Riyadh: Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, participated in the 4th UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence 2026, held in Saudi Arabia. Shaikh Ali bin Abdulrahman bin Ali Al Khalifa, Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Shaikh Ahmed bin Isa Al Khalifa, Assistant Undersecretary for Telecommunications, were present.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the forum convened ministers, senior officials, and experts to discuss the ethical and responsible governance of artificial intelligence. The event aimed to develop frameworks for international cooperation that support the safe and sustainable use of AI technologies. It also focused on implementing the UNESCO Recommendation on AI Ethics, translating its principles into national policies, and building institutional capacities of member states.
Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed participated in a closed ministerial roundtable, emphasizing Bahrain's view of AI as a shared responsibility requiring international cooperation. He highlighted the need for shared principles for responsible AI, preventing the digital divide, and moving from principles to practical implementation through expertise exchange and governance tool development.
He noted Bahrain's efforts in strengthening AI governance, investing in digital infrastructure, and contributing to regional efforts for ethical AI use. Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed praised UNESCO's role in supporting member states through capacity-building programs, policy guidance, and knowledge exchange.
On the forum's sidelines, Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed met with ‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦sa Regn©r, Deputy Director-General of UNESCO, to discuss mutual interests and cooperation in digital transformation and AI. The meeting emphasized the importance of international cooperation and expertise exchange to support the responsible use of emerging technologies.