#SaudiArabia #skills - Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has ramped up testing applicants for its AI Professional Badges, with more than 150 candidates from government and private entities, universities, research centres and technology companies sitting exams this round. Launched in early 2026 at the International Conference on Data and AI Capacity Building (ICAN 2026), the badge programme certifies AI Engineer and Data Scientist specialisations across three tiers using a standardised assessment framework. SDAIA has already awarded badges to 52 specialists in a ceremony held during the UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of AI in Riyadh earlier this month.
SO WHAT? - Job titles like AI Engineer mean different things depending on who’s hiring, and in a fast growing AI ecosystem, that can slow the job market down. SDAIA’s badge programme give Saudi employers a single, government-backed benchmark to support candidate screening and hiring. With more than 150 additional candidates tested this round, on top of the 52 already certified, the programme is moving from concept to a functioning credential relatively fast.
KEY POINTS:
Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has tested more than 150 applicants for its AI Professional Badges programme, drawn from government and private entities, universities, research centres and technology companies across Saudi Arabia.
The tests use a three-level standardised assessment framework aligned with leading international models for evaluating AI and data specialists.
SDAIA previously awarded badges to 52 specialists during the fourth edition of the UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of AI in Riyadh, presented by SDAIA Vice President Eng. Sami Moquim.
The programme covers two professional tracks, Data Scientist and AI Engineer, each structured across three progressive proficiency levels: Assistant, Associate and Expert.
Credentials are benchmarked against international standards and require candidates to pass rigorous exams validating their practical experience, technical knowledge and skills.
The initiative was first announced by SDAIA in January 2026 at ICAN 2026, held at King Saud University, and runs in partnership with Saudi digital solutions company elm, King Saud University and the Human Capability Development Program.
SDAIA says the programme supports Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Strategy for Data and AI, aiming to build a sustainable national system for AI talent, research and innovation.
The badges aim to give organisations a certified mechanism for identifying and deploying qualified AI and data talent, standardising skills that otherwise vary significantly between employers.
ZOOM OUT - The AI Badges programme was one of several initiatives SDAIA unveiled at ICAN 2026, held during January at King Saud University in Riyadh. Alongside it, SDAIA launched a National Cross-Disciplinary Curriculum for University Students in Data and AI, aimed at building baseline AI literacy beyond computer science departments. To support the rollout, SDAIA signed memoranda of understanding with 14 public and private universities, including King Saud University, King Abdulaziz University and Alfaisal University, to build data and AI capabilities among students and staff. In June SDAIA announced that it had begun training 215 students from 28 Saudi universities.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Source: SDAIA, MEAIN
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