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Civil Society Perspectives on AI Transformation in Kuwait

In collaboration with Kuwait University

LSE PI: Dr Omar AlGhazzi
KU PI: Dr Shaikha Almubaraki
Duration: 1 January 2026 - 30 September 2027

Blue energy beams traveling upwards with light spheres at the end of them

AI technologies are developing fast as is their adoption and integration in policy making. The speed of change often outpaces the ability of civil society to meaningfully intervene. This paper aims to inform Kuwait’s national digital and AI transformation agenda by foregrounding civil society perspectives. It identifies three areas that are crucial for civil society engagement with AI. These are urban development, climate change, and media advancement. We select these three areas because they emerge as key concerns and priorities for the Kuwaiti government when it comes to AI adoption and use.

The study will investigate three core questions: What are civil society actors’ attitudes toward digital transformation and AI? What role do they see for themselves in contributing to government-led digital initiatives? And what do they perceive as the key challenges and opportunities within their respective sectors? To answer them, we will conduct a total of 15 in-depth interviews with leading civil society figures with expertise on AI in the areas of urban development, climate change advocacy and media advancement. We will also hold a roundtable discussion with Kuwaiti researchers working on the social and urban impact of AI, as well as engage in site visits and undertake participant observation in key initiatives in the digital domain.

By synthesizing these perspectives, the study will produce a rich qualitative account of civil society’s engagement with AI integration in Kuwait and their perception of how it is shaping governance at the urban and national levels. Ultimately, this research affirms that civil society is not a passive recipient of digital policy but can and should be a proactive partner in shaping Kuwait’s technological future.

This project forms part of Kuwait Programme, funded by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Science (KFAS).

(C) Image from Unsplash

Principal Investigators:

  • Dr Omar AlGhazzi | Principal Investigator

    Omar al-Ghazzi is Associate Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Media and Communications at LSE. He works on the geopolitics of global communications, particularly in relation to news media and popular culture. He is interested in the politics that shape the ways we talk about and use communications technologies, as well as the role of media in forging our imaginaries of the past and the future.

  • Shaikha Almubaraki | Co-Principle Investigator

    Shaikha AlMubaraki is an Assistant Professor and former Chair of the Department of Architecture at Kuwait University. She holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, with a Designated Emphasis in Film and Media Studies, and a Master’s degree from the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University. She is interested in the intersections of architecture, visual representation, and new media, exploring how emerging digital frameworks shape spatial practices and policies across contemporary urban, architectural, and cultural contexts.