's GDP, with an annual growth rate of 10%. “Advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence-based technologies are no longer an option, but a reality that cannot be bypassed to ensure growth and profitability. In the past, factories were able to achieve all the benefits of different technologies by simply working with technology providers to prepare new solutions in their facilities,” he said. With regard to the role of governments in building the ecosystem, the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources indicated that governments are expected to participate more today in enabling the adoption of these advanced technologies, by providing advanced digital infrastructure and advanced applications. He also affirmed the Kingdom's determination to enhance the outcomes of research, development and innovation. In this regard, a new research, development and innovation authority was established to achieve this goal. --SPA 21:28 LOCAL TIME 18:28 GMT 0061 www.spa.gov.sa/w1784933