This edition aims to standardize data and Artificial Intelligence terminology across 53 Member States

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is continuing its international efforts to strengthen the scientific and digital presence of the Arabic language in the field of AI by preparing the third, enhanced edition of the multilingual Data and Artificial Intelligence Glossary. The edition is scheduled for official launch during the Global AI Summit (GAIN) in September 2026 in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The initiative is the result of a strategic partnership bringing together ICESCO, through its Center for Foresight and Artificial Intelligence, the International Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics (ICAIRE), the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, and the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), within an integrated framework that consolidates international efforts to serve the Arabic language in advanced technological fields.

Work on the project was launched following an inaugural meeting that brought together all partners, during which agreement was reached to jointly develop and implement the glossary, define its scope of work and key phases, and establish the relevant committees.

The initiative, which coincides with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s designation of 2026 as the Year of Artificial Intelligence, is scheduled to be presented to the ICESCO Executive Council for approval by the Organization’s 53 Member States, granting it an international dimension and sustained knowledge impact.

The initiative aims to produce an updated version of the glossary by reviewing existing definitions, incorporating emerging terminology in data and AI, and enhancing terminological consistency across Arabic, English, and French. It also seeks to provide a thematic structure that facilitates access to content by application area and to support digital access through the development of an electronic application and accompanying digital resources.

The project will be implemented through successive phases, including planning and scoping, followed by enrichment and scientific and linguistic review, then production and digital development, culminating in approval and official launch, within an institutional framework that ensures content quality and sustainability of impact.

This step comes amid the rapid global transformations in the field of AI and the accompanying expansion of concepts, methodologies, and technical terminology, which poses real challenges related to terminology standardization and equitable access to knowledge, particularly for widely spoken languages that remain underrepresented in the digital space, foremost among them the Arabic language.