Oman participates in first session of UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance

The Sultanate of Oman has actively engaged in the inaugural session of the United Nations Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance, held in Geneva, Switzerland. This significant international gathering brings together representatives from UN member states, global technology firms, civil society, academia, and the technical community.

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this is the first time that every UN member state is given a seat at the dialogue, to help activate countries’ participation into global action aimed to make artificial intelligence safer, fairer and more accessible to all.

Oman's delegation is spearheaded by Dr. Ali bin Amer Al Shidhani, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology for Communications and Information Technology. The group also includes Dr. Idris Abdul Rahman Al Khanjari, Oman's Permanent Representative to the UN and International Organizations in Geneva, along with specialists from relevant ministries.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the historic nature of this dialogue, noting that every UN member state has a voice. He highlighted the initiative's goal to foster global action toward making artificial intelligence safer, more equitable, and universally accessible. Annalena Baerbock, President of the UN General Assembly, added that the dialogue seeks to develop a shared vision where technological progress aligns with human dignity, fairness, and sustainable development.

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global dialogue is not restricted to regulating technology, but rather to developing a common vision in which progress goes hand in hand with human dignity, fairness and sustainable development.

Dr. Ali Al Shidhani affirmed Oman's capacity to contribute to shaping a responsible AI system, in line with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040. He conveyed the Sultanate's commitment to partnering with the UN and other stakeholders to foster a secure, reliable, and sustainable AI landscape that promotes prosperity and human dignity.

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the Sultanate of Oman possesses enough capabilities to contribute to the global action to shape a responsible AI system within the framework of Oman Vision 2040.

The session addressed critical AI-related issues, including the rapid pace of AI development outpacing governance capabilities. Concerns were also raised about the concentration of AI model training within a limited number of entities and the uneven geographical and linguistic distribution of AI inputs and outputs.

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Oman’s readiness to join hands with the United Nations and all partners for the sake of developing a safe, reliable and sustainable artificial intelligence that realizes the prosperity and dignity of peoples.