Programme Overview
An intensive one-day executive programme designed to give senior leaders the strategic perspective they need to lead AI adoption across their organisation. It moves beyond tool familiarity to the decisions executives actually own: where AI delivers real competitive advantage, how to govern it responsibly, how to align it with Saudi Vision 2030 and sector transformation agendas, and how to deploy AI talent and investment without losing control of sovereign data, regulatory obligations and organisational culture. The programme is delivered in the language of boards and the C-suite, not that of specialist technical teams.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this programme, participants will be able to:
- Describe the current state of AI and its trajectory as it relates to their sector and function.
- Assess where AI creates genuine business value, as distinct from superficial transformation, within their organisation.
- Steer responsible AI adoption in line with SDAIA’s AI Ethics Principles and the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
- Evaluate AI investments, partnerships and vendor propositions with confidence.
- Make informed decisions on talent, governance, risk and sovereign-data requirements.
- Lead the AI conversation across departments without relying on technical intermediaries.
Programme Content & Modules
What AI actually means in practice in 2026, and what it does not. The shift from predictive AI to generative AI to agentic AI. Where the technology has matured, where it remains experimental, and how executives can cut through the hype to the reality. The benchmarks that matter at executive level. Global and regional trends, including the Kingdom’s position relative to its GCC peers.
A live demonstration of AI tools at executive level for decision support, research summarisation, board-material preparation and strategic briefings. Prompt engineering as a strategic skill. A curated set of executive use cases across sectors in Saudi Arabia and the GCC.
Scenario planning, competitive analysis and board-session preparation with AI. The difference between AI generating answers and AI sharpening executive judgement. An applied case study on a strategic question relevant to one of the participants.
SDAIA’s AI Ethics Principles — fairness, accountability, transparency, safety and sustainability. Alignment with the National AI Index (NAII). A brief overview of ISO/IEC 42001. The implications of the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL). Workforce transformation and its effect on talent. What an executive should own personally and what can be delegated. A closing action plan prepared by each participant.
Suggested Duration
One training day.
Target Audience & Prerequisites
Target audience: Chief executives, board members, C-suite officeholders, vice-presidents, deputy ministers and directors-general responsible for setting organisational direction in the private, government and semi-government sectors.
Prerequisites: No prior knowledge of AI is required. Participants are expected to hold strategic or profit-and-loss responsibility in their current role. A laptop is recommended for the hands-on sessions, though not mandatory.
