AI Strengthens Legislative Efficiency, Bahrain Tells IPU

The Bahraini parliamentary delegation highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in legislative work during a virtual session organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) under its Youth Parliamentary Empowerment series.

The discussion focused on how AI can enhance legislative efficiency, improve parliamentary processes, and support young lawmakers through advanced analytical tools.

Speaking at the event, H.E. Dala Jasim Al Zayed, Chair of the Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee at the Shura Council and member of the IPU Committee on Respect for International Humanitarian Law, presented Bahrain’s experience in adopting AI within parliamentary work.

She said AI has become a key enabler in strengthening legislative processes and improving institutional performance. She outlined several applications, including improving access to comparative legislation, supporting analysis of reports and documents, assisting in drafting speeches and parliamentary questions, and enhancing parliamentary diplomacy through briefing preparation and translation services.

Al Zayed also pointed to Bahrain’s broader digital transformation efforts, including AI-driven cybersecurity systems, cloud-based infrastructure, and a five-year AI and digital strategy. She noted the development of digital platforms for managing legislative knowledge and documentation.

She highlighted Bahrain’s achievements, stating that the Shura Council ranked first in the Arab world and 13th globally in the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Digital Maturity Index. She also noted that the Council of Representatives received ISO 42001:2023 certification for AI management systems.

Emphasizing capacity building, she stressed the importance of training programs to strengthen the use of AI in parliamentary work. She also confirmed that Bahrain is working on legislation to regulate artificial intelligence to ensure its safe and responsible use.

She concluded that AI remains a supportive tool in parliamentary processes, while ethical and legislative responsibility continues to rest with humans, calling for greater international knowledge exchange among parliaments.