Riyadh hosted the fourth UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence this week, with the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) awarding AI ethics badges to more than 20 companies in recognition of their efforts to apply ethical and regulatory principles in developing and delivering AI products and services.
The corporate recognitions headlined a series of awards presented throughout the four-day event. SDAIA also honored 52 recipients of certified professional badges in data and artificial intelligence, presented by SDAIA Vice President Sami Moquim to specialists who passed rigorous examinations benchmarked against international standards.
The credentialing program spans two main tracks — Data Scientist and AI Engineer — across Assistant, Associate, and Expert levels, aiming to spotlight national technical competencies and align workforce capabilities with market demands.
Global youth talent was also celebrated during the event, with SDAIA and the International Telecommunication Union recognizing winners of a global hackathon focused on AI applications for sustainable development.
The forum underscored Saudi Arabia's ambitions to position itself as a leader in responsible AI governance. SDAIA has been building the Kingdom's AI regulatory framework over the past several years, and the UNESCO partnership signals international recognition of that effort.
For the Gulf region, the forum arrives as governments race to establish AI governance frameworks that balance innovation with ethical guardrails — a balance Saudi officials argue requires both technical depth and cultural context.
