Arab News column urges Gulf to shape AI rules, not just import Big Tech

This column is a useful barometer of how AI risk is being framed in Gulf policy circles. The author leans heavily on recent warnings from figures like Anthropic’s Jacob Coxon about self improving systems but pivots quickly to the argument that Gulf states, having poured billions into AI, must help set the rules of the game. That framing matters because Gulf sovereign funds are now significant backers of both U.S. and Chinese AI ecosystems, giving them soft power over the labs racing toward AGI.

If Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Doha decide that their reputations and domestic stability hinge on AI that is seen as safe and beneficial, they may start tying capital to safety guarantees, evaluation access or deployment constraints. That would introduce a new kind of market pressure alongside regulation and public opinion, particularly for labs reliant on sovereign wealth money to fund massive training runs.