Kuwait city: Kuwait’s Assistant Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs, Aziz Al-Daihani, on Wednesday emphasized the importance of leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the efficiency of humanitarian institutions, expedite responses to beneficiaries, and keep pace with global advancements for a more significant impact.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Al-Daihani inaugurated the Gulf Red Crescent’s First AI Conference in Kuwait on behalf of Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya. The conference, titled “Toward New Horizons in Humanitarian Action and Development Media: Harnessing the Power of AI,” underscores Kuwait’s commitment to humanitarian values and cooperation within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It provides a crucial platform for sharing expertise, fostering innovation, and promoting sustainable regional efforts.
Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) Chairman Khaled Al-Maqamis revealed that the organization has begun integrating AI into its programs to enhance humanitarian work, improve needs assessment, manage data, and accelerate response efforts. He highlighted the importance of data protection, fairness, and humanity as the foundation of every innovation. Al-Maqamis also called for stronger partnerships between humanitarian organizations and the tech sector, as well as the development of an ethical framework to guide their collaboration.
Mamadou Sow, Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Regional Delegation to the GCC, praised the Gulf’s investments in AI and innovation, expressing optimism that these efforts would bolster the region’s status as a global leader in humanitarian technology.
Abrar Al-Salem, a representative of the GCC Secretariat-General, noted that the conference represents a forward-thinking vision for Gulf cooperation, with expectations for practical recommendations to strengthen humanitarian and development media. Al-Salem called for increased collaboration to explore AI’s applications in humanitarian contexts and to establish a unified Gulf framework.
Jamal Al-Nouri, Chairman of the Abdullah Al-Nouri Charity Society, emphasized that digitalization and AI could enhance efficiency, transparency, and outreach in charity work, thereby boosting donor confidence, improving needs forecasting, facilitating rapid response, and developing remote services.
The conference featured two panel discussions on AI in humanitarian data and ethics, as well as two workshops focused on media in relief and humanitarian work.