Saudi Arabia sees 31 percent increase in AI company registrations

Saudi Arabia’s active commercial registrations for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies increased by 31 percent year-on-year by the end of the third quarter of 2026, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The Kingdom recorded 24,693 active AI technology commercial registrations by the end of Q3 2026, an increase of 5,847 registrations compared with 18,846 during the same period in 2025.

The ministry also revealed the top five regions with the highest number of active AI technology commercial registrations.

Riyadh topped the list with 15,138 registrations, followed by Makkah with 4,804 and the Eastern Province with 2,561.

Madinah ranked fourth with 826 registrations, followed by Al-Qassim with 365.

Artificial intelligence adoption in Saudi Arabia (KSA) reached 33.1% among businesses and 45.2% among internet users in recent official data.

As for the UAE it is currently home to an estimated 800 to 1,500 AI companies and startups, depending on the registry and scope across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and federal targets working toward expanding the ecosystem to 10,000 companies.