Al Qaed: ‘Bahrain’s adoption of AI in government sector in line with global privacy, security, and ethical standards’
10 Sep 2024
Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) Chief Executive Mohammed Ali Al Qaed participated in the Global AI Summit 2024 in Riyadh, held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA). Organized by SDAIA in collaboration with UNESCO, the summit is a 2-day event from September 10 to 12 in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The AI summit will features keynote speakers including governments, leaders, experts, and AI specialists from 100 countries, whom will focus on eight primary subjects. Through multiple sessions, the summit will showcase the latest AI innovations and trends, explore groundbreaking generative AI algorithms and big data applications, and emphasize technical and creative skill development in line with ethical AI guidelines.
On the summit's first day, Al Qaed joined the ministerial session titled Global Approach to Advance Ethical Governance of AI, praising Saudi Arabia’s efforts and SDAIA’s preparations, and wishing the summit success in achieving its objectives.
Al Qaed highlighted Bahrain’s efforts in utilizing AI technologies, noting that the Kingdom, under the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, is leveraging advanced technologies and AI to enhance government services and optimize performance, driving comprehensive digital transformation in line with international standards for privacy, security, and ethical compliance. He highlighted Bahrain’s national AI initiatives, noting digital economy strategy, which aims to elevate government operations and boost productivity through an innovative environment. This strategy applies AI in sectors such as education, health, transportation, and security, while advancing scientific research and digital infrastructure.
Al Qaed emphasized AI’s crucial role in building a robust economy, highlighting its abilities in streamlining processes, attracting investments, and improving quality of life in the Kingdom. He noted that global AI utilization experiences in both the government and private sectors stress the need for frameworks, policies, and best practices in AI governance to mitigate risks, protect data privacy, and address ethical, social, and economic impacts.
Al Qaed emphasized ethical AI governance through its policies, principles, and regulations. He highlighted Bahrain’s GCC AI Ethics Guideline initiative ,and the use of AI in key sectors through private sector partnerships, supporting government systems and enhancing data sharing. He also noted Bahrain’s AI initiatives in education and training, including AI degree programs in universities and vocational institutions, university AI labs, and Hackathons, which offer youth opportunities to gain knowledge, discover future sciences, and develop innovative solutions.
The Global AI Summit features over 456 speakers participating in 150 discussion sessions and workshops, attracting more than 32,000 registered attendees from all over the world.
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