Riyadh, January 8, 2026, SPA — The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) received the Recognised by EFQM certificate for sustainable performance at a five-star level from the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), becoming the first government entity in the Kingdom to achieve this advanced level on its first institutional performance evaluation, according to the updated version of the EFQM Model.
SDAIA Strategy Management Office Chief Executive Abdullah Al-Khudairi received the certificate on Wednesday from EFQM Chief Executive Officer Russell Longmuir during his visit to SDAIA’s headquarters.
The recognition comes amid SDAIA’s achievement of an advanced level of institutional maturity and its adoption of a comprehensive, integrated approach to its organizational system, encompassing leadership, strategy, organizational culture, performance management, sustainable value creation, stakeholder engagement, and the management of transformation and innovation.
EFQM is a nonprofit organization and a leading global reference in institutional excellence models since its establishment in 1989. Its model is considered one of the foremost global frameworks for measuring institutional maturity and overall performance for thousands of government, private, and non-profit organizations in more than 50 countries worldwide.