France and Saudi Arabia Expand Tech Collaboration with Focus on AI Innovation France and Saudi Arabia to accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies.
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Saudi Arabia's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Abdullah Alswaha, held high-level meetings in Paris with leading French research institutions and tech companies to strengthen collaboration in artificial intelligence (AI), deep technologies, space, and data governance.
The visit aligns with Saudi Arabia's strategic push to accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies and elevate its research and innovation ecosystem under Vision 2030.
During his meeting with Bruno Sportisse, CEO of French national research institute Inria, Alswaha explored joint opportunities in AI, robotics, quantum computing, and the creation of shared research labs, alongside researcher exchange and talent development programs.
He also met with Arthur Mensch, CEO of Mistral AI, to discuss cooperation in the development of open-source large language models (LLMs) and generative AI technologies.
In a separate meeting with CNIL President Marie-Laure Denis, discussions centered on data protection, AI regulations, and best practices in data governance. The dialogue underscored Saudi Arabia's commitment to building forward-looking regulatory frameworks for responsible tech innovation.
The Saudi delegation also sat down with Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO of Thales Group, to explore collaboration in smart systems and space technologies—advancing the Kingdom's efforts to build robust digital infrastructure and empower its high-tech sectors.
