Abu dhabi: A delegation from Bahrain's Parliamentary Division participated in a virtual event organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) as part of its Youth Parliamentarians Empowerment Series, focusing on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in parliamentary work.
According to Bahrain News Agency, Dalal Jassim Al Zayed, Chairperson of the Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee at the Shura Council and member of the IPU Committee to Promote Respect for International Humanitarian Law, highlighted Bahrain's experience in integrating AI into legislative work. Al Zayed stated that Bahrain views AI as a strategic tool for enhancing legislative, oversight, and parliamentary diplomacy functions. AI supports research and analysis, improves access to comparative legislation and international parliamentary experiences, and facilitates the preparation of parliamentary documents and briefings.
She reviewed a number of initiatives undertaken by the legislative authority, including AI-supported cybersecurity systems, the full digitalisation of administrative procedures in both chambers, and the adoption of a five-year Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence Strategy. There is also the development of digital platforms for managing legislative knowledge and documents.
Al Zayed also highlighted Bahrain's achievements in digital transformation, noting that the Shura Council ranked first in the Arab world and 13th globally in the Inter-Parliamentary Union's Digital Maturity Index. The Council of Representatives obtained ISO 42001:2023 certification for Artificial Intelligence Management Systems.
She stressed the importance of building national capabilities through specialised training programmes and workshops, while affirming that AI will remain a supporting tool, with legislative, political, and ethical responsibility continuing to rest with human decision-makers.