Saudi Arabia calls for member state primacy in AI governance at UN General Assembly

Saudi Arabia, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group at the United Nations General Assembly, has called for national governments to play a central role in any future international AI governance arrangements, while preserving each country’s right to set its own AI policy in line with its development priorities.

The statement was delivered by Ambassador Dr Abdulaziz Alwasil, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, during an interactive dialogue with the Co-Chairs of the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence. Saudi Arabia welcomed efforts to implement the outcomes of the Global Digital Compact and to establish the panel.

Speaking for the Arab Group, Saudi Arabia said ethical frameworks for AI should be grounded in transparency, reliability and accountability, and should account for cultural specificities and societal values alongside privacy and human rights protections. The statement also flagged risks from AI misuse, citing misinformation, deepfakes and cyberattacks as areas requiring attention to maintain public trust in the technologies.

The Kingdom called for continued dialogue across governments, the UN system, the private sector, academic institutions and civil society as AI governance frameworks continue to develop at the international level.