Artificial Intelligence

The Kingdom of Bahrain’s leadership vision in adopting modern technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), has substantially enhanced government services and strengthened Bahrain’s position as a regional digital pioneer. Recognizing AI’s transformative potential, Bahrain has prioritized its strategic application across a wide array of sectors. Today, AI is instrumental not only in streamlining government processes and improving public service delivery but also in re-shaping Bahrain’s overall digital transformation agenda. Through sustained investment and policy commitment, the Kingdom has positioned AI as a key enabler for sustainable economic growth and improved quality of life, remarking its pivotal role in national development.

In line with its ongoing commitment to digital transformation, Bahrain continues to invest in advanced technologies to enhance service quality, efficiency, and competitiveness. Among these efforts is the development of the National Artificial Intelligence Policy,(PDF, 144KB, 14 pages) which outlines ethical and strategic guidelines for the responsible use of AI in both the public and private sectors.

Bahrain’s Approach to AI Governance

The Kingdom of Bahrain believes in the importance of opening the sky for innovation and AI potentials. However, the government has taken serious strides in setting safe and responsible roadmap for this game-changing technology to nurture innovation and optimize AI outcomes.

The establishment of a National Research Committee for Artificial Intelligence further reflects Bahrain’s commitment to AI leadership.

The Bahrain’s National AI Strategy and policies are visionary roadmap for leveraging AI to enhance priority service delivery in the priority sectors that drives sustainable economic and human development.

AI Ethics has become a global concern. Therefore, Bahrain’s government has taken proactive steps in the ethical use of AI within the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC). The Guidelines for the Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence (PDF, 13 pages, 430KB, Arabic only) is a comprehensive ethical values and principles developed by Bahrain to provide a robust directive for responsible AI development and use within GCC countries with a set of recommendations to implement each principle. These values and principles carefully urge for technological innovation with the imperative to safeguard national interests, security, and individual rights.

Core ethical Principles guiding Bahrain’s AI adoption include:

• Human Oversight: Human judgment remains central to all AI applications, ensuring technology is enabler, not supplants responsible decision-making.
• Safety and Security: All AI solutions are developed with strong security measures and safeguards to prevent misuse and minimize risks to individuals and communities.
• Justice, Equity, and Non-Discrimination: AI is leveraged to promote justice and equity, avoiding any perpetuation or intensification of social inequalities.
• Privacy and Data Protection: AI solutions are designed to protect individual privacy and personal data. AI must never be used in ways that discriminate or cause harm to individuals or groups.
• Transparency and Explainability: AI solutions are designed to be transparent, with results explained in ways that are clear and understandable to the public.
• Accountability: Developers and users of AI take full responsibility for their ethical and legal obligations.
• Awareness and Education: The public is encouraged to understand AI’s opportunities and challenges, fostering widespread digital literacy.
• Integrity: Artificial intelligence should not fabricate facts and/ or oversight or exaggerate or distort information for undesired goals that may negatively affect the public beneficiaries.
• Sustainability: The development and deployment of AI technologies should minimize environmental impacts, supporting Bahrain’s commitment to sustainable development.
• Inclusion and Diversity: AI initiatives are structured to be inclusive and accessible, ensuring no segment of society is left behind.
• International Cooperation: Bahrain actively collaborates with international partners to ensure AI is used for the common good, supporting shared norms and standards.

Building AI-Ready Skills & Workforce

Investment in national human resources is a key for national development. The Labor Fund (Tamkeen) has launched an ambitious initiative to train 50,000 Bahrainis in Artificial Intelligence by 2030. This program is designed to equip the national workforce with essential digital and AI skills in three tracks: leadership level to drive AI, workforce upskilling for operational excellence in areas such as automation and data analytics, and specialist training for technical experts to design, develop, and implement AI solutions.

The Artificial Intelligence Academy at Bahrain Polytechnic, in collaboration with Microsoft, is the first of its kind in the Middle East. It aims to cultivate innovation among students and teachers across Bahrain with AI professional & academic certificates, preparing the next generation of AI professionals ready to contribute to Bahrain’s digital economy.

The Khalid bin Hamad Innovation and Artificial Intelligence Competition is a platform that encourages students to develop creative AI solutions, promoting a culture of innovation among Bahrain’s youth.

Bahrain continues to nurture a culture of innovation through initiatives such as the annual “HackFest”—a competition for university and high school students to demonstrate their AI creativity. Organized by Bahrain Polytechnic and supported by private sector partners, the event encourages the development of practical AI projects and strengthens the Kingdom’s reputation as a regional technology hub.

In 2020, Bahrain published new guidelines for the procurement of AI in the public sector, produced by the World Economic Forum's Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Centre worked closely with the Economic Development Board and the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) to design guidelines that enable governments to use AI technologies responsibly and sustainably.

The eGovernment Excellence Award

To encourage AI solutions within the public and private sectors in Bahrain with international excellence standards, the government has introduced an AI-dedicated category (The Best Utilization of Artificial Intelligence) within the eGovernment Excellence Award to recognize organizations that have demonstrated outstanding AI adoption and innovation in service delivery. This recognition reinforces Bahrain’s commitment to fostering a vibrant digital ecosystem and stimulating the development of advanced solutions that benefit society.

AI Research & Development

To drive the adoption of advanced technologies, Bahrain’s National Innovation HubInnovation Hub, established by the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), is an integrated lab that fosters an innovation ecosystem in Bahrain. The hub focuses on addressing real government challenges, universities and research centers’ prototypes through the adoption of AI solutions and turning them into Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) and pilot solutions. This initiative model reflects Bahrain’s commitment towards public-private partnership in enhancing government performance and delivering better services to citizens and residents.

The partnership between University of Bahrain and the Benefit Company to launch a dedicated lab for AI and advanced computing remarks Bahrain in driving research and innovation within areas including cybersecurity, big data, quantum technologies, engineering, and sustainable energy. These research initiatives are vital for tackling complex issues like climate change, fraud detection, and sustainable development.

In line with Bahrain’s commitment to advancing AI capabilities, the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) and the Nasser Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Center have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)  aiming to enhance cooperation and knowledge exchange in the fields of artificial intelligence and technological innovation, reinforcing the national direction toward building a thriving AI ecosystem with this strategic collaboration.

The Kingdom of Bahrain continues to strengthen international cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence. A key milestone in this journey is the country’s participation in the UNESCO Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) for the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, which aims to engage stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to raise awareness and enhance national readiness for ethical AI adoption.

AI Awareness Workshops

As part of its commitment to cultivating a forward-thinking digital government, the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) has organized a series of awareness workshops to promote the understanding and application of artificial intelligence across various sectors in Bahrain:

• Exploring Innovation and Advanced Technologies in Government
   This workshop brought together representatives from multiple government sectors to explore how advanced technologies—including AI—can enhance service delivery in fields like health, education, security, and traffic.
   
• Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) Introductory Workshop
   Held for both public and private sector stakeholders, this session introduced a comprehensive methodology to assess national readiness in innovation and digital transformation.
   
• Generative AI & Productivity Tools for Government Employees
   This internal session introduced iGA staff to practical uses of AI tools such as generative AI and prompt engineering, focusing on their impact on creativity, task management, and service efficiency.
   
• Fostering Innovation through Artificial Intelligence – in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior
   In partnership with the Ministry of Interior, this workshop emphasized AI’s role in promoting innovation within security operations and showcased use cases that could enhance service delivery and operational effectiveness.
   

These workshops reflect iGA’s proactive role in building awareness, encouraging knowledge exchange, and empowering government entities with the tools and mindset needed to adopt artificial intelligence responsibly and effectively.

AI in Detecting Construction Changes and Violations

Bahrain utilizes advanced AI technologies to monitor changes and detect violations in the construction sector through the analysis of satellite imagery. These systems enable early identification of irregularities related to construction quality and electrical loads, producing regular, transparent reports to reduce violations, prevent damages, and support sectoral development.

AI in Courtrooms

The Kingdom is committed to modernizing its judiciary system through the digital transformation of courtrooms. The Supreme Judicial Council hosted the First International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in the Judiciary within the GCC, highlighting Bahrain’s regional leadership in applying AI to promote efficiency, transparency, and access to justice in the legal sector.

AI-powered Chatbots

The integration of AI-driven chatbots is accelerating in both the public and private sectors. Notable examples include Batelco’s "Basma," ila Bank’s "Fatima," Bahrain Islamic Bank’s "Dana," and BIBF’s "Noora," all of which offer customers instant, reliable service. These advanced chatbots enhance user experience by providing instant and accurate responses to customer inquiries, underscoring Bahrain's commitment to leveraging AI technology to drive innovation and efficiency in its services.

AI for Agriculture

Bahrain has leveraged AI to automatically monitor all palm trees within its territory, providing valuable data for researchers and investors and supporting food security by enabling accurate production estimates. This initiative directly contributes to SDG2: Zero Hunger, promoting sustainable agriculture and food security across the Kingdom.

The Kingdom’s Botanical Atlas project is a GIS based system that contains maps pertaining to the vegetation cover in Bahrain, with various classifications through satellite imagery and remote sensing techniques and Artificial Intelligence (AI), to derive intelligent information to support agriculture, farming and food production.

AI in Procurement

Bahrain was among the world’s first nations to implement AI procurement guidelines, developed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. These standards support the efficient and ethical acquisition of AI solutions across government entities, strengthening Bahrain’s leadership in digital governance and service transformation.

Integration of AI into Government Services

For a detailed overview of Bahrain’s approach to AI and other emerging technologies, visit the Approach to New Emerging Technologies page. The Government’s digital agenda ensures that all sectors—citizens, residents, businesses, and visitors—benefit from AI-driven service improvements and technological advancements.