Parliament backs wider use of AI and digitisation of routine government services

TDT | Manama

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Automation moved a step closer in government yesterday after Parliament approved a proposal urging ministries to expand artificial intelligence use and digitise routine services, with MP Hassan Ebrahim saying current use is still limited and must be turned into working systems.

The proposal, put forward by MP Hassan Ebrahim with Dr Hisham Al Ashiri, Jaleela Alawi, Dr Ali Al Nuaimi and First Deputy Speaker AbdulNabi Salman, calls for wider take-up of AI across ministries and public bodies, with more services handled through automated systems to speed up transactions, cut paperwork and lower running costs.

Speaking during the sitting, MP Ebrahim urged ministries to stop treating AI as a side project and push it into day-to-day work.

“We must press ahead towards generalising the use of AI technologies across ministries and government bodies, through automating services and improving institutional performance,” he said.

He told MPs the case for AI was not limited to faster queues and quicker replies.

“Expanding the use of AI would speed up transactions, reduce administrative and financial burdens, raise government performance, and strengthen integrity, transparency and the fight against corruption,” he said, adding that it can offer “greater financial protection by reducing human intervention and limiting potential errors”.

Hassan Ebrahim said the next phase should be hands-on use, with clear checks on what changes on the ground.

Capabilities

“The capabilities are there to move strongly into AI, but current use remains limited, so we must shift from theory to actual and experimental application, measure the impact, and set an ambitious plan to integrate it into government plans and strategies in the near and medium term,” he said.

The proposal argues that AI tools can also support oversight by spotting odd patterns in financial activity and backing internal checks of public accounts, while service performance can be tracked through analysis of complaints and queries from the public.

It also points to uses in public safety and municipal work, including smart cameras and visual analysis to help monitor public spaces, and traffic systems that read vehicle flows and adjust signal timings.

Skills

Supporters say success depends on skills at home.

The proposal calls for focused training for government staff on practical AI use, backing for specialist hiring, and closer work with national universities and research centres on applied projects that fit Bahrain’s needs.

It also urges adding AI fields to scholarship plans to help build a pipeline of younger talent able to develop and run these systems.