RIYADH: The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority in cooperation with Google Cloud has launched the first phase of an initiative aimed at training 1,000 women from 28 countries in data and AI skills. The Elevate Program, which will run until Aug. 30, was initially announced during the second edition of the Global AI Summit held in Riyadh in September. In a statement, the SDAIA said: “The first phase of the program is offered under the supervision of 16 female and male trainers from the authority through two tracks; one for technical specialists and the other for non-specialists who wish to develop their skills. “The program offers free training sessions designed to equip participants with the skills and experience needed for roles such as cloud engineer, data engineer, machine learning engineer, or cloud business.” The program has been designed to empower women in global emerging markets to pursue new jobs in AI and ML by training more than 25,000 women over the next five years. It also aims to close the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The launch of the Elevate Program is part of the authority’s contribution toward the Kingdom’s target of becoming a global leader AI.