Streamlining the adoption of AI technologies and promoting Arabic language leadership locally and globally, King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL) unveiled its Arabic AI Center, the premier hub for Natural Language Processing (NLP), in Riyadh on Monday. Under the auspices and guidance of His Highness Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture and Chairman of KSGAAL’s Board of Trustees, the opening ceremony attracted linguistic institutions and renowned linguists from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and beyond.
Abdullah Al-Washmi, KSGAAL Secretary-General, said: “Launching the Arabic AI Center is a pivotal moment as we establish the first-of-its-kind hub for automated Arabic language processing. The Center aims to support Arabic content in data and artificial intelligence and drive research, applications, and capabilities in AI and the Arabic language. The Center will play a key role in achieving the National Strategy for Data and AI goals, contributing to Saudi Vision 2030's objective of establishing global leadership in this field.”
KSGAAL's new Center marks a significant leap forward in KSGAAL's efforts in computational linguistics. The center focuses on creating linguistic resources, developing cutting-edge computer tools and applications, and ultimately revolutionizing Arabic natural language processing for language interpretation and generation. By leveraging state-of-the-art AI technologies, the Center aspires to establish Arabic as a leading language in the world of software and applications.
Driven by a vision to propel the Arabic language forward through AI, the Arabic AI Center aims to provide integrated services empowering users to harness AI technologies, thereby elevating the prominence of Arabic both locally and globally. The Center will offer a range of services, including AI-based technical and linguistic consultations for Arabic language processing, organizing workshops and customized training sessions, providing paid licenses for researchers, supporting studies aligned with its objectives, and contributing to data annotation for collaborative research endeavors.
The Center aims to establish effective standards and frameworks for Arabic language processing, enabling high-quality, impactful AI-related research and innovation. The Center also focuses on developing practical AI applications and capacity building, in line with global standards, to foster the localization of expertise and knowledge in Arabic language processing. Additionally, the Center provides the necessary data infrastructure to support Arabic language processing and will form strategic partnerships that contribute to achieving these objectives.
The Arabic AI Center comprises five core laboratories: the AI Lab, dedicated to AI-driven research aimed at enhancing and processing the Arabic language to achieve advanced levels of computation; the Data Formatting Lab, specialized in aggregating Arabic data (written, auditory, or visual), annotating, processing, visualizing, and ensuring its quality; the Audiovisual Lab, focused on recording, processing, storing, and categorizing audio and visual data; the VR and AR Lab, dedicated to developing Arabic software leveraging virtual and augmented reality technologies; and lastly, the Researchers Lab, specifically designated for researchers across various domains who require workspace to conduct their Arabic computing research.
By launching the Arabic AI Center, KSGAAL reaffirms its strategic role, demonstrated by its initiatives and projects dedicated to serving the Arabic language, in line with the Human Capability Development Program—a cornerstone of Saudi Vision 2030. It also confirms its commitment to capitalize on opportunities in Arabic language services and support AI applications for automated processing through language interpretation and generation, establishing Arabic as a competitive language on the global stage.