Prime Highlights
- Saudi Arabia ranks first globally for women’s participation in AI, with women making up 32.3% of AI inventors and authors.
- Experts warn that women remain underrepresented in senior AI roles despite strong regional adoption rates.
Key Facts
- The findings come from the 2026 AI Index Report by Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.
- Women previously made up 35% of digital entrepreneurs in the Middle East, compared with 10% globally.
Background
Saudi Arabia has achieved first place across the world in enabling women in artificial intelligence, according to the 2026 AI Index Report by Stanford University’s Institute for Human-centered Artificial Intelligence. In Saudi Arabia, women constitute 32.3 percent of AI inventors and authors, which is higher than the numbers in Australia and Canada.
It must be pointed out that this report reflects a continued trend of growing contribution of women in the digital economy of the Middle East, where women digital entrepreneurs constituted 35 percent of the workforce in this field, as compared to only 10 percent at the global level.
Business strategist Katie Godfrey said using AI casually differed significantly from leading AI development teams or shaping AI strategy at senior levels. According to Zeta Yarwood, who is a UAE career coach, the reason for this divide was due to early socialisation, where men would be encouraged to try things out even before mastering a skill, whereas women would have to feel confident in their competence before making an effort.
The suggestion made by experts for resolving this issue was to change people’s perspectives about AI and consider not only technical proficiency but also other important skills as well. As pointed out by Yarwood, skills such as leadership, ethics and communication are also very important for AI.
Godfrey said AI presented a major opportunity for women to scale businesses independently, though she warned that reduced participation could widen existing gaps in income and leadership across the region.
