SDAIA opens AI professional badge registration
First phase of AI badge programme covers AI Engineer, Data Scientist tracks
#SaudiArabia #skills - Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has opened registration for its Artificial Intelligence Professional Badges programme, a national accreditation framework for AI and data specialists. This first phase covers two specialisations: AI Engineer, focused on practical AI model and systems development, and Data Scientist, focused on algorithm development and analytical capabilities. The programme runs in partnership with Saudi digital solutions company elm, King Saud University and the Human Capability Development Program, and was first announced by SDAIA in January 2026 at the International Conference on Data and AI Capacity Building (ICAN 2026).
SO WHAT? - The new programme aims to bring more clarity to AI job skills and begin to standardise certifications. Job titles like AI Engineer or Data Scientist can mean different things depending on who’s hiring, which makes it hard for employers to verify skill level at a glance. SDAIA’s badges are an attempt to fix that with a standardised, independently assessed benchmark specific to the Saudi talent market. For a country trying to rapidly build a domestic AI workforce fast, having a trusted, government-backed credential could prove to be a key benefit for both professionals and organisations hiring them.
KEY POINTS:
Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has opened registration for the AI Professional Badges programme, covering two specialisations in its first phase: AI Engineer and Data Scientist.
The AI Engineer track focuses on practical skills in developing AI models and systems, while the Data Scientist track covers algorithm development and analytical capabilities for extracting insights from data.
Applicants go through a standardised three-level assessment framework, supervised by an independent scientific committee of researchers, academics and experts from the public and private sectors.
The framework is designed to objectively assess scientific competence, analytical ability and practical skills, giving sectors a reliable benchmark for identifying qualified AI and data talent.
The programme is delivered in partnership with elm, King Saud University and the Human Capability Development Program,
SDAIA first announced the initiative in January 2026 at the International Conference on Data and AI Capacity Building (ICAN 2026), where it unveiled a broad badge structure spanning AI Researchers, AI Engineers and Data Scientists, each with Assistant, Associate and Expert tiers.
The badges aim to establish a unified national framework for evaluating and accrediting data and AI competencies according to standards intended to meet international benchmarks.
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.
LINK
AI badge registration (SDAIA - KSA Only link)
Read more about SDAIA:
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Saudi culture ministry signs AI MoU with SDAIA (Middle East AI News)
Saudi Arabia launches national AI risk framework (Middle East AI News)
SDAIA’s education sandbox earns World Bank recognition (Middle East AI News)
SDAIA trains 215 students from 28 universities (Middle East AI News)