Saudi Arabia has launched a key initiative for the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) members – including Bahrain, Kuwait, Cyprus, Djibouti, Gambia and Morocco – that will support their research and development work linked to Artificial Intelligence (AI).

A global organization, DCO is aimed at bolstering innovation driven areas and spurring growth of the digital economy, was set up in 2020 with its headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Besides Saudi Arabia, the DCO members are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, Cyprus, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Djibouti, Gambia, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria and Rwanda.

Announcing the key Generative Artificial Intelligence for All initiative for the DCO member states, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha said this Saudi initiative will help govern policies for AI across member states.

“It will also increase awareness of its ethics and support capacity building for AI,” he stated during his address at the Third General Assembly of the DCO, in Manama, Bahrain.

The kingdom hosted the third General Assembly Meeting of the Organisation, co-chaired by Mohammed bin Thamer Al Kaabi, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications and Chair of the Council of the DCO, and Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the DCO.

The meeting discussed the organisation’s plans and initiatives aimed at promoting digital prosperity.

The Saudi minister launched it alongside officials from the 16 member states, as well as high-level delegations from partner members and observers. The event was also attended by ministers, ambassadors as well as the GCC Secretary-General and local and international observers.

Alswaha pointed out that the Saudi initiative was being supervised by the International Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics (ICAIRE), which is led by the Saudi Data and Intelligence Authority (SDAIA).

This Saudi initiative aligns with the Kingdom’s continuous support for the organization’s mission, focusing on enhancing digital inclusiveness and prosperity. It further highlights Saudi Arabia’s dedication to expediting digital transformation and backing Generative Artificial Intelligence for the global benefit of nations, he added.