H.E. the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, extended his congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and to His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister on the anniversary of the founding of the First Saudi State by the late Imam Muhammad bin Saud.

Alswaha affirmed that Founding Day represents a deeply rooted national milestone through which the Kingdom commemorates three centuries of unity, strength, and determination. It is an occasion that inspires the spirit of leadership and ambition driving Saudi Arabia’s journey toward the future, under the wise leadership’s continued support for growth, technological innovation, and the Kingdom’s global competitiveness.

He noted that the digital economy, technology, and space ecosystem continues to achieve qualitative milestones reflecting the Kingdom’s position as a global hub in the intelligent era. Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in the ICT Development Index (IDI) issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for 2025, in addition to ranking second globally in the Government Technology Maturity Index (GTMI) issued by the World Bank, and second globally in digital regulatory maturity.

The Kingdom is now home to eight technology unicorns, accounting for approximately 50% of the region’s total unicorns. The ICT sector workforce has exceeded 406,000 jobs, reflecting a 7% annual growth compared to 2024. The National Technology Development Program (NTDP) has supported more than 3,300 startups, created over 20,000 jobs, increased its contribution to GDP by more than SAR 22 billion, attracted more than 200 international technology companies to operate in the Kingdom, and supported over 3,550 entrepreneurs.