Saudi Aramco and its digital arm, Aramco Digital, made a notable impact at LEAP 2026 in Riyadh by signing a series of agreements and memorandums of understanding with leading technology companies. The collaborations aim to foster innovation, localize advanced technologies, and strengthen national digital capabilities.
Focus Areas of the New Agreements
The agreements and MoUs center on several critical domains, including cybersecurity, industrial artificial intelligence, innovation, and the localization of key technologies. These efforts are designed to integrate advanced tech solutions into the energy sector and support the growth of Saudi Arabia’s digital and industrial ecosystem.
Aramco Leadership on Technology and AI
Aramco President and CEO Amin H. Nasser highlighted that LEAP 2026 serves as a vital platform for envisioning the future of technology, bringing together ideas, talent, and global and national partnerships that can accelerate technological progress.
Nasser pointed to the Kingdom’s significant strides in developing digital infrastructure, telecommunications, and IT, emphasizing that the energy sector stands to benefit greatly from industrial AI. He noted that Aramco already deploys AI at the core of its industrial operations, leveraging its deep industrial and engineering expertise alongside data science and AI capabilities to tackle real-world challenges and create new opportunities.
He further stressed that Aramco’s investments in energy and digital technologies could support the Kingdom’s ambition to become a global leader in AI and digital solutions, building on its expertise, infrastructure, partnerships, and supportive regulatory environment.
Strategic Framework for Industrial AI
Ahmad Al-Khowaiter, Aramco’s Executive Vice President of Technology and Innovation, outlined the company’s strategic framework for industrial AI, which rests on three main pillars: intelligence, trust, and scalability.
Al-Khowaiter explained that Aramco applies AI across exploration, production optimization, reliability enhancement, engineering acceleration, maintenance improvement, and employee safety. The company is also building the foundations for AI expansion by securing cloud environments, providing flexible connectivity, promoting digital ethics, and developing AI-powered monitoring systems.
He emphasized that AI is not a substitute for industrial knowledge but rather a complement to it. Achieving leadership in industrial AI, he said, requires partnerships with technology firms and entrepreneurs, transforming technologies and ideas into practical, scalable solutions.
Commitment to Innovation and National Capacity Building
Aramco’s and Aramco Digital’s participation in LEAP 2026 reflects the company’s broader commitment to driving technological innovation, expanding collaboration with the global tech ecosystem, and supporting technology localization and national capacity building. These efforts aim to shape the future of the energy sector and the Kingdom’s digital economy.
