In Video.. The American University in Kuwait inaugurates the 4th edition of the Gulf AI and Cybersecurity Forum 2026

The fourth edition of the 2026 Gulf Forum on Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity kicked off, organized by the American University of Kuwait in collaboration with a distinguished group of experts, specialists, and leaders from the government, academic, and technology sectors in Kuwait and the region. The forum opened yesterday morning at the Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait, with sessions and workshops continuing on the second day at the university campus.

The forum featured main sessions, workshops, and interactive discussions covering artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital transformation, innovation, and emerging technologies, alongside exploring key opportunities and challenges in these fields.

The event received support from several entities and institutions, including the National Cybersecurity Center and the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences as strategic partners, Alghanim & Sons and the New Generation Educational Foundation as sponsors, and M2R Group as a media partner.

At the outset, Areej Alghanim, a member of the Board of Trustees at the American University of Kuwait, emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence in developmental progress and achieving development goals, as well as opening new horizons for employment and professional development for students in public and private schools and universities in Kuwait.

Alghanim praised the large attendance at the university’s annual conference, highlighting the significance of the event and the topics discussed by a panel of experts specializing in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, and connecting them with state bodies and institutions to transfer this expertise to the current and future generations.

She noted that more than 12 accompanying workshops are part of the conference, adding that the campus will host the second day’s activities. Several school students from various educational stages will be invited to broaden the benefits, aiming to raise awareness among students on how to use artificial intelligence correctly, thereby positively impacting their future performance and educational and academic journeys.

Alghanim expressed her deepest gratitude and appreciation to all those involved in organizing the conference, noting that the American University of Kuwait has been and will continue to support community activities. She stated, “This is our role as an educational and academic institution; it is not limited to our academic role, but we also have a role in serving society and the country by promoting academic, scientific, and educational awareness across various sectors.”

She reaffirmed the importance of artificial intelligence in our lives, stressing the necessity of its proper use, and expressed her pride in hosting the fourth edition of the conference, emphasizing that we must have a deep understanding of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity and know how to deal with them.

Alghanim stressed that the university’s annual organization of this forum confirms its commitment to supporting dialogue and cooperation between the academic, government, and private sectors, and enhancing the exchange of knowledge and expertise regarding the future of technology, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.

For his part, President of the American University of Kuwait, Prof. Dr. Youssef Hayek, stated that in this new era, innovation has become the measure of a nation’s strength. Societies are no longer judged solely by the resources they possess, but by the ideas they innovate and how quickly they transform these ideas into solutions in health, energy, education, and every aspect of our lives. He pointed out that artificial intelligence is a tool, not an end in itself, and a means, not a replacement. While AI gives us the power of speed, it does not grant us the power of genuine innovation. It can help us solve problems, but it cannot tell us which problems deserve solving, nor can it weigh a decision against societal needs or values.

Hayek noted that deciding what kind of future we want remains a human responsibility, and it will always be so. He clarified that there is no innovation without a creative mind, and no progress without the tools that enable it; our mission is to combine the two.

Hayek announced that the American University of Kuwait will integrate artificial intelligence into all its curricula, in humanities, technical disciplines, and sciences alike. This means learning through building via real projects and requiring students to apply these tools to challenges relevant to our region and the world, from healthcare to food security to climate resilience. Our goal is to graduate a generation of problem-solvers rooted in their reality and connected to the world.

On his part, Waleed Al-Kheshety, CEO of Corporate Relations and Institutional Affairs at Zain Kuwait, praised this important conference, which enhances dialogue on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. He added, “Zain’s strategic partnership in this forum comes at a time when artificial intelligence is witnessing rapid development. With every technological advancement, a set of questions arises, the most prominent being: how do we adopt artificial intelligence responsibly? How do we protect data and privacy? And how do we balance AI governance?”

He noted that the forum contributes to enhancing these objectives by exchanging expertise and opinions among specialists, technology leaders, academics, and policymakers, and turning discussions into clear, practical steps with tangible results.

Al-Kheshety affirmed Zain’s belief in the importance of partnership between the private and educational sectors, especially since dealing with emerging technologies cannot be done in isolation; it must involve fruitful cooperation between both sectors.

He mentioned that through this integration, a deeper understanding of artificial intelligence technologies and their associated challenges regarding governance, security, ethics, and their impact on society can be achieved.

He pointed out that Zain was among the first companies in Kuwait to develop the responsible use of artificial intelligence in several of its sectors. Zain also committed to developing its internal administrations using national Kuwaiti talents and incorporating them into the company’s infrastructure, ensuring data maintenance and enhancing security and privacy. He emphasized that innovation and cybersecurity must advance together to continue strengthening our capabilities in cybersecurity and consolidating a strong cyber culture.

He said, “Through our partnerships and skills development programs at Zain, we continue to invest in the next generation, empowering youth with digital skills and capabilities in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, which will be the foundation of Kuwait’s digital future.”

Al-Kheshety added, “Through this forum, we look forward to sharing our expertise and benefiting from the expertise of specialists, contributing effectively to these discussion panels. He noted that the real opportunity lies not only in adopting artificial intelligence at a faster pace, but in adopting responsibility, which creates sustainable value for society.”

For her part, Abeer Al-Awadi, President of the National Cybersecurity Center in Kuwait, stated that the convening of this forum comes at a stage where the world is witnessing a massive technological transformation, with artificial intelligence becoming one of the fundamentals in shaping the future of the economy, security, government services, and development, alongside growing challenges and threats in cyberspace.

She continued, “Today, we face a new reality where artificial intelligence is no longer just a technical tool, but a strategic capability that affects how institutions operate, make decisions, manage risks, and protect critical infrastructure. She noted that cybersecurity has today become a cornerstone of national security, sustainable development, and digital transformation.

Al-Awadi added, “At the National Cybersecurity Center, we believe that building a secure digital future requires preparing for the future, not just dealing with current challenges. Therefore, we continue to work on raising the level of cyber readiness, developing national capabilities, training specialized cadres, and enhancing cooperation and partnerships with various regional and international entities. This is based on our belief that cybersecurity is a collective responsibility, and that cooperation and knowledge exchange represent the first line of defense against evolving challenges. We also emphasize that investing in human capital is no less important than technological stability, and that building a specialized generation equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity is one of the most important pillars in achieving the required security.”

Dr. Maysam Safar, representing the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), then spoke, clarifying that the Foundation not only plays an active role in decision-making but also holds a key role in policy formulation and in attempting to simulate projects or activities that yield clear results and impacts. He noted that this forum aligns with the Foundation’s strategy, which is built on three core pillars: research, innovation, and human capital, commending the elite of distinguished researchers from around the world participating in the conference.

For his part, Sheikh Mohammed Ahmed Al-Sabah, President of the Internet of Things Artificial Intelligence Association, explained that artificial intelligence (AI) initially served merely as a tool to answer our questions, whereas today AI can plan, make decisions, and increasingly perform complex tasks independently. He added that we are entering the era of AI agents—systems capable of writing code, managing networks, analyzing information, supporting businesses, and providing round-the-clock customer service. While this presents an exceptional opportunity, it also creates new security vulnerabilities and risks.

Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah further pointed out that when a system has the capacity to act autonomously, errors can spread rapidly. The same AI that can help us protect our networks can also be used to attack them. For this reason, AI and cybersecurity can no longer be discussed separately; they are two sides of the same coin.

Al-Sabah stated that the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025-2028 and the “New Kuwait 2035” vision reflect our aspirations to build a knowledge-based economy, improve public services, enhance our digital capabilities, and create a secure technological future. He noted that transitioning to a government cloud infrastructure, more integrated digital government services, and a stronger framework for responsible AI are important steps in this direction. However, as an association, we shared a single simple message with policymakers: data comes first. He clarified that AI is only strong, reliable, and trustworthy to the extent that the data underpinning it is robust. Before we scale up AI, we need clean, organized, secure, and governed data under a clear national framework.

He affirmed full support for developing a strong national framework for data and AI, one capable of providing leadership for the nation and establishing common standards across our institutions. He added that we believe our future must be built on three core principles. First, trust: people will use AI if they trust it, and trust requires clear rules, governance, and strong security. Second, sovereignty: our most critical data and systems must remain under our control, as AI sovereignty is today part of our national security. Third, humanity: technology does not build a nation; people do.

Al-Sabah emphasized that we must train our Kuwaiti youth not only to use AI but also to build and protect it. None of this can be achieved by a single institution alone; governments, the private sector, universities, researchers, and technology leaders must work together as a unified system. He expressed hope that Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as a whole would become not only leaders in AI but also pioneers in building secure, sovereign, reliable, and trustworthy AI.

The first day of the conference discussed the latest AI challenges. The conference program included a series of specialized sessions that reviewed the latest issues and challenges related to AI and cybersecurity, with the participation of a select group of experts, academics, and specialists from Kuwait and the region. In the first main session at the conference opening, Peggy Tsai, an AI and data expert and faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University, discussed the topic “AI-Based Data Security and Privacy: Building Governance that Keeps Pace with Innovation.” Dr. Bassam Al-Moharameh, CEO of Cyberatos LTD and former head of the National Cybersecurity Center in Jordan, presented on the topic “AI Sovereignty as a National Security Capability.”

The American University in Kuwait also showcased its experience in the field of artificial intelligence through the session “Artificial Intelligence at the American University in Kuwait: A Smarter Tomorrow Starts Here,” presented by Dr. Mohammed Al-Mulla and Dr. Ali Fanjan. The conference featured a panel discussion titled “AI Policy and Governance: Shaping Responsible AI Adoption,” with participation from Dr. Timothy Baldwin, Peggy Tsai, Dean Eng. Mohammed Yassin, Hind Al-Awadhi, and moderation by Dr. Mohammed Al-Mulla.

The session “Cyber Resilience in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” highlighted the requirements for enhancing the capacity of digital systems to confront and manage cyber threats, presented by Dr. Mohammed Al-Kuwaiti, Chief of Cybersecurity for the Government of the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, Dr. Timothy Baldwin from Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in the UAE discussed “AI Safety in the Era of Large-Scale Intelligent Agent Applications,” addressing challenges associated with the development of AI applications based on intelligent agents.

The first day’s program concluded with a panel discussion titled “Cybersecurity in the Age of AI: Building Resilient Digital Systems in the Middle East and North Africa,” featuring Dr. Mohammed Al-Kuwaiti, Dr. Bassam Al-Muharremah, Naif Al-Awadhi, and Dr. Mohammed Al-Mulla, moderated by Meshal Al-Obaid. The session explored the future of cybersecurity and ways to enhance the resilience of digital systems in the region.

Day Two Sessions Look Ahead to the Future of AI Computing and Cybersecurity

Day two of the forum will take place at the American University in Kuwait campus, where sessions will look ahead to the future of AI computing and cybersecurity. Day two of the forum includes a welcome address by Dr. Mohammed Al-Qattan, Vice President for Research and External Relations at the American University in Kuwait, marking the launch of conference sessions that examine the future of AI and its technical and security developments.

Ibrahim Jaber, an AI computing technology expert at Huawei, will present a session titled “Creating a New Horizon for AI Computing for the World,” outlining rapid advancements in AI-specific computing technologies and their future prospects. Naif Al-Awadhi, President of the Kuwait Information Technology Society (KITS), will discuss “AI Learns Fast… Are We? Rethinking Cybersecurity Capabilities for the Coming Digital Era,” addressing the challenges posed by the rapid evolution of AI to cybersecurity systems and the necessity of developing human and technical capabilities to keep pace with the next phase.