UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered the opening remarks in a virtual speech at the 19th edition of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which commenced in Riyadh on Sunday, December 15, 2024. The forum, running until December 19, is expected to attract over 10,000 participants from 160 countries, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency.
The forum will cover a wide array of topics such as cybersecurity, data privacy, and artificial intelligence, with more than 300 sessions and workshops scheduled throughout the event. Other distinguished speakers included Saudi Minister of Communication Abdullah Alswaha and UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua.
Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi, the forum moderator, emphasized the significance of IGF 2024 in the global digital landscape, stating that this year marks the first time the forum has dedicated an entire track to business. “Previously, IGF had focused on government, academia, and parliament, but now, we recognize the critical role of the private sector and technology in IT and AI governance,” said Al-Mutairi. The addition of the business track invites several private sector participants to the forum, a step expected to continue in future editions.
Al-Mutairi also highlighted the expanded IGF Village, which offers exhibitions and active workshops designed to enhance collaboration and interactivity among participants. Various organizations are showcasing their initiatives, making the forum more interactive than ever before.
One of the key participants is the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), which hosted a session on the ethical use of AI as part of a series of roundtable discussions. Alaa Abdulaal, chief of digital economy foresight at DCO, shared the organization’s ongoing efforts to focus on AI ethics, including their global roundtables, with an aim to gather diverse expert perspectives to shape policy tools.
The forum also recognized outstanding individuals for their contributions, including Arwa Al-Duwaish, who received the IGF award for Most Promising Employee at the Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services for her role in Bahrain’s digital transformation efforts.
The IGF is being held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, continuing until Thursday, December 19.
