The GCC artificial intelligence strategy establishes an institutional framework for coordinating government standards and digital skills across the Cooperation Council member states following a leap in the government technology maturity index.
Adoption of the regional strategy at the tenth ministerial meeting in Bahrain
Priorities for government service quality, cybersecurity, and international cooperation
Gulf states’ leap in the World Bank govtech maturity index
National implementation requirements and upcoming institutional steps
Frequently asked questions
Adoption of the regional strategy at the tenth ministerial meeting in Bahrain
The ministerial committee for digital government in the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf adopted a “regional artificial intelligence strategy” during its tenth meeting held in the Kingdom of Bahrain on October 29, 2026, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
The ministerial committee brings together government representatives from GCC member states, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The adoption of the strategy represents a new institutional decision, though the announcement did not disclose a specific implementation budget or the final full text of the strategy, and therefore it should not be treated as an operational joint platform that has already gone live across all member states.
Priorities for government service quality, cybersecurity, and international cooperation
The meeting was chaired by Lieutenant General Tariq bin Hassan Al Hasan, Chief of Public Safety in the Kingdom of Bahrain, while GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi reviewed progress made in public sector digital services and cross-border integration.
Officials highlighted potential use cases for artificial intelligence in improving service quality, enhancing cybersecurity, and ensuring the continuity of government operations. They also discussed digital trust rosters and institutional cooperation with the European Union, China, and Egypt as distinct agenda items.
Gulf states’ leap in the World Bank govtech maturity index
The GCC secretary-general noted the remarkable improvement achieved by the region in the World Bank’s GovTech Maturity Index, with the GCC average rising from approximately 65 points in 2020 to 88 points out of 100 in 2025.
These figures pertain to broader digital government maturity and do not represent an independent performance evaluation of the newly adopted artificial intelligence strategy.
National implementation requirements and upcoming institutional steps
At the GCC level, the strategy establishes a potential framework for governments to coordinate standards, procurement principles, and public sector skills, particularly when citizens or businesses interact with more than one national digital service.
However, actual implementation will depend on each country’s national decisions and resources, with upcoming milestones involving the publication of the approved document alongside timelines and funded projects.
Within the context of monitoring regional government policies, public sector artificial intelligence, and digital integration in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the GCC, the adoption of the “regional artificial intelligence strategy” during the tenth meeting of the ministerial committee for digital government—chaired by Lieutenant General Tariq bin Hassan Al Hasan with the participation of Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi—marks an important regulatory milestone for joint Gulf coordination.
This direction builds on the progress made by member states in the World Bank’s GovTech Maturity Index, with the average rising from 65 points in 2020 to 88 out of 100 in 2025. While discussions regarding cybersecurity, digital trust rosters, and cooperation with the European Union, China, and Egypt are important, translating the adopted strategy into operational programs will depend on publishing its detailed text and allocating national budgets.
An editorial review of the Emirates News Agency (WAM) report published on October 29 emphasizes the need to distinguish between the approval of the joint strategic framework and the existence of a unified computing platform in actual operation, as practical implementation remains tied to the compatibility of software infrastructure, data, and human skills within ministries and agencies in each member state.
In light of the editorial standards for GCC regional coverage in the October 30, 2026 newsletter, this news item is based directly on the official report issued by the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the afternoon of October 29 regarding the outcomes of the tenth meeting of the ministerial committee for digital government in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Journalistic accuracy requires emphasizing that the adoption of the “regional artificial intelligence strategy” represents a regulatory and institutional decision to coordinate shared policies and standards, without claiming the existence of a announced unified budget or an integrated operational platform currently functioning across all Gulf ministries, while methodologically separating this new decision from the 2025 World Bank GovTech Maturity Index scores.
Frequently asked questions
Question: What did the GCC ministerial committee for digital government adopt in Bahrain?
Answer: During its tenth meeting, the committee adopted a regional artificial intelligence strategy to enhance digital government coordination among GCC member states.
Question: What are the prominent areas of focus in Gulf digital discussions?
Answer: Discussions focus on improving government service quality, cybersecurity, government business continuity, and cross-border digital trust rosters.
Question: How has Gulf states’ performance evolved on the World Bank GovTech Maturity Index?
Answer: The GCC average on the index rose from approximately 65 points in 2020 to 88 out of 100 points in 2025.
Question: Did the announcement include an implementation budget or a detailed text for the new strategy?
Answer: No, the announcement documented the formal adoption of the strategy, while document details and project budgets will become clear in later phases.
