Saudi Arabia: Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority opened consultation on draft Responsible Artificial Intelligence Policy including data protection regulation

On 3 April 2026, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) opened a consultation on the draft Responsible Artificial Intelligence Policy until 3 May 2026. The draft Policy applies to all government bodies, the private sector, the non-profit sector, and individuals who develop, use, or publish applications or solutions based on AI technologies in Saudi Arabia. The draft Policy would require AI service operators to use personal data only for the specific and clear purposes for which the consent of the data owner was obtained. Expanding the scope of use of such data, including for model training or redeployment in other applications, without obtaining new and explicit consent from the data owner, would be prohibited. Entities would be required to verify compliance with national data sovereignty controls through the secure hosting of data and models.