RIYADH: Speaking at the G20 Ministerial Meeting on the Digital Economy held in India, Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha highlighted the pivotal role of Saudi Vision 2030 in enhancing the Kingdom’s competitiveness through empowering youth and women, and building a sustainable future for the Kingdom based on technology and innovation. Al-Swaha said that the digital economy is the biggest social equalizer and economic multiplier through the creation of future jobs and new business models. On the achievements of the Kingdom in the digital field, Al- Swaha said that Saudi Arabia has provided the world with a pioneering model in bridging the digital divide and succeeded in bringing digital infrastructure to 99 percent of the population. Moreover, the Kingdom has provided the first-ever experiment to connect the offline world to terrestrial networks. Saudi Arabia has also launched the world’s largest virtual hospital that uses artificial intelligence to provide advanced medical services. Al-Swaha praised the efforts of Saudi Vision 2030 in empowering youth and women. The Kingdom recently recorded a jump in women’s employment in the technology sector, from 7 to 33 percent, exceeding the average of the G20 and EU countries. Al-Swaha also highlighted important sustainability initiatives in the Kingdom, citing the battery storage facility in the Red Sea project and the use of technology to carry out major marine surveys to protect coral reefs. The Saudi minister said that artificial intelligence is expected to generate about $1 trillion in wealth worldwide this year and almost $14 trillion by 2030. Al-Swaha praised the efforts of the Indian presidency in the G20 Digital Economy Working Group and its initiatives related to public digital infrastructure, stressing Saudi Arabia’s determination to overcome the challenges facing the digital economy.