Communications Minister Omar Al-Omar stated on Wednesday that artificial intelligence is no longer a technological luxury but has become a necessity to enhance competitiveness, upgrade service quality and improve the accuracy of decisions. Speaking at the International Forum for Artificial Intelligence and Digitization, Al-Omar added that the technology has become a reality reshaping economies, government operations and labor markets. The minister stressed the need to keep pace with digital transformation by adopting the technology consciously, employing it responsibly and preparing the required infrastructure, regulatory frameworks and competencies.
The Central Agency for Information Technology is leading several national initiatives in this area, according to Al-Omar. These encompass accelerating the shift to cloud computing, establishing a platform to connect government systems and unifying application programming interface management. The measures seek to boost service efficiency, reinforce information security and enable data exchange across entities.
Kuwait has built strategic partnerships with major international technology companies such as Microsoft, the minister noted in his remarks. The collaborations include creation of an AI-supported cloud zone, an innovation center and training programs for thousands of national personnel. Such ties serve to transfer and localize knowledge while delivering added value to the national economy, Al-Omar said.
Al-Omar highlighted a project to digitize state archives in partnership with the US firm Iron Mountain, marking the first public announcement of the initiative. The effort aims to simplify information access while preserving security and confidentiality. It also advances the transition toward a paperless government and supports rational decision-making going forward.
The comments were delivered as part of Gulf Digitization Week events held in cooperation with the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority and the Embassy of Japan. A draft Kuwait National AI Strategy for 2025-2028, according to the Digital Watch Observatory, aligns with these efforts by seeking to integrate the technology across sectors to advance Kuwait Vision 2035. The document prioritizes economic growth, workforce development and ethical deployment with emphasis on privacy and security.
Professor Khalid Al-Begain, president of the Kuwait College of Science and Technology, urged establishment of a clear national AI strategy within three years, Kuwait Times reported from the forum. Such a document should define priorities including data centers, cloud hosting, processing capabilities or application development. Clearer guidance would allow universities to align academic programs with national requirements and better prepare graduates, Al-Begain added.
