UNESCO AI Ethics Forum Comes to Riyadh in Sept 2026

Riyadh will host the 4th UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence from 14 to 17 September 2026 at The Ritz-Carlton in the city's diplomatic quarter. The event brings together delegations from 194 countries to discuss how the world can govern AI responsibly.

The forum is co-hosted by UNESCO and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) and the International Center for AI Research and Ethics (ICAIRE), in coordination with the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science. This year's theme is "Transforming Global Cooperation for Ethical AI Governance."

Sessions will address AI ethics, governance, responsible innovation, capacity building, international policies, accountability, safety, AI readiness, and the use of AI in public administration, education, and health. Participants include ministers responsible for technology and AI, policymakers, leaders of major global companies, and representatives of international organizations, academia, and civil society.

Program and access

The opening day on 14 September is largely high-level and invitation-only, featuring the opening ceremony and flagship panels that require prior confirmation and accreditation. The public forum programme for wider delegates runs from 15 to 17 September, typically from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Riyadh time, with registered participants entering designated areas using forum badges.

Delegates register through the dedicated Global Forum registration portal linked from the official event pages. Registration is not processed through Absher, Muqeem, Qiwa, Najiz, Nafath, or Tawakkalna. Access is based on invitation or institutional registration, and no ticket price schedule for individual attendees has been published. Accreditation badges are valid only for the forum dates and for entry to designated areas during program hours.

Hosting a gathering of this scale places Riyadh at the center of global conversations on AI, reflecting the Kingdom's growing role in technology policy and its investment in shaping how these tools are used across sectors that touch daily life.

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