Bahrain Ranked High for AI and Cybersecurity

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain has been ranked among the Arab world’s strongest performers for government readiness in artificial intelligence and the use of new technology in public services, a UN report has found.

The Kingdom was also placed in the top global tier for cybersecurity in the 2026 Annual Review of the Sustainable Development Goals, issued by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.

The report, which looked at AI policies for social inclusion across the Arab region, said Arab states scored an average of 39 out of 100 in the 2025 Government AI Readiness Index, against a world average of 41.

Bahrain came among the leading Arab countries in the index, behind Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and ahead of Kuwait, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Iraq and Mauritania.

The review said Bahrain also scored highly in the 2024 Online and Mobile Government Services Maturity Index, which covers the use of AI and other new tools in public services.

It said the Kingdom was among a small group of Arab countries that had worked on the infrastructure and training needed to bring such tools into government work.

On cybersecurity, Bahrain was listed in the first tier of the 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index, issued by the International Telecommunication Union, alongside several GCC states and middle-income Arab countries.

The report said the ranking pointed to a high level of maturity, strong legal and regulatory frameworks, advanced technical capabilities, and effective national cybersecurity strategies, which it said helped support the safe use of AI.

It also said Bahrain was among Arab countries that had included ethical AI rules in the national policy document itself, as part of work to protect human rights and curb risks tied to the technology.

The report added that Bahrain’s AI policy requires government bodies to co-ordinate with the Information and eGovernment Authority before publishing AI systems, under the Kingdom’s regulatory and oversight rules for the field.