PRESS RELEASE
MoHERST Strengthens Cooperation with Saudi Arabia on AI Capacity Building and Madrassa Integration
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 17 September 2026
On the sidelines of the 4th UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence 2026, the Hon. Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Prof. Pierre Gomez, participated in high-level ministerial discussions on the future of artificial intelligence, higher education and ethical AI governance. He is accompanied by Dr. Samba Sowe, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Technical.
During the Forum held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from the 14 -17th September 2026, Minister Gomez highlighted The Gambia’s commitment to human-centred and responsible AI, stressing the importance of human oversight, data protection, academic integrity, digital sovereignty and inclusive access to AI technologies. He also emphasised the need to strengthen national capacity through universities, TVET institutions, research, infrastructure and international partnerships, while ensuring that AI development supports sustainable development and does not deepen technological dependency.
Speaking during the panel on “Sustaining the Public Purposes of Education in the Age of AI: Focus on Higher Education,” the Minister underscored the need to protect academic freedom and student data, promote transparency in educational technologies and ensure that technology partnerships include meaningful capacity transfer. He identified continuous capacity building as essential to preparing higher education systems for the AI era.
At a high-level dialogue on financing and partnerships for ethical AI governance, Minister Gomez outlined The Gambia’s ongoing efforts to integrate AI ethics, data protection and algorithmic accountability into tertiary education, strengthen research in AI and mathematical modelling, and expand digital and technical skills through TVET and university partnerships.
*Bilateral Cooperation with Saudi Arabia*
Also on the sidelines of the Forum, Minister Gomez held a high-level bilateral meeting with His Excellency Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi, President of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA). The Minister was accompanied by Dr. Samba Sowe, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Technical), H.E. Ambassador Mambureh Njie, Gambian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and Mr. Omar Baldeh, Deputy Head of Mission at the Gambian Embassy in Riyadh.
The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between The Gambia and Saudi Arabia in AI capacity development, STEM and TVET integration, and the implementation of the Gambia Madrassa Integration Strategy (GMIS).
SDAIA reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the GMIS and its Madrassa Modernisation Pilot through knowledge sharing, institutional linkages with Saudi universities, and support for the integration of STEM and TVET within Madrassa education.
The Authority also expressed its commitment to capacity development opportunities for Gambian lecturers, trainers and instructors, including Master’s and PhD opportunities in AI-related fields. Further cooperation will include specialised AI training, sharing of AI systems and tools for curriculum development, and training for Gambian coders.
These areas of cooperation support MoHERST’s plan to integrate AI as a General Education Requirement (GER) course across tertiary and higher education institutions in The Gambia by 2027.
Both parties agreed to formalise the cooperation through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between MoHERST and SDAIA, with the Gambian Embassy in Riyadh tasked with initiating and coordinating the drafting process.
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