RIYADH: An “Artificial Intelligence Hour” initiative is targeting more than 1,300 public and private schools across Saudi Arabia, with the aim of raising awareness of the emerging technology among students and inspiring the next generation of programmers, as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to support and empower the nation’s youth and develop their talents. The initiative is the second in the National Olympiad for Programming and Artificial Intelligence, which has been developed by the Saudi Ministry of Education in partnership with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority and the King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, also known as Mawhiba. It offers 300,000 male and female students in middle and high schools the chance to learn more about the AI field.