Saudi AI Principles in Media: Disclose AI-Generated Content
· Cortex Solutions
Saudi Arabia's AI Principles in Media ask creators to label AI-generated content with labels, watermarks or metadata. What the eight principles mean for businesses.
According to Arab News on November 6, 2026, citing the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), and to Al-Madina newspaper on the same day, Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its push for the safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence in media content through the "AI Principles in Media" document. It is a national guidance framework aimed at media professionals, content creators and influencers, and its most prominent point is a call to disclose when material has been generated by AI or produced with its help.
The announcement came during the "AI for Impact" gathering, organized by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) in collaboration with the General Authority of Media Regulation, with more than 250 media professionals, influencers and content creators taking part, according to both sources.
Eight principles for content
According to Arab News and Al-Madina, the document rests on eight principles:
- Transparency and disclosure.
- Factual accuracy, credibility and information integrity.
- Privacy and protection of public figures.
- Preventing misleading content.
- Responsibility and accountability throughout the content lifecycle.
- Impartiality and integrity.
- Public awareness and empowerment.
- Impact assessment and regulatory compliance.
Disclosure: how and when?
As reported by Arab News, the document calls for disclosure using clear labels, watermarks or metadata, so audiences can tell synthetic content apart from authentic records. Al-Madina adds that disclosure should be proportionate to the nature of the content and its potential impact, meaning more influential material needs clearer disclosure.
The document also warns against treating generative AI as an authoritative source of information in itself, and stresses human verification, deepfake detection and awareness of potential algorithmic bias. Arab News notes that these tools are now widely used to produce text, images, video and audio, raising concerns about misinformation, intellectual property rights and user privacy.
Al-Madina published a link to the Arabic text of the document on SDAIA's website:
https://sdaia.gov.sa/ar/MediaCenter/KnowledgeCenter/ResearchLibrary/AIPrinciplesMediaAr.pdf
The "Impact Creators" program
The gathering also launched a specialized training program called "Impact Creators", which provides theoretical instruction and practical training in content verification and professional production standards. Its stated aim, according to Arab News, is to help Saudi content creators use AI safely and effectively and to strengthen trust in the Kingdom's digital media sector.
Are the principles binding?
The Arab News report does not say the principles are binding and does not mention penalties; it uses "calls on" and "warns against" language, and Al-Madina describes the document as a national guidance framework. The most accurate reading at this stage is that it is a reference for good practice, and we recommend checking the official text published on SDAIA's website before building any internal policy on it.
What does this mean for Saudi businesses?
The document targets media and content creators, but any business that publishes ads, images and videos on its accounts today is effectively a "content publisher". If your marketing team uses tools that generate images, voices or text, or you work with influencers who use them, these practical steps are worth starting with:
- Write an internal policy: when we use AI in content, who reviews it, and how we disclose it.
- Adopt a standard label for AI-generated or AI-edited content in your posts and ads, and make it clearer the greater the content's impact.
- Add a disclosure clause to your contracts with influencers and marketing agencies.
- Never use the image or voice of anyone, whether an employee or a customer, without documented explicit consent.
- Make human review a mandatory step before publishing, especially for figures and health or financial information, and never rely on a generative tool as the only source of a fact.
- Keep a simple log of what was produced with AI, when, and who approved it; accountability throughout the content lifecycle is one of the eight principles.
- Train your team to detect fake content, as deepfakes may target your own brand.
The clearest message of this framework is that AI is an assistive tool and that responsibility stays with the human who publishes. Businesses that build their habits on transparency and verification now will be better prepared for any upcoming regulation, and more trusted by their customers.
At Cortex Solutions, we help businesses put AI to work in an organized and responsible way, with human review where it is needed. Learn about our services: https://cortex.sa/services/ai-automation
Sources: Arab News (November 6, 2026) citing SPA; Al-Madina (November 6, 2026).