- H.E. Rania Al-Mashat: sharing experiences among think tanks strengthens the ability to leverage AI technologies and address its challenges
- H.E. Mariam Al-Kaabi: The UAE has a proactive outlook for the future underpinning its programmes, plans and initiatives
- H.E. Mohammed Al-Kuwaiti: Cybersecurity supports and enhances the use of AI and its applications
- Dr. Ahmed Zayed: AI is a strategic tool for in ensuring food security for future generations
- Dr. Mohammed Al-Ali: The world needs to shift from competition to cooperation in advancing AI
- Dr. Osama El-Gohary: AI has become a pivotal force shaping the future
Through its virtual office in Egypt, TRENDS Research & Advisory held a symposium titled “Harnessing AI for Sustainable Development: Future Insights and Perspectives” in partnership with the Egyptian Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Held on the sidelines of TRENDS’ 4th participation in the Cairo International Book Fair, the symposium was sponsored by the Middle East News Agency and Aletihad News Center as media partners.
Participants in the symposium emphasized that the age of AI presents huge opportunities for humanity. However, they also underscored the challenges arising from the rapid developments in advanced technology, particularly in areas such as cybersecurity, privacy, diversity, and the need for legislative frameworks to regulate AI technologies. They warned that the misuse of AI or unchecked developments in the field could make it surpass humans and replace them with more intelligent machines.
Undermining the Development Trajectory
In her keynote address, H.E. Rania Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, emphasized that sustainable development and AI are critical issues currently occupying governments and decision-makers. She highlighted that sustainable development remains a key government priority, aiming to meet the needs of current generations while preserving the ability of future generations to fulfill their own needs, all within the context of multifaceted and pressing challenges across various levels.

H.E. Al-Mashat highlighted that while AI offers significant opportunities in economic, social, cultural, and other sectors, it also brings challenges that could potentially undermine the development trajectory. She stressed that AI technologies can be harnessed to support sustainable development goals in various ways, including facilitating decision-making processes, setting priorities, and using them in areas such as health, the environment, and education.
She also emphasized the importance of exchanging expertise among leading think tanks to strengthen the ability to harness these technologies and propose solutions to emerging challenges. Think tanks, she explained, function as intellectual hubs where ideas are generated and developed. Given the rapid advancements in AI, it is crucial to study how to manage these developments effectively. This highlights the need for continuous intellectual discussions, involving a distinguished group of thinkers and experts specializing in both sustainable development and AI, to pave the way forward.
A Responsible AI
In his keynote address, H.E. Dr. Mohammed Hamad Al-Kuwaiti, Chairman of the UAE Government’s Cybersecurity Council, discussed the relationship between AI and cybersecurity, and which of the two drives the future of the other. He emphasized that AI offers significant benefits across various sectors, including the economy, society, and education. However, he stressed the importance of ensuring that AI is used responsibly, with robust security systems in place to safeguard privacy and ensure user safety. Additionally, AI must support and strengthen national security frameworks for countries.

He noted that the AI strategy is built on five key pillars, with the first being governance, policies, and procedures to regulate AI operations. He also explained that AI can support sustainable development by improving educational and healthcare systems and enhancing overall quality of life.
He added that the AI strategy aims to make its applications foster creativity and the generation of new ideas while also strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors. He highlighted its significance in bolstering the AI ecosystem and advancing its applications to meet user expectations. He further emphasized that cybersecurity serves as the first line of defense against cyber threats, playing a vital role in supporting and safeguarding AI usage and applications.
H.E. Dr. Al-Kuwaiti elaborated that cyber threats pose significant challenges to the broader adoption of AI, particularly as cyber terrorism contributes to the spread of misinformation and the manipulation of public opinion. He also highlighted the destructive consequences of cyber warfare, which inflicts substantial financial and moral losses on countries. Therefore, he stressed the need for countries and societies to use AI in a responsible and secure manner.
The UAE’s AI Strategy
H.E. Mariam Al-Kaabi, UAE Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States, said in her keynote address that the UAE has has a proactive outlook for the future. She explained that this proactive outlook underpins the country’s programs, plans, and initiatives, including the establishment of the world’s first Ministry of Artificial Intelligence in 2017, led by H.E. Omar Sultan Al-Olama.

H.E. Al-Kaabi outlined the UAE’s AI Strategy 2031, which serves as a cornerstone for achieving the UAE Centennial 2071 vision. The strategy aims to integrate AI technologies into critical sectors such as education, healthcare, energy, transportation, and space. Its goals include improving government performance, driving innovation, and generating new economic opportunities.
During her address, H.E. Al-Kaabi highlighted the key goals of the strategy, which include driving additional economic growth estimated at AED 335 billion and creating new educational and social opportunities for citizens, governments, and businesses.
She emphasized that AI offers a unique opportunity to promote collaboration and collective innovation. By creating a shared environment for innovation, knowledge exchange, and addressing global challenges, countries can work together to achieve common goals and shape a future defined by sustainability and progress.
Huge Opportunities and Challenges
In his welcome address, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS Research & Advisory, highlighted the world’s rapid transition into the era of AI. He noted that this era offers huge economic, social, cultural, and environmental opportunities for humanity, but also presents significant challenges that should not be ignored.

Dr. Al-Ali pointed out projections that global private sector investments in AI are expected to reach approximately $158 billion by 2025, with two-thirds of these investments concentrated in the Chinese and American economies. He emphasized that to achieve global growth exceeding the International Monetary Fund’s forecast of 3.3% for 2025, there must be a shift from competition to collaboration across all sectors, particularly in harnessing AI to drive global prosperity and sustainable development.
Successful International Experiences
Dr. Mohammed Al-Ali emphasized the importance of drawing inspiration from successful international experiences in integrating AI into development strategies. He also highlighted the need to strengthen international collaboration to enhance the national capacities of countries, enabling them to harness the technological potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the AI era. This includes embracing innovations such as blockchain, 6G networks, cybersecurity, the Internet of Things, the metaverse, and robotics.
He emphasized the urgent need to tackle the challenges posed by the rapid advancements in advanced technologies and AI, particularly in areas related to cybersecurity, privacy, diversity, and the enactment of legislation to regulate the use of AI technologies, ensuring it is not employed in ways that could threaten national or societal security.
A Pivotal Force
In his welcome address, Dr. Osama El-Gohary, Assistant to the Prime Minister of Egypt and Chairman of the Information and Decision Support Center at the Cabinet, highlighted that rapid technological advancements are one of the defining characteristics of our time. At the forefront of these advancements is AI, which has evolved from merely a technology to a pivotal force shaping our future. AI is now a key driver of change across various sectors, including the economy, healthcare, agriculture, and defense.

He further noted the impact of AI impact is clearly evident in the remarkable scientific achievements that have earned the highest global recognition. For instance, the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to two pioneers in modern AI technologies in recognition of their groundbreaking contributions to machine learning. Additionally, the historic success of the generative AI application “ChatGPT” has captured worldwide attention, with 57 million users adopting the technology within its first month of launch.
Supporting Sustainable Development
Dr. Osama El-Gohary emphasized that, in a world with limited resources, innovation is no longer a luxury but a necessity. AI represents a significant leap forward, with the potential to accelerate discoveries and open new horizons for addressing global challenges. He explained that AI can play a key role in eradicating poverty and hunger, thus supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, by providing accurate insights into local needs. AI can also analyze satellite imagery to predict crop yields and identify areas most at risk of droughts or floods, enabling proactive measures to safeguard food security.
In the health sector, AI can accelerate drug discovery, enhance diagnostics, and offer personalized healthcare. The education sector is also seeing a surge in the use of AI tools for personalized learning. These intelligent systems can act as virtual teachers, assisting both educators and students by customizing learning experiences to suit the individual needs of each learner, according to the Dr. El-Gohary.
Dr. El-Gohary added that building sustainable and prosperous Arab communities requires a collective effort to contribute to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and invest in both human intelligence and AI. He emphasized that leading countries are making significant investments in AI development and adopting ambitious strategies to integrate it across various sectors.
Addressing Life’s Challenges
Professor Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Professor of Sociology at Cairo University, emphasized that AI has become a key driver of innovation and transformation across various sectors. By enabling real-time analysis of big data, predicting future needs, and providing innovative solutions, AI can play a crucial role in addressing many of the pressing challenges the world faces today.

He explained that achieving sustainable development and its 17 global goals is crucial to ensuring quality of life and a better future for generations to come. It is evident that addressing the environmental, social, and economic challenges we face today requires a comprehensive vision and coordinated efforts based on the values of innovation, responsibility, and solidarity.
He emphasized that harnessing AI to achieve sustainable development and drawing on diverse expertise in this field has become an urgent necessity. Sustainable development is not merely a theoretical concept or a distant goal; it is a pressing call to turn our aspirations into tangible reality, particularly in light of the growing challenges the world faces, including climate change, depletion of natural resources, natural disasters, rising poverty and hunger, and the widening social and economic gaps.
improving resource efficiency
Professor Dr. Ahmed Zayed explained that artificial intelligence is emerging as a strategic and vital ally in developing innovative solutions, whether by improving resource efficiency, advancing sustainable agriculture, boosting crop productivity, or ensuring food security for future generations. AI also plays a critical role in climate action, analyzing climate change patterns, optimizing natural resource management, and predicting environmental disasters such as floods, storms, and extreme heatwaves. We have all seen its impact in reducing human losses during the recent California wildfires.
He added that we must not overlook the negative impact of AI and digital technologies on the environment, particularly the increased energy consumption and higher carbon emissions associated with the expanding use of these technologies, compared to traditional internet search activities. However, investing in AI is no longer optional; it has become an inescapable reality, infiltrating more aspects of daily life. It is also a strategic necessity for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
An Existential Threat
Following the welcome and keynote speeches, the symposium began its discussions, moderated by Dr. Magued Osman, CEO of the Egyptian Center for Public Opinion Research “Baseera.” Dr. Mohamed Salem, former Minister of Communications and Information Technology in Egypt, stated that, throughout modern history, no technology has received as much attention as AI. He further remarked that it is uncertain how long the era of AI will last. Despite its many benefits across various fields, humanity may face an existential threat due to a loss of control, potentially leading to the singularity of AI.

He noted that the misuse of AI in military applications or the failure to control its development could result in it replacing humanity with smarter machines. This scenario contrasts sharply with the early stages of AI development, which faced challenges such as inadequate communications infrastructure, a severe shortage of experts in big data management, and a lack of sufficient computational power to handle vast amounts of data. These limitations made it difficult for professionals in the field to afford the technology.
AI and the Media
Dr. Hamad Al-Kaabi, CEO of Aletihad News Center, highlighted that recent years have seen a rapid advancement in technologies that are transforming production methods across all sectors. Like other production and service industries, the media, across all its platforms, finds a significant opportunity to harness AI to enhance its content, reach audiences more efficiently, and ensure the accurate delivery of messages that fulfill the purpose behind every written word, image, broadcast, or social media post.

He noted that estimates indicate the global AI market in the media and entertainment reached $25.98 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at an annual rate of 24.2% from 2025 to 2030. Dr. Al-Kaabi emphasized that AI is already transforming the media and entertainment sectors by altering how content is created, distributed, and consumed. Media professionals have no option but to embrace this technological leap provided by AI applications to enhance media products and save time in content development.
Technological Revolution
In her remarks, Noor Al Mazrouei, Head of the AI Studies Section at TRENDS, highlighted that AI has sparked a technological revolution across daily life, industry, and the economy. However, she also pointed out the concerns surrounding the impact of AI on employment, privacy, and the environment.
She noted that current advancements in AI are opening new opportunities in fields such as healthcare, where it enhances disease diagnosis, education, through personalized learning experiences, and agriculture, by improving crop yields and reducing waste. She added that AI also presents several challenges, including issues of trust, inequality, and ethics. There is an urgent need to ensure that AI systems are free from bias, which requires humanity to collaborate in ensuring that AI serves the greater good of humankind.
