Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are investing substantial resources into the development of artificial intelligence (AI). In a region where national goals focus on economic diversification, innovation, and digital transformation, AI is regarded as a key driver of long-term prosperity. GCC states have all eagerly launched national AI strategies and are now moving to strengthen regional collaboration on AI governance and innovation through strategic partnerships. The latest example of this is the newly forged agreement between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
On 8 July 2025, Saudi Arabia’s Artificial Intelligence Governance Association signed its first-ever international memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kuwait’s Association of Artificial Intelligence of Things. The agreement seeks to advance AI standards, research, and responsible development in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, Kuwait’s Vision 2035, and broader regional goals of exchanging expertise and promoting innovative policies. Yet, while the MoU is framed as a forward-looking partnership, it also raises human rights concerns.
Both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have troubling records of repression and restricting basic freedoms. Vague laws in both countries criminalize criticism of the government and impose harsh penalties on speech deemed subversive, including on online platforms that are heavily monitored and moderated. In such environments, AI technologies risk being used to identify, surveil, and target individuals in both physical and digital spaces. Digital rights advocates warn that these tools not only strengthen existing repressive practices but also enable new methods of infringing on privacy and freedom of expression, heightening risks for citizens.
These risks are amplified by the Gulf’s lack of meaningful AI regulation. Saudi Arabia is often commended for its “regulatory leadership” in AI, yet its framework primarily consists of non-binding guidelines that favor a business-friendly approach aimed at attracting investment. This regulatory model does nothing to protect privacy or limit surveillance, allowing possibilities for human rights abuses through AI technologies, without breaching any domestic laws.
Kuwait, on the other hand, remains in the early stages of its AI development. While it has made public pledges to integrate human rights principles into its AI strategy, these remain purely aspirational in the absence of any dedicated legal framework. By committing in the MoU to strengthen AI governance alongside Saudi Arabia, Kuwait is aligning with a regulatory model that lacks human rights protections. As it builds its own nascent AI framework, this alignment risks steering Kuwait toward a similar approach that prioritizes economic gains over fundamental freedoms, undermining its ethical commitments and potentially setting a precedent for similar governance models across the Gulf.
As GCC countries expand AI partnerships, innovation, and economic goals must be balanced with enforceable human rights and privacy protections embedded in binding regulatory frameworks. Without this, regional cooperation risks entrenching weak oversight and enabling the spread of repressive technologies in states already known for restricting freedoms. Only through such safeguards can AI development in the Gulf truly be ethical and responsible.