Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi

Thursday, July 9, 2026

Al-Jazeera - Economy:

His Excellency the President of the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence (SDAIA), Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi, affirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister and Chairman of the Board of Directors of SDAIA - may God protect him - is leading intensive international efforts to enhance AI governance, and support the responsible and safe use of these advanced technologies, in a way that serves all of humanity and bridges the digital gaps between the world's countries.

This came during his meeting with the Director-General of the International Labour Organization, Gilbert F. Houngbo, the Vice President of the World Bank for Technology and AI, Sangbo Kim, and the Federal Minister for Digital Transformation of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Carsten Felberger, in the presence of the Kingdom's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and international organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Abdulmohsen bin Majed bin Khathila, on the sidelines of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance held in Switzerland.

During the meetings, ways to enhance joint international cooperation in data and AI were discussed, along with mechanisms to set clear frameworks for governing these technologies and ensuring their ethical and responsible adoption that serves the UN Sustainable Development Goals and helps reduce future risks to societies and the global labor market.

His Excellency reviewed during the meetings Saudi Arabia's initiatives in supporting governance and ethical use of AI, foremost among them the establishment of the International Center for AI Research and Ethics (ICAIRE) under the auspices of UNESCO in Riyadh, to be a global beacon for developing ethical research and policies for emerging technologies. He stated that the Kingdom views AI as a strategic enabler for driving economic and social development, and an engine for productivity and innovation. It supports entities in adopting AI responsibly through clear guidelines, risk management tools, maturity assessments, and accountability mechanisms that enhance trust while allowing room for innovation to scale.

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