Artificial intelligence will play a major role in Lebanon's future as it seeks a path to economic stability, Minister of Finance Yassine Jaber said on Monday.
Mr Jaber was responding to a question from The National during a discussion at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
Middle Eastern countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia have invested heavily in AI, as economists and experts say the technology could fuel unprecedented innovation.
"AI is not only going to be playing a major role in Lebanon, it is going to be playing major role into the world," he said.
Mr Jaber Lebanon's Minister of State for Technology and AI Kamal Shehadi, appointed in 2025, has announced that 2,500 Lebanon residents took part in an AI training programme organised by Zaka, a Middle East-based online education platform.
"This is how we become the nation that masters AI faster than any other and integrate it into our work, our services and our centres of excellence – higher education, health care, creative industries, manufacturing, and business services," Mr Shehadi posted on X last week.
During the CSIS discussion, Mr Jaber said the Ministry of Finance has developed an AI spokeswoman to help communicate the latest economic developments.
"She is the Voice of the Ministry of Finance, Sawt Al Malia, and instead of just releasing all these statements via writing, she declares them," he said.
"You will find a lady who is nicely dressed, an AI character who is making our statements, and you can see the degree to which we are believing in AI and pushing for it." He added that Sawt is "doing a very good job".
During his discussion with CSIS, Mr Jaber also reflected on the country's bank restructuring efforts, the 2027 draft budget and the toll that conflict is having on the country.
In August, Lebanon and the World Bank announced a $150 million loan deal to support the country's drive to transform its digital infrastructure.
The Digital Acceleration Project aims to enable easier access to government services for Lebanese people, many of whom rely on paper services or travel to ministries to deal with issues.
