UNESCO grants Saudi AI center Category 2 status

The Riyadh-based International Center for AI Research and Ethics has been ranked as a Category 2 center by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The announcement was made at the 42nd UNESCO General Conference this week, in the presence of Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, president of the Saudi Data and AI Authority.

The center’s achievement, according to the Saudi Press Agency, “comes within the framework of the Kingdom’s constant support for UNESCO’s mission to promote all positive aspects in the lives of people,” and is “testimony to its domestic, regional and international commitments, and an acknowledgement of its continuous support for artificial intelligence and its use for the benefit of countries worldwide, particularly developing countries.”

The International Center for AI Research and Ethics supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030 as well as UNESCO’s AI programs, focusing on countries in the Middle East.