Doha, Qatar, 02 February 2026

Esteemed Guests

Too often, when we talk about technology, we tell the story selectively. We begin with the European Industrial Revolution, then fast-forward to Silicon Valley—as if innovation has a single geography, a single language, a single lineage. But that story is incomplete.

The very word algorithm comes from Al-Khwarizmi. The foundations of modern cybersecurity trace back to Al-Kindi, who broke encrypted messages by identifying recurring patterns.
And centuries before artificial intelligence began asking whether awareness requires sensory input, Avicenna was already debating the independence of consciousness itself.

This is not history as nostalgia, ladies and gentlemen, not a petition for recognition. Not a romantic return to the past.

It is a statement of continuity. We were there at the foundations of knowledge and we are here today, shaping its future.

So welcome to our sandbox of innovation, a space where history meets the present, not to rehearse the past, but to equip the future.

 

Ladies & gentlemen, 

Linguistic diversity is critical in developing technologies which are relevant across cultures, as the use of both languages here today demonstrates. So, I will now switch to Arabic. 

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

Language is not confined to its primary concept as a means of communication.

It is invoked as a reference, from which we derive maturity, justice, empowerment, and the extensions of meaning and values.

From this standpoint, technology in our present age is no different. It has become an active reference, a framework that reshapes consciousness and conduct.

 

Our engagement with technological output should not stem from fascination, but as a way of questioning and deconstructing, restoring technology to its proper place - a means, not an end.

I speak today not to unsettle your enthusiasm for the future, nor to impede crucial partnerships between major technology companies and large-scale investments. Rather, it is a call for enthusiasm for technology to be guided by critical awareness and illuminated by moral insight.

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today, in the Arab world, we face a rare turning point, where resources alone no longer suffice. What is required today is the building of trust between minds and institutions  and faith in the Arabic language, and in the creative power it has enabled through the ages.  Yet, this must not obscure the truth that, today, Arabic fights its decisive battle on the frontlines of technology.

This battle is not over tools, but over meaning, identity, and the power to persist.

Should the Arabic language be defeated in this era, it will not be only a linguistic defeat,
but a defeat for all that this language represents in terms of identity, culture, memory, spirit, and civilization.

In this context, it is imperative to contemplate the conditions that will secure the survival and continuity of the Arabic language.

No nation rises without mobilizing its energies, discourse, horizons, determination, and tools, and through everything that makes this rise a reality being nourished by collective will and sustained by self-driven growth.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Our conviction in safeguarding the distinct identity of our language, amid the unprecedented transformations the world is witnessing, is in harmony with our commitment to cultural diversity within the field of technology; For technology was never the child of a single civilization, destined to remain its exclusive inheritance. 

Rather, solutions that emerge from diverse local needs, and the ‘cultural DNA’ of one community or another, can acquire global significance and influence when empowered by technology.

They  can evolve from isolated national or institutional efforts into genuine shared creativity that transcends regions, disciplines, and sectors.

Imagine a platform where a data scientist in Doha collaborates seamlessly with an agricultural innovator in Kenya and a medical researcher in Brazil, working together not only to confront common challenges, but also to build a better future for humanity. A task that requires bold vision and long-term commitment.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, 

What you witness in Qatar is a transformation from oil and gas to a knowledge-based economy. 

I am convinced that, today, we are more ready than ever to be pioneers in the field of technology, and I believe that Qatar is the most reliable place for technology investment. 

Qatar has earned the trust of the world through its investment in education and scientific research, and demonstrated its credibility and neutrality at both a regional and an international level. 

Given its human and material capacities, its transparent legal framework, and its clear ethical standards, Qatar is well positioned to lead.

This is a call to invest in a web of research built on global partnerships – not to humanize technology, but to humanize its uses.

This esteemed scientific gathering carries a promise that reaches beyond the realm of imagination: the promise of a technological future built around Artificial Intelligence programming. This will mean the deeper integration of Artificial Intelligence into all aspects of life, extending its influence over health, education, industry, and even advanced weaponry. 

While such control may sometimes serve as a tool of regulation and order, it may drift away from ethical boundaries, succumbing to impulses of domination. 

 More gravely, as leading scientists have warned, we may reach the moment when the human mind may lose control over its intelligent creations . Should this happen, history will record the first technological rebellion against humanity – an event that could inevitably mark the end of humanity’s sovereignty over its own destiny.

 

Distinguished guests,

It is clear that the targets of this rapid transformation extend to the very existential security of humankind. The arenas of conflict are no longer confined to the battlefield; they now encompass the human mind and conscience, establishing forms of control that are difficult to resist.

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

The nature of things lies in their duality. Here, we may ask: are there truly beneficial pathways for Artificial Intelligence? Specifically, can Artificial Intelligence truly serve as an instrument of peace?

If we agree that the answer is ‘yes’, we must first agree to restore humanity to its rightful place of moral leadership, and to ensure technology remains subject to values, not detached from them. We must use it for early warning, for the protection of civilians — whether in war zones or in the streets of peaceful cities.

Artificial Intelligence will not, in itself, bring about a more just world. Yet, if guided by clear values, it can be a tool to defend the vulnerable, and to expose crimes rather than to  take part in them; and conceal them.

Artificial Intelligence itself is not the threat. The threat is the absence of conscience that directs it. 

I hope my words will not be seen as unusual, as I raise concerns about the profound questions we may avoid or have not yet carefully considered. They stem from the fundamental question: to what destination is Artificial Intelligence taking us?

The fear and uncertainty surrounding Artificial Intelligence cannot be ignored. Evidences indicate that  efforts  are made to create a human being stripped of privacy. 

The question remains: what will technology bring us in the years ahead? Will electronic delegates one day sit beside us in this hall? Will a hybrid participant, electronically tamed in mind and body, stand at this podium? The horizons are open to all possibilities. No wonder! And perhaps, one day, my direct address to you will be replaced by a speech in which everything is present — except humans.