Artificial intelligence is emerging as a powerful catalyst for sustainable development, and Bahrain is positioning itself at the forefront of this transformation by embedding AI into public-sector strategy, policy design, and delivery. With estimates suggesting AI could unlock up to $370 billion in sustainable investment across the MENA region by 2030, the Kingdom is taking a leadership role in shaping ethical, human-centric, and impact-driven AI adoption.
AI’s potential to analyse vast datasets, generate insights at speed, and model complex scenarios makes it especially valuable for governments seeking to advance national priorities such as net zero targets and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In the public sector, AI can enable evidence-based policymaking, strengthen institutional capacity, improve access to financing, accelerate partnerships, and track outcomes in real time.
To validate this potential, Bahrain’s Ministry of Sustainable Development partnered with Bain & Company and the World Economic Forum under the Leaders for a Sustainable Middle East and North Africa platform. A multi-agency workshop involving representatives from 16 government entities explored how AI could support sustainability objectives. This collaboration identified four high-impact AI use cases, including national sustainability target-setting, policy intelligence, and impact measurement.
Bahrain’s broader commitment to ethical digital transformation is reinforced by national frameworks. In July 2025, the Kingdom launched its National Policy for the Use of Artificial Intelligence and adopted the GCC’s Guiding Manual on AI Ethics, establishing standards for responsible, secure, and human-centric AI deployment across sectors.
Human capital development is also central to Bahrain’s strategy. In April 2025, Labour Fund Tamkeen announced a national initiative to train 50,000 Bahrainis in AI skills by 2030, ensuring the workforce is equipped to drive innovation and remain globally competitive.
A key outcome of the public-private collaboration was the development of SME SMART, an AI-powered Sustainability Maturity Assessment and Readiness Tool designed for small and medium-sized enterprises. SMEs account for more than 93% of company registrations in Bahrain, employ 75% of the private-sector workforce, and contribute around one-third of GDP. SME SMART uses an AI-driven assessment aligned with Bain’s LEAD framework to evaluate sustainability maturity and provide tailored recommendations, helping SMEs translate ambition into actionable sustainability outcomes.
By combining policy leadership, ethical governance, skills development, and practical AI applications, Bahrain is demonstrating how technology can be harnessed to drive inclusive, measurable, and future-ready sustainable development.
