Saudi SDAIA, Google Cloud to train 1K women from 28 countries

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) is working with Google Cloud to train 1,000 women from 28 countries in the fields of data and AI, according to Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Tuesday.

The initiative is part of the ‘Elevate Programme,’ which is the world’s first of its kind. The programme will last for five years during which it aims to train over 25,000 women from various nations in advanced technical domains.

It started in early May of 2023, with the first phase of Elevate programme extending over nearly four months, during which trainees go through four different online training levels.

A group of Saudi youth experts from SDAIA, including seven male and nine female trainers, supervises the training of the first phase.

They deliver a comprehensive 340-hour training experience through two distinct paths: one for technical experts and another for non-specialists aspiring to cultivate their proficiencies within these technical arenas.

The number of specialists in the field in the first phase reached 300 trainees, while non-specialists were around 700.

They are representing various countries including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Mauritania, United States of America, Nigeria, Tanzania, Syria, Türkiye, Algeria, Kenya, India, Jordan, Brazil, Gambia, Vietnam, Uganda, Eswatini, Lebanon, Lesotho, Iraq, United Kingdom, Sudan, Tunisia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, and Liberia.

The programme will allow women to access and excel in different technical sectors, to become specialised technical professionals and individuals passionate about data science, AI, and machine learning.

This will also help decrease the gender gap in scientific fields in light of the United Nations 2023 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).