From video games to quantum computing, Riyadh’s moves in Paris map technology transfer pathways and build intellectual property

The extensive meetings held by Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Sawaha in Paris reveal that technical partnerships are expanding beyond importing ready-made infrastructure to localising advanced development stages. The talks involved senior leaders of major global companies in artificial intelligence, content creation and digital entertainment, electronic gaming and quantum computing, aiming to transfer knowledge, empower talent and develop intellectual property capable of competing internationally.

The discussions placed the gaming and digital entertainment sector at the top of priorities through separate meetings with Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer and co-founder of Ubisoft, Hiroki Totoki, chief executive of Sony Group, Dylan Jadiga, chief executive of Rayt Games, and Andrew Wilson, chairman and chief executive of Electronic Arts.These discussions focused on employing artificial-intelligence algorithms in content engineering and qualifying local developers to build integrated digital experiences.and transforming the tech environment into a production hub that owns its creative assets rather than merely consuming global platforms.

The tour also covered digital protection and security in a meeting with Patrice Kien, chairman and chief executive of Thales Group, where the discussion centered on data protection and securing AI applications based on a partnership that spans more than five decades. In the quantum computing field, the visit included Pascal’s laboratories in Paris, attended by its chief executive Dr. Wathiq Bukhari and the chairman of Pascal Arabia, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Talal, to explore expanding the presence of these technologies within the Kingdom, integrating quantum processing with AI models, and training researchers on complex computing environments.

Regarding foundational models, Al-Sawaha discussed with Laurent Suli, co-founder of Advanced Machine Intelligence, the capabilities of the next generation of AI models in comprehension, prediction and planning, and their direct applications in robotics and industrial automation sectors. This pathway opens broad application areas that enable research teams to build targeted tools meeting the operational needs of production sectors.

This shift directly affects technology officers and developers in the Gulf and the region, as investment in video games and quantum computing demands a transition in required skills toward mastering content-production pipelines supported by generative AI and programming hybrid systems that combine quantum computing capabilities. It also places data-security and intellectual-property protection standards at the core of any new computing architecture, prompting regional companies and institutions to reassess their investment plans to focus on building sustainable, scalable knowledge assets.