Gulf states head to India AI Impact Summit 2026
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, SDAIA President attendance confirmed
#SaudiArabia #UAE #India #AI – Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are participating in the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi from 16-20 February, with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan leading the UAE delegation on behalf of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr Abdullah Alghamdi leading the Saudi delegation. Held under the theme “People, Planet, and Progress”, the summit has attracted over 35,000 registrations from more than 100 countries, with expected participation from 15-20 heads of government, 50 ministers and 40 chief executives of leading global companies.
Speakers include Brad Smith, President and Vice Chair, Microsoft; Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google and Alphabet; Jeetu Patel, President & Chief Product Officer, Cisco; Cristiano Amon, President & Chief Executive Officer, Qualcomm Incorporated; and Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI.
SO WHAT? – The participation of Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the summit reinforces the two countries’ commitment to lead in the AI era and help shape global frameworks for AI. India is also the fifth largest trade partner for Saudi Arabia and the third largest trading partner for the UAE, so attendance also reflects an intention to build on traditional trade ties in the AI era. The Abu Dhabi AI ecosystem in particular has already signed agreements and formed partnerships with India’s government covering AI infrastructure, digital government and AI models.
Here are some more points regarding the India AI Impact Summit:
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are participating in the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi from 16-20 February
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan leads the UAE delegation on behalf of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, while Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) President Dr Abdullah Alghamdi leads the Saudi delegation.
The Saudi delegation aims to highlight Vision 2030 initiatives that leverage advanced technologies for both humanitarian and economic benefits, reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to strengthening strategic ties with India and supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals through responsible AI innovation.
The UAE’s participation contributes to strengthening international cooperation in advanced technologies and building strategic partnerships that support use of artificial intelligence solutions to drive sustainable development and accelerate adoption of innovative ecosystems across key sectors.
The summit features high-level dialogue sessions aimed at shaping global frameworks for artificial intelligence governance, bringing together heads of state, government leaders, policymakers and delegations of experts representing more than 100 countries to discuss future strategic priorities.
The five-day event features approximately 500 sessions alongside a startup showcase of over 500 AI start-ups, focusing on developmental impact of artificial intelligence, social empowerment, AI safety and inclusive access to resources.
Leading up to the summit, over 1,300 proposals were received for pre-summit events, with more than 500 pre-summit events conducted across sectors and regions in India and globally, alongside seven flagship events collectively engaging over 300,000 participants.
The summit includes panel discussions and specialised expert sessions to facilitate exchange of knowledge and expertise, address global technological transformations and explore cutting-edge applications of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies alongside an exhibition featuring more than 300 leading global companies.
The global AI summit process has evolved from initial focus on AI risks at Bletchley Park, progressing to discussions on ethics and inclusion in Seoul, and moving towards operationalisation of shared principles at Paris, with India AI Impact Summit reflecting the country’s growing role in global AI discussions.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]