Saudi Arabia is accelerating its digital transformation agenda, with government entities increasingly exploring how AI can improve decision-making, service delivery, workflow automation, and broader operational efficiency. Within this transformation lies a significant opportunity: building AI systems that help government organizations streamline core processes, automate complex workflows, analyze critical information, and develop the intelligence that informs strategic decisions.
Today, STV, in collaboration with the Digital Government Authority (DGA) and ecosystem partners including McKinsey & Company, is launching a formal Request for Startups (RFS) focused on companies building general AI systems and operational solutions for the public sector.
We are looking for founders turning core public-sector operations and decision-making into scalable software products that government teams can use to drive efficiency, automate routine workflows, and produce actionable outputs. The program aims to connect promising founders with government stakeholders, industry expertise, and venture capital support to help them develop solutions tailored to the Kingdom’s public-sector needs.
Why We’re Doing This
AI is becoming increasingly embedded in the delivery of professional services. IDC predicted that by 2025, 40 percent of services engagements would include GenAI-enabled delivery, driving change in traditionally human-delivered activities including strategy, change and training. This shift is also evident in management consulting: McKinsey reported that approximately 40 percent of its client projects involved AI, with the number of AI-related clients approaching 500 over the preceding 12 months. More recently, McKinsey reported that 88 percent of organizations were using AI in at least one business function by mid-2025, illustrating how rapidly AI is moving from experimentation into mainstream business operations.
We see an opportunity to bring these capabilities into products designed for government use. Workflow automation, decision support, document analysis, evidence synthesis, and process optimization are recurring needs across government organizations. AI products can help teams perform these activities more efficiently, make better use of institutional knowledge, and dedicate more time to strategic execution and serving citizens.
For Saudi government entities, the value of these products will depend on how well they reflect the local context. They need strong Arabic-language capabilities, familiarity with government terminology and institutional mandates, and an understanding of how public-sector planning, procurement, and decision-making processes work. Their design and deployment must also account for applicable requirements under the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) controls, and government data policies.
This creates an opening for founders who understand the Saudi market and can combine technical capabilities with practical knowledge of government work. Products that bring together reliable automation, high-quality Arabic outputs, and a clear understanding of institutional needs can help make advanced AI capabilities accessible across government teams.
The infrastructure supporting this opportunity is also expanding. SITE’s local cloud capabilities are strengthening the environment for developing and deploying AI products within the Kingdom. SITE Cloud, for example, offers local AI inference and sovereign cloud infrastructure that can support deployment within national borders. These capabilities provide a foundation on which startups can build solutions that meet the requirements of their intended government use cases.
What We’re Looking For
This RFS seeks startups building AI software products and automation systems that streamline workflows, enhance decision-making, and boost operational efficiency for government entities.
Building in this space?
Apply: https://rfs.stv.vc/gov-ai/