Ministry of Foreign Affairs

A successful first Global Dialogue on AI Governance would deliver tangible, inclusive, and actionable outcomes. First, it should establish a clear roadmap to address the capacity gap between developed and developing countries, with dedicated resources, technical assistance programs, and measurable milestones to ensure equitable participation in the AI ecosystem. Second, it should build broad international consensus on shared principles and standards for AI governance. These should serve as a flexible reference framework for national legislation and regulatory systems, while fully respecting countries' cultural, legal, and societal specificities. Third, the Dialogue should lead to the creation of a permanent international mechanism for information and knowledge exchange on AI governance. This platform should be inclusive, enabling meaningful participation from developing countries and emerging economies, and facilitating the sharing of best practices, risk assessments, and policy approaches. Fourth, it should produce practical and implementable recommendations that promote the adoption of ethical and responsible AI, while ensuring fair and equitable access to AI technologies and their benefits across all countries. Kuwait underscores the importance of aligning this Dialogue with the outcomes of the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact, to ensure a comprehensive, inclusive, and balanced approach to global AI governance.

• Safe, secure and trustworthy AI
• AI capacity-building
• Interoperability of governance approaches
• Transparency, accountability, and human oversight

First, ensuring safe, secure, and trustworthy AI is essential to safeguard critical infrastructure, protect sensitive data, and maintain public trust in government-led digital transformation. Kuwait emphasizes the importance of risk-based approaches, robust data governance, and security-by-design principles in the development and deployment of AI systems. Second, AI capacity-building remains a strategic priority, particularly in bridging the gap between developed and developing countries. Kuwait underscores the need for structured international programs to support skills development, access to computing resources, and knowledge transfer, enabling countries to build and sustain their own AI ecosystems. Third, interoperability of governance approaches is critical in light of the growing fragmentation of global regulatory frameworks. Kuwait supports efforts to establish alignment mechanisms and "bridges" between national and regional frameworks to reduce compliance burdens and facilitate cross-border innovation, while respecting national sovereignty and legal systems. Fourth, transparency, accountability, and human oversight are fundamental to ensuring that AI systems operate in a fair, explainable, and ethical manner. Kuwait advocates for the adoption of explainable AI principles, clear accountability structures, and meaningful human control-particularly in high-impact sectors such as healthcare, security, and public services.

Key challenges include the impact of geopolitical and procedural factors on project timelines and technology access, which can affect the pace of AI adoption and deployment. In addition, data readiness and integration remain critical issues, as many legacy systems require modernization to fully leverage AI capabilities. Another significant challenge is the limited support for the Arabic language and localization in AI models, which affects the inclusiveness, accuracy, and cultural relevance of deployed solutions. Furthermore, the lack of globally aligned governance frameworks creates uncertainty and increases the complexity of compliance for cross-border digital services. Key opportunities, however, are equally prominent. Kuwait benefits from strong institutional and governmental commitment to digital transformation and AI adoption, providing a solid foundation for advancing national AI strategies. The adoption of centralized platform models offers significant potential to scale AI solutions efficiently across government entities, enabling reuse, cost optimization, and faster deployment. At the regional level, there is also an opportunity to collaborate on Arabic-language AI models and shared digital infrastructure, which can reduce dependency on external technologies and strengthen digital sovereignty. Overall, addressing governance gaps through international cooperation, capacity-building, and interoperable frameworks will be essential to unlocking the full potential of AI in a secure, inclusive, and sustainable manner.

The AI Dialogue can play a critical role in advancing international cooperation by moving beyond high-level discussions toward practical and implementable mechanisms. At the bilateral and regional level, the Dialogue can facilitate the establishment of structured programs for expert exchange and knowledge-sharing among countries, supported by shared digital platforms to document best practices and lessons learned. It can also strengthen collaboration with international organizations such as UNESCO, International Telecommunication Union, and United Nations Development Programme to support the development of AI policies aligned with the needs of developing countries. In addition, it can encourage bilateral partnerships aimed at transferring knowledge and enabling responsible digital transformation. At the multilateral level, the Dialogue can promote innovative cooperation mechanisms such as peer review frameworks, inspired by practices of OECD, allowing countries to assess and improve their AI governance frameworks through mutual learning. It can also support efforts to enhance alignment between AI governance approaches and broader digital economic cooperation. In the area of capacity-building, the Dialogue can support the creation of regional centers of excellence focused on AI governance, offering targeted training and policy support for decision-makers and regulators. Furthermore, it can mobilize technical and legal assistance packages to support least developed countries in building their national AI governance frameworks, while respecting local contexts and avoiding one-size-fits-all models. Through these mechanisms, the AI Dialogue can serve as a platform for action-oriented cooperation, fostering an inclusive and balanced global AI governance ecosystem.

The AI Dialogue should build upon and connect with existing global and regional initiatives that have already established valuable foundations for AI governance, standards, and capacity-building. At the global level, frameworks and processes such as those led by UNESCO (Recommendation on the Ethics of AI), the International Telecommunication Union (AI for Good and standards development), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (AI Principles and policy observatory) provide important reference points for ethical, technical, and policy alignment. Similarly, the Global Digital Compact offers a broader framework for digital cooperation that the AI Dialogue should remain aligned with. Regional efforts, including initiatives within the Gulf Cooperation Council, also play a growing role in advancing shared priorities such as digital transformation, data governance, and capacity development.

Governments should lead in setting national priorities, sharing policy experiences, and advancing interoperable governance approaches, while ensuring alignment with international norms. International organizations, such as UNESCO and International Telecommunication Union, can provide technical guidance, normative frameworks, and platforms for coordination. The private sector plays a key role in innovation, standards development, and responsible deployment of AI systems, and should contribute through transparency commitments and technical expertise. Academia and research institutions can support evidence-based policymaking, risk assessments, and independent evaluation of AI systems. Civil society should ensure that ethical considerations, human rights, and societal impacts remain central to the Dialogue. In terms of format and structure, the AI Dialogue would benefit from a hybrid and modular design: Plenary sessions to establish strategic direction and political alignment. Thematic working groups aligned with priority areas (e.g., safety, capacity-building, interoperability, and accountability), producing practical outputs and recommendations. Multi-stakeholder roundtables to encourage cross-sector collaboration and consensus-building. A digital collaboration platform to enable continuous engagement, knowledge-sharing, and documentation between formal sessions. Voluntary peer review mechanisms to support mutual learning and assessment of national frameworks.

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