The following words and phrases - wherever they appear in these arrangements - shall have the meanings specified next to each:

Arrangements: The organizational arrangements of the Saudi Data and AI Authority.

Authority: The Saudi Data and AI Authority.

Council: The Board of Directors of the Authority.

President: The President of the Council.

Authority Devices: National Information Center, National Center for Artificial Intelligence, and the National Data Management Office. 

The authority enjoys legal personality and financial and administrative independence, and is organizationally linked to the President of the Council of Ministers. Its main headquarters is located in Riyadh, and it has the right to establish branches within the Kingdom as needed. 
 

1- The Authority aims to govern data and artificial intelligence, provide capabilities related to data and predictive abilities, and enhance them with continuous innovation in the field of artificial intelligence; ensuring the Kingdom's advancement to leadership among information, data, and artificial intelligence-based economies.

2. The Authority shall be the competent body in the Kingdom regarding data (including big data) and artificial intelligence, and the national reference in all matters related to their regulation, development, and management.

The Authority exercises all the necessary competencies and powers to achieve its objectives, and it holds the original jurisdiction in all matters related to the operation, research, and innovation in the fields of data and artificial intelligence. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology holds the subsidiary jurisdiction in matters recommended by the National Data Management Office during discussions with the Ministry. Specifically, the Authority has the following:

1- Organizing the data and artificial intelligence sectors by establishing specific policies, standards, and controls for them and how to deal with them, disseminating them to relevant governmental and non-governmental entities, and monitoring compliance with them; in accordance with the relevant regulatory provisions.

2- Building specialized national expertise and capabilities in the fields of data and artificial intelligence, adopting professional standards, developing professional metrics and tests, educational and training programs in those areas, implementing them, and coordinating with the Ministry in this regard.

3- Building, operating, and hosting digital government data and cloud systems and electronic systems related to that.

4- Stimulating the growth of the data and artificial intelligence sectors, encouraging innovation and investment in them, and coordinating with the Ministry in this regard.

5- Proposing mechanisms to enhance spending efficiency and increase revenues in the data and artificial intelligence sectors, and coordinating with the relevant entities to take necessary actions.

6- Raising awareness of the policies, provisions of laws, regulations, and decisions related to data and artificial intelligence.

7- Representing the Kingdom in international forums related to data and artificial intelligence.

8- Any other jurisdiction or authority determined by the Council within the scope of the arrangements.

The authority shall have a Board of Directors, whose chairman is appointed by a decision of the Council of Ministers, and its members are appointed by a decree from the Prime Minister.

The Council is the dominant authority over the affairs of the Authority, its devices, management, and the conduct of its matters. It has all the necessary competencies and powers to achieve its objectives, and in particular, it has the following:

1- Approving policies related to data and artificial intelligence, and supervising their implementation in coordination with the relevant government entities.

2- Proposing draft laws and regulations related to the activities of the Authority and its devices, proposing amendments to those in effect, and submitting them to complete the legal procedures.

3- Approving national strategies related to data and artificial intelligence and submitting them to complete the legal procedures.

4- Approving the establishment of specialized centers for data and artificial intelligence.

5- Approving the establishment of branches for the Authority or any of its devices.

6- Studying requests for data sharing, issuing decisions regarding them, and following up on their implementation with government and non-government entities according to a mechanism approved by it.

7- Approving the inclusion of any government data center or infrastructure devices related to the activities and fields that the Authority specializes in, and submitting what requires completing legal procedures regarding it.

8- Licensing individuals and non-government entities to engage in activities and operations related to data and artificial intelligence as specified by it.

9- Developing performance measurement indicators specific to data and artificial intelligence, and preparing periodic reports about them.

10- Disseminating national achievements related to data and artificial intelligence at both local and international levels, and publishing the official reports related to them.

11- Approving sustainability methods for the services provided by the Authority and its devices and their effectiveness.

12- Approving the financial fees for the services provided by the Authority and its devices.

13- Approving the organizational structures of the Authority and its devices, in accordance with the procedures followed.

14- Approving the financial regulations of the Authority in agreement with the Ministry of Finance, and approving the administrative regulations of the Authority; in agreement with the Ministry of Finance regarding the provisions with financial implications contained therein.

15- Approving the unified regulations for the Authority and its devices, and other internal regulations to manage the affairs of the Authority and its devices.

16- Approving the draft budget of the Authority, its final account, the auditor's report, the annual report, and submitting what requires completing legal procedures regarding it.

17- Supervising and monitoring the work of the Authority and its devices.

18- Seeking assistance from research and planning centers, expert houses, experts, and consultants.

19- Approving the conclusion of agreements and contracts, according to the legal procedures.

20- Reviewing the periodic reports submitted to it regarding the progress of work in the Authority and its devices.

21- Accepting grants, donations, gifts, bequests, and endowments in accordance with the relevant regulations.

22- Appointing an internal financial auditor.

The Council, in order to achieve these competencies and powers, may form permanent or temporary committees from its members or others. It assigns to them what it sees as tasks, and specifies in the decision to form each committee its chair, members, and competencies. Committees may seek assistance from whom they deem necessary to perform the tasks assigned to them. The Council may also delegate some of its competencies to its chair, the head of the Authority, or to any of its members as it sees fit.

1- The Council meetings are held at the headquarters of the Authority, chaired by the President or a member designated by him. It is permissible, when necessary, to hold them in another location within the Kingdom.

2- The Council holds its meetings periodically at least (four) times a year, and the President may call for a meeting whenever needed or upon the request of at least one-third of the members. The invitation to the meeting is to be sent by the President in writing at least (seven) days prior to the meeting, and the invitation must include the agenda.

3- A Council meeting is valid if attended by at least the majority of the members, including the President or his designee, and decisions are made by a majority of the votes of those present at least. In the event of a tie, the side that the President of the meeting voted with shall prevail.

4- The deliberations and decisions of the Council are recorded in minutes signed by the President of the meeting and the attending members.

5- A member of the Council may not abstain from voting, nor may they delegate another member to vote on their behalf in their absence. An objecting member has the right to record their objection and reasons in the minutes of the Council meeting.

6- A member of the Council may not disclose any information they have learned about the secrets of the Authority due to their membership in the Council, even after their membership has ended.

7- The Council may invite those it deems necessary from specialists and consultants to attend its meetings, without them having the right to vote.

8- The Council may appoint a Secretary-General from among its members or from outside.

The Authority shall have a President appointed at the rank of Minister based on a nomination from the President of the Council, and he shall be responsible for managing the affairs of the Authority. His responsibilities are concentrated within the limits set by the arrangements and approved by the Council, and he shall undertake the following competencies and powers:

1- Supervising the workflow in the Authority and its apparatus.

2- Proposing policies related to data and artificial intelligence, submitting them to the Council, and following up on their implementation after approval.

3- Supervising the preparation of national strategies related to data and artificial intelligence, and submitting them to the Council.

4- Appointing employees in the Authority and its apparatus in accordance with the regulations, supervising them, and terminating their services.

5- Disbursing from the approved budget of the Authority, and taking all financial procedures in accordance with the approved systems and regulations and the powers delegated to him by the Council.

6- Preparing the organizational structures of the Authority and its apparatus, and submitting them to the Council.

7- Preparing the financial and administrative regulations of the Authority - including the unified regulations for the Authority and its apparatus - and other internal regulations to manage the affairs of the Authority and its apparatus, and submitting them to the Council.

8- Preparing periodic reports on the progress of the Authority and its apparatus, and presenting them to the Council.

9- Preparing the draft budget of the Authority, its final accounts, the auditor's report, and the annual report; and submitting them to the Council.

10- Representing the Authority before the judiciary, and before government entities, institutions, and other bodies, as well as other entities inside and outside the Kingdom. He may delegate others in this regard.

11- Signing agreements and contracts, after obtaining the Council's approval.

12- Any other competencies assigned to him by the Council.

The President of the Authority may delegate some of his competencies and powers to whomever he sees fit among the Authority's employees or its apparatus, in accordance with what is determined by the Authority's regulations.

1- The National Information Center is responsible for developing the National Data Bank and the National Foresight Platforms, hosting them, and operating them. The center shall be the operator of the government cloud(s), except for what is excluded by a royal order.

2- The National Information Center shall be the owner, developer, and operator of the Government Secure Network (GSN) and the host of the Government Integration Channel (GSB).

And the Council may assign any other tasks - based on arrangements - to the National Information Center.

3- The National Information Center shall have a director at the excellent rank, appointed based on a nomination from the Chairman of the Council, and is responsible for managing the affairs of the center, with responsibilities concentrated within the limits approved by the Council.

1- The National Data Management Office is responsible for establishing policies, governance mechanisms, standards, and controls related to data and artificial intelligence, and submitting them to the Council; and monitoring compliance with them after their approval.

2- The National Data Management Office proposes systems related to enhancing spending efficiency and increasing revenues in the field of national data, coordinating with the relevant authorities to take the necessary actions.

3- The National Data Management Office shall have a President at the excellent rank, appointed based on a nomination from the President of the Council, and is responsible for managing the affairs of the office, with responsibilities concentrated within the limits set by the arrangements, the regulations, and what is approved by the President of the Council.