DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar's government has signed a five-year deal with AI data company Scale AI to deploy AI-powered tools and training in a push to improve government services in the Gulf Arab state, a senior Scale AI executive told Reuters on Sunday.

"(This deal) can be a blueprint for other governments around the world, and it allows us to really commit in a way that I think could drive impact even faster," said Trevor Thompson, global head of growth at the San Francisco, California-based company.

The deal will allow Qatar's government to adopt tools such as predictive analytics, automation and advanced data analysis in an effort to streamline operations, said a statement by Qatar's communications and information technology ministry.

Scale AI will develop more than 50 possible uses of artificial intelligence (AI) for Qatar's government over the next five years, the statement added.

Thompson declined to say how much the deal is worth.

Qatar, a wealthy gas producer and longtime ally of the U.S., is in a race to become an AI leader amid rising competition from neighbouring Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Founded in 2016, Scale AIprovides large amounts of accurately labelled data for use in training tools such as OpenAI's ChatGPT.

The company also helps its customers, which include tech giant Microsoft ( MSFT ), Wall Street bank Morgan Stanley and AI firms such as OpenAI and Cohere, to create and refine data sets.