His Excellency Dr. Abdulmajeed Albanyan, President of Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS), emphasized that artificial intelligence (AI) has become a global priority due to its profound current and future impacts, which are set to reshape the world. He made this statement during his address at the opening session of the Arab Dialogue Forum, titled "Artificial Intelligence in the Arab World: Innovative Applications and Ethical Challenges".
The forum, which commenced today in Cairo and will continue for two days, is held under the patronage of His Excellency Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States. It is jointly organized by the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport, and NAUSS, with participation from numerous officials and experts from both Arab and international institutions.
NAUSS President stated: "The intense global race to develop and acquire AI technologies, aimed at securing dominance in this field due to the potential advantages it may offer in the future, is no longer a secret". He highlighted the vast billion-dollar investments that have been announced, efforts to monopolize critical technologies for AI applications, and the continuous release of new AI programs. He added, "This fierce competition will dominate the international stage and persist for some time". He also cautioned about the significant risks associated with this issue, such as the potential misuse of AI technologies by organized crime groups, pointing out that a recent report revealed 85% of cybercrime methods have benefitted from advanced AI tools. Moreover, he emphasized the environmental risks posed by the substantial water and electricity consumption required by companies developing these technologies. NAUSS President concluded by saying "There are major ethical challenges that require everyone’s attention, and it is essential to enact the proper legislation and take the necessary steps to address these issues before they arise".
Dr. Albanyan elaborated on the role of NAUSS as the scientific body of the Arab Interior Ministers Council (AIMC), which is tasked with implementing resolutions, plans, and strategies related to Arab security. Recognizing the significance of artificial intelligence (AI), the AIMC has already taken proactive steps to prepare for AI’s potential impact on Arab security.
He added that NAUSS has made AI a central component of its 2029 strategic plan. The university has established a specialized center for security AI, recruited experts from around the world, launched a master’s program in AI, and developed targeted training programs to strengthen Arab expertise in AI and its security applications. In addition, NAUSS has pioneered innovative AI-based technologies, including tools for detecting deepfake audio in Arabic.
He continued, saying: "NAUSS has not only focused on preparing technical specialists in the field of AI, but the pressing importance of this topic has compelled us to incorporate AI awareness as one of the core attributes of our graduates, regardless of their specialization, because this technology will impact all security sciences we teach, in one way or another".
Dr. Albanyan also highlighted that NAUSS currently hosts students from 15 Arab countries, with faculty members representing 35 different nationalities. Recently, NAUSS earned full institutional accreditation from the Education and Training Evaluation Commission in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia. It was also selected to join the INTERPOL Global Academy Network and now stands as the sole representative from the Middle East in the Institutes of the UN Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network.
In conclusion, Dr. Albanyan expressed his confidence that the forum would generate a comprehensive vision that could serve as a key reference for the Arab world in the field of AI.