PARIS: The UNESCO Director-General, Professor Khaled El-Enany, has praised the organisation’s partnership with Saudi Arabia and welcomed the Kingdom’s efforts to promote ethical artificial intelligence.
Speaking ahead of the Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, to be held in Riyadh from September 14 to 17, El-Enany said the forum offers an important opportunity to strengthen international cooperation and ensure global AI governance keeps pace with rapid technological innovation, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Tuesday.
He emphasised that no country can address the challenges of AI governance alone, as the technology continues to transform societies at an unprecedented pace.
المدير العام لليونسكو يثمّن الشراكة مع المملكة ويرحّب بجهودها في تعزيز الذكاء الاصطناعي الأخلاقي.https://t.co/Ccd7LSJbmw#واس pic.twitter.com/nYU7eEmFBG
— واس العام (@SPAregions) September 8, 2026
He noted that five years after UNESCO Member States adopted the world’s first global standard on AI ethics—the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence—countries are increasingly turning its principles into concrete policies, strategies and institutions.
El-Enany stressed that AI ethics is not solely about preventing harm, but also about ensuring that artificial intelligence remains people-centred, supports sustainable development, and serves the broader common good.
Saudi Arabia emerges as global AI investment hub
It is pertinent to mention that Saudi Arabia has emerged as a major player in the global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape, ranking among the world’s top 10 countries for private AI investment while gaining recognition as an attractive destination for AI talent and a model for government data integration, according to the World Bank Group’s World Development Report 2026.
The report, the World Bank’s first comprehensive assessment of AI’s impact on developing economies, examines the opportunities AI can create for individuals, businesses and governments, as well as the requirements for maximising its development benefits while managing associated risks, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
ALSO READ: Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global AI Investment Hub, World Bank Report Says
The World Bank highlighted Saudi Arabia’s progress as part of a broader national strategy supported by Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to build a data-, computing- and innovation-driven economy and strengthen the Kingdom’s role in shaping the future of AI.
The report identified three key dimensions that determine AI’s impact on development: Capabilities, Concentration and Complements.
