How Saudi Arabia is tapping AI to monitor the environment and extreme weather

With the help of AI tools for satellite imaging and Earth observation, scientists would be abled to monitor monitoring ecosystems more effectively. (Shutterstock image)
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Updated 25 January 2025
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How Saudi Arabia is tapping AI to monitor the environment and extreme weather

  • AI enhances weather predictions, improving forecasts for heatwaves and flash floods critical for Saudi Arabia’s climate adaptation efforts
  • KAUST’s Center of Excellence for Generative AI focuses on Earth observation technologies to address climate challenges like water scarcity

RIYADH: Since the launch of Vision 2030, technological innovation and sustainability have been central to Saudi Arabia’s transformative plan, with artificial intelligence emerging as a key tool to tackle a range of issues, including environmental challenges.

With nearly 90 percent of its territory covered by desert, the Kingdom is utilizing AI to combat land degradation, improve water resource management, and promote sustainable practices.

The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology has joined the global AI race by advancing generative AI research.

Its Center of Excellence for Generative AI adopts a multidisciplinary approach, focusing on technologies like multimodal foundation models and AI-assisted Earth observation systems to address challenges, including water scarcity and land degradation.

Prof. Matthew McCabe, director of KAUST’s Climate and Livability Initiative, told Arab News that AI has provided a pathway to revolutionize our understanding and interpretation of Earth systems, ushering in an era where data can be rapidly channeled to provide new knowledge and actionable insights.

“While GenAI has already impacted greatly on a number of domains, its application in the Earth and environmental sciences remains emerging,” McCabe said.




Prof. Matthew McCabe, director of KAUST’s Climate and Livability Initiative. (Photo courtesy of KAUST)

The center’s research focuses on developing AI tools for satellite imaging and Earth observation, enabling better monitoring of ecosystems. This includes using drones and satellite-based remote sensing technologies to track environmental changes in real-time.

Drones and satellite systems provide high-resolution data that is crucial for understanding ecological shifts in regions that were previously difficult to study. This allows for more effective land management, ecosystem restoration, and better predictions regarding weather patterns.

“We will be using remote sensing and other data sources to undertake ecosystem monitoring, helping to advance some of the goals and objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative,” McCabe said.

AI-driven solutions are already aiding the Saudi Green Initiative’s goals of planting 10 billion trees and rehabilitating 40 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, analyzing regional climate data, soil conditions, and water availability to identify optimal planting locations.

The Saudi Data and AI Authority, known as SDAIA, has partnered with several government entities to leverage AI solutions in support of the Saudi Green Initiative. These efforts aim to create innovative, data-driven strategies for combating climate change.

AI is also transforming climate forecasting in Saudi Arabia. Hylke Beck, assistant professor of climate analytics at KAUST, highlighted AI’s potential to predict extreme weather events like heatwaves and flash floods, which are expected to become more frequent and severe due to climate change.




Hylke Beck, assistant professor of climate analytics at KAUST. (Photo courtesy of KAUST)

Beck said AI models can uncover hidden relationships within weather data that traditional forecasting methods cannot, enabling more accurate and actionable forecasts.

He noted that these improved forecasts are critical for the Kingdom as it works to adapt to climate challenges, such as the severe heatwave that affected Makkah last June or the devastating floods in April across the UAE and Oman.

“With projections indicating that climate change will intensify and increase the frequency of heatwaves and flash floods, alongside an expected 32 percent population growth by 2050, the need to harness AI technology has never been more urgent,” Beck told Arab News.




Commuters make their way through a flooded road after heavy rains in Makkah on January 6, 2025. Scientists in Saudi Arabia are tapping AI to improve forecasts as the Kingdom works to adapt to climate challenges. (AFP)

Although there are currently few weather forecasting systems specifically designed for the region, and even fewer that incorporate AI models, Beck says these technologies have transformative potential.

However, Beck says building effective AI models requires access to extensive datasets.

“Government support in making this data accessible is essential for creating a more climate-resilient future,” he said.

DID YOUKNOW?

• KAUST’s Center of Excellence for Generative AI focuses on Earth observation technologies to address climate challenges like water scarcity.

• Drones and satellites provide real-time data, aiding land management, ecosystem restoration, and environmental monitoring for the Saudi Green Initiative.

• AI models can uncover hidden relationships within weather data that traditional forecasting methods cannot, enabling more accurate and actionable forecasts.

Traditional weather models depend on equations created by scientists, but these equations can be limited by gaps in knowledge about certain weather patterns.

“These equations are imperfect because even the best meteorologists don’t fully understand all weather processes,” Berk said.

On the other hand, AI models analyze large amounts of data to find patterns, making predictions faster and more accurate. These are especially useful in areas where traditional systems struggle, like predicting thunderstorms, which are often harder to forecast accurately.




KAUST's new Center of Excellence on Generative AI aims to be the premier research, development, and innovation hub for pioneering generative AI technology in the Kingdom. (KAUST photo)

While traditional systems rely on expensive supercomputers, AI models can run effectively on regular computers, making them more affordable and accessible.

“These AI models can — and I believe will, in the not-too-distant future — fully replace current traditional models. However, they can also be integrated into them,” Beck said.

The Center of Excellence for Generative AI’s initiatives align with Vision 2030’s sustainability and innovation goals, collaborating with leading national entities like NEOM and Aramco, as well as international organizations like Meta and Nvidia to drive progress.

The center also addresses the shortage of generative AI talent in Saudi Arabia through training and upskilling programs for KAUST researchers, partners, and the wider community.


How Saudi Arabia is embracing AI to drive healthier lifestyles in line with Vision 2030

Updated 22 May 2025
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How Saudi Arabia is embracing AI to drive healthier lifestyles in line with Vision 2030

  • From smart hospitals to intelligent PE planning, the Kingdom is harnessing tech to improve public health outcomes
  • King Faisal Specialist Hospital uses AI to streamline patient care and educate families on managing long-term health conditions

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is leveraging artificial intelligence to build a healthier, more active population — a central objective of Vision 2030, which commits to raising the quality of life for all citizens through physical wellbeing.

AI is playing a pivotal role in this national transformation, with its applications extending across the healthcare sector, educational institutions and even mobile fitness apps that support healthier daily habits.

AI applications now plays a significant role in healthcare, education and even mobile fitness apps that support healthier daily habits. (Getty Images)

One leader in this field is the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, which uses AI to streamline patient care, support post-treatment recovery and empower families through personalized health education.

“Today, we live in a golden digital innovation ecosystem in the Kingdom,” Dr. Ahmad AbuSalah, director of the Center for Healthcare Intelligence at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, told Arab News.

“It is a golden time for entrepreneurs, for innovators, for organizations and for researchers. In the hospital, we have a digital transformation journey that we take really seriously.”

Early this year, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh announced that it has successfully performed a robotic-assisted implantation of an artificial heart pump (HeartMate 3) developed by Abbott. (Photo courtesy of KFSHRC)

Driven by the healthcare transformation program of Vision 2030, the hospital’s strategy focuses on lowering costs, expanding access to care and delivering outstanding services — all supported by AI.

However, Dr. AbuSalah said that adoption of these new technologies must be strategic and sustainable if they are to have the desired effect on patient outcomes and medical practice.

“Some organizations build AI models, keep it for a couple of years, and then shut it down. Why? Because it wasn’t bringing value,” he said.

One of the most impactful uses of AI at King Faisal Specialist Hospital is operation intelligence, which helps to guide the patient journey from admission to discharge. The system uses predictive analytics to inform patients about their health and encourage targeted lifestyle changes.

“We built a system that will proactively predict a patient’s experience three days before their appointment for the cancer treatment unit,” Dr. AbuSalah said.

This helps doctors anticipate outcomes, manage expectations and intervene early where needed.

Dr. Ahmad AbuSalah, director of the Center for Healthcare Intelligence at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh. (Supplied)

The hospital’s AI tools also alleviate administrative burden on medical staff — a major cause of burnout. “If we remove the noise around the doctor, the care quality will be enhanced by itself,” Dr. AbuSalah said.

“You always hear the term ‘physician burnout’ because they are spending a lot of time on non-clinical tasks, on documentation, submitting orders here and there, generating reports. How can they focus on patients?”

By automating those tasks, AI frees up time for direct patient care, improving both staff wellbeing and service quality.

Outside the hospital setting, the same technology is helping Saudis to make better everyday health choices. AI-enabled apps now track sleep, diet and exercise, offering personalized insights to encourage small, achievable steps — such as walking or cycling.

In fact, walking and cycling are now the most popular forms of physical activity among Saudi adults, according to a 2024 General Authority for Statistics report.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Predictive AI can forecast patient experiences before appointments, enabling more personalized treatment.

• AI-powered apps help users to track their sleep, diet and activity for smarter, healthier daily habits.

• Schools are using AI to plan tailored PE lessons, making physical activity more engaging for students.

However, the report also noted a gender gap, with 23.2 percent of men being physically active compared to just 14 percent of women.

AI could help to close that gap, offering flexible, accessible ways for women to engage in exercise from home or within their communities.

Meanwhile, in schools across the Kingdom, AI is transforming physical education by helping teachers to tailor activities to individual students’ needs. This has made PE more engaging and inclusive — and part of a broader campaign to instill lifelong habits of fitness.

Last year, the Saudi Ministry of Education added rugby as an elective sport in its physical education curriculum, as part of an effort to promote the importance of having a healthy lifestyle among children. (AFP photo)

In a landmark move last year, the Ministry of Education introduced rugby as an elective sport — an initiative that underscores the growing importance of physical activity in the national curriculum.

But technology alone is not enough. To ensure lasting impact, experts say that the Kingdom must continue investing in infrastructure, educator training and custom tools that align with Saudi culture and goals.

Through such initiatives, Saudi Arabia is turning AI into more than just a technological leap — it is becoming a public health revolution, helping the nation move, live and feel better every day.
 

 


KSrelief chief meets UNICEF official in Brussels

Updated 22 May 2025
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KSrelief chief meets UNICEF official in Brussels

BRUSSELS: Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, adviser at the Royal Court and supervisor general of the Saudi aid agency KSrelief, recently conducted high-level discussions with UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell during the European Humanitarian Forum in Brussels.

The meeting, which included Saudi EU Ambassador Haifa Al-Jedea, focused on joint humanitarian and relief initiatives designed to enhance child welfare programs across global crisis zones.

Russell praised the ongoing partnership between UNICEF and KSrelief, highlighting how their collaboration has successfully delivered aid to millions of vulnerable children worldwide. She described the relationship as “an outstanding example of international humanitarian cooperation dedicated to serving children globally.”


Madinah university launches ‘Legacy and Impact’ project

Updated 22 May 2025
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Madinah university launches ‘Legacy and Impact’ project

 MADINAH: The Islamic University of Madinah has launched the “Irth Wa Athar” (Legacy and Impact) project, which aims to document its graduates’ educational impact and rectify data digitization.

The university said the initiative included documenting and rectifying graduates’ certificates from 1961-97 and collecting the data of 173,000 international scholarships offered by the university to its graduates from 179 countries since its establishment in 1961.

The international scholarships include more than 41,000 awarded to students in the fields of religious sciences, in addition to over 15,000 granted for studies in the principles and skills of Islamic preaching.

Some 27,000 scholarships were granted to students of Arabic language education, while 24,000 were offered for training specialists in other scientific fields.


Sakan wins Qassim excellence award

Updated 22 May 2025
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Sakan wins Qassim excellence award

RIYADH: The National Developmental Housing Corporation, or Sakan, has won the Qassim Award for Excellence and Creativity in the National Excellence Branch in its fifth session.

Yazeed Al-Rasheed, vice president for shared services at Sakan, received the award on behalf of the organization. He expressed his gratitude to officials for their support and recognition of national initiatives, saying that this was an incentive to continue efforts in cooperation with all parties.

Abdulaziz Al-Karidis, secretary-general of Sakan, thanked the Qassim governor for his support for Sakan’s initiatives and for following up and encouraging activities that achieved the foundation’s goals. Receiving the award would inspire the foundation to further enhance its performance and reinforce its core values, he said.

The win marks a milestone in the foundation’s journey and its commitment to excellence and innovation. The foundation continues to strive toward creating a positive and sustainable impact in the developmental housing sector by offering the best solutions and practices.


Black mulberry and damask rose seedlings distributed to farmers in Baha

Updated 22 May 2025
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Black mulberry and damask rose seedlings distributed to farmers in Baha

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Research and Development Center for Sustainable Agriculture — known as Estidamah — has distributed over 20,000 black mulberry and damask rose seedlings to farmers in Al-Baha.

The initiative, carried out through the center’s tissue culture laboratory, is part of efforts to support farmers and transfer modern agricultural techniques to areas with comparative advantages. It continues Estidamah’s contribution to a former agricultural project which saw 52,000 black mulberry, damask rose and strawberry seedlings distributed across the area.

The aim is to introduce new types of seedlings, increase production efficiency and achieve a qualitative leap in the region’s agricultural landscape.

It reflects the center’s keenness to support sustainable agricultural development by spreading highly economically viable plant varieties, which are propagated using tissue culture techniques to ensure quality, genetic purity and suitability to the targeted climatic and environmental conditions.

The center continues to implement several programs that aid farmers by providing research and technical solutions based on sustainable agricultural practices, achieving optimal efficiency in using resources and maximizing production value, in line with National Agriculture Strategy objectives.