ESCWA Publication: E/ESCWA/CL5.SDGS/2026/1
Country: Arab region, Global, Kingdom of Bahrain, Arab Republic of Egypt, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, State of Kuwait, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Sultanate of Oman, State of Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, Republic of Tunisia, United Arab Emirates
Publication Type: Flagship publications
Publication Subject: Annual SDG Review
Cluster: 2030 Agenda and SDG Coordination
Focus Area: 2030 Agenda, Technology & innovation
Initiatives: Digital Development , Monitoring Sustainable Development Goal Data, Arab Forum for Sustainable Development
SDGs: Agenda 2030, Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Keywords: Arab countries, Artificial intelligence, Canada, Case studies, Digital technology, E-government, Egypt, Ethics, Government policy, Human resources, Italy, New technologies, Qatar, Risk management, Saudi arabia, Science and technology financing, Social aspects, Social integration, Spain, Sustainable development, United arab emirates, United kingdom, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Mauritania, Oman, Syrian arab republic, Tunisia
Annual SDG Review 2026: Artificial intelligence policies for social inclusion in the Arab region
April 2026
The Annual SDG Review 2026, the fifth in the series, analyses national and regional policies governing artificial intelligence (AI) in the Arab region through the lens of social inclusion. It examines the extent to which these recently developed policies are setting ethical guardrails and actively steering the deployment of AI systems to promote equal access to services, participation and opportunities for all individuals, particularly vulnerable groups.
To assess whether these policies provide an enabling environment for socially inclusive AI, the document presents a case study of ministries of social affairs in Arab countries, based on a survey examining their current and planned AI uses, risk mitigation measures, institutional readiness and collaborations. Drawing on both the policy analysis and the case study, the review identifies areas for action and further consideration to address policy gaps.
Related content
2030 Agenda, Technology & innovation
The Annual SDG Review 2026, the fifth in the series, analyses national and regional policies governing artificial intelligence (AI) in the Arab region through the lens of social inclusion. It examines the extent to which these recently developed policies are setting ethical guardrails and actively steering the deployment of AI systems to promote equal access to services, participation and opportunities for all individuals, particularly vulnerable groups.
To assess whether these policies provide an enabling environment for socially inclusive AI, the document presents a case study of ministries of social affairs in Arab countries, based on a survey examining their current and planned AI uses, risk mitigation measures, institutional readiness and collaborations. Drawing on both the policy analysis and the case study, the review identifies areas for action and further consideration to address policy gaps.
