Science and Technology / SDAIA Launches National Framework for AI Risk Management to Serve as Guiding Reference for Government and Private Entities

Riyadh, 29 Muharram 1448 AH corresponding to July 14, 2026 AD, SPA – The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) launched the National Framework for AI Risk Management, to be a guiding reference that provides a unified national methodology for identifying, assessing, addressing, and monitoring risks, enabling government and private entities to adopt this technology in a safe and responsible manner consistent with national priorities and directions. The launch comes amid the rapid expansion in adopting AI technologies in business and service development globally and locally, given the risks their systems may entail that differ in nature from the risks of traditional technical systems, and their potential impacts on individuals, entities, and the national economy. SDAIA explained that AI risks are characterized by a different nature from traditional software risks, as they may appear in unexpected ways during operation, system performance may change over time, in addition to the difficulty of interpreting their behavior and reproducing results, making risk identification and assessment more complex and necessitating an integrated management methodology. It stated that the risk management methodology is based on an integrated life cycle comprising four interconnected phases, starting with defining context and scope, then identifying, assessing, and addressing risks, up to continuous monitoring and review, with the risk level calculated through a matrix linking its likelihood and impact magnitude, unifying the assessment mechanism among entities and supporting comparison and prioritization of treatment. The authority indicated that the framework is based on seven core principles, including integrity and fairness, privacy and security, humanity, reliability and safety, transparency and explainability, accountability and responsibility, and social and environmental benefits, and classifies AI risks into seven main types to ensure comprehensive identification and not overlook any essential category of risks. The framework included an applied scenario simulating a government entity using a model in preparing internal reports, reviewing the identification, assessment, treatment, and monitoring of related risks, providing entities a practical model applicable across different sectors and digital maturity levels. This framework comes as part of SDAIA's efforts to establish responsible and safe use of AI technologies and enable national entities to adopt them, based on its role as the national reference for data and AI in the Kingdom, and its contribution to enhancing the digital innovation ecosystem in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. Interested parties can view the National Framework for AI Risk Management via the following link: https://sdaia.gov.sa/ar/MediaCenter/KnowledgeCenter/ResearchLibrary/ExecutiveSummaryAr.pdf. // End // 11:27 AM 0040