{
  "id": 4921064,
  "title": "Doha forum charts course for Arab AI, digital policy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/doha-forum-charts-course-for-arab-ai-digital-policy",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-31T21:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf Times",
    "slug": "gulf-times",
    "url": "https://www.gulf-times.com/article/732373/qatar/doha-forum-charts-course-for-arab-ai-digital-policy"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Qatar inaugurated a two-day Digital and Artificial Intelligence Policy Leaders Forum for the Arab States, convening ministers, regulators, tech executives, and academics at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies to transform digital aspirations into actionable policies. Key figures, including Qatar's Communications and Information Technology Minister, joined senior officials and representatives from government, private sector, and academia, emphasizing Qatar's pivotal role in sparking a debate framed as central to the region's economic trajectory. Doha Institute President Dr Abdulwahab el-Affandi emphasized bridging the gap between knowledge and practice, advocating for governance frameworks that balance regulation with innovation and fostering deeper cooperation and coordination across the region.\n\nTechnical Representative Piplove Choudhary of the UN Development Programme underscored that digital transformation yields maximum impact when connectivity, public digital infrastructure, and emerging technologies are anchored in an inclusive policy environment. Digital policy frameworks serve as practical tools for identifying gaps and setting priorities aligned with each nation's context, describing the forum as a crucial step in converting regional frameworks into tangible action. Discussions over the two days will delve into translating broad digital principles into national policies covering AI governance, digital infrastructure, data, connectivity, and digital inclusion, alongside efforts to assist Arab states in crafting tailored national digital policy plans.\n\nParticipants acknowledged that digital transformation has transcended a purely technical domain to become a core driver of economic growth, calling for intensified collaboration between governments, the private sector, and international institutions to translate policy frameworks into concrete outcomes while nurturing investment and trust in emerging technologies. They also highlighted the significant disparity in digital maturity across Arab countries and the imperative to convert lofty principles into practical legislation, spanning infrastructure, smart systems, and AI. Ooredoo Group's Chief Legal, Regulatory, and Corporate Governance Officer Hilal Mohammed al-Khulaifi stressed the urgency of accelerating the growth of digital economies, noting that their contribution to GDP in the Arab region ranges from 2% to 12%, reaching near 10% in the GCC. He expressed optimism that Ooredoo's partnership with UNDP would transition into a new phase characterized by stronger dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and a shared framework respecting each country's readiness and circumstances.\n\nA ministerial session stressed the necessity of more effective Arab cooperation. Lebanon's Minister of State for Administrative Reform Fadi Makki advocated for national strategies to complement rather than compete with one another, prioritizing common standards in cybersecurity, interoperability, and data exchange. Libya's Minister of Digital Economy and AI Ziad al-Hajjaji called for enhanced knowledge-sharing and leveraging GCC experience, while Iraq's Youssef al-Khalaf urged Arab states to co-create AI's future rather than merely react to it, highlighting investment in data centers as a positive step. UNDP's Danny Wazen emphasized the forum's value in moving beyond discussions toward policies that harness technology as a genuine growth engine.",
  "summary": "Qatar today hosted the opening of a two-day High-Level Digital and Artificial Intelligence Policy Leaders Forum for the Arab States region, bringing together ministers, regulators, technology executi...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}