How the Middle East can benefit from the AI revolution

Artificial intelligence is being frenziedly adopted by all kinds of stakeholders and is transforming many industries in unprecedented ways. The excitement, perhaps, lies in its novelty and the evolving ways of how to harness it, empowering many organizations and individuals to experiment with how to maximize and enjoy a first-mover advantage in seizing its opportunities.
Thus far, the outcomes have been impressive and promising. According to a PwC study, AI is projected to contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, with the Middle East poised to capture benefits amounting to approximately $320 billion. Governments can potentially save substantial financial resources by embracing AI, which could free up to $7 billion in annual budget additions for governments in the Middle East and North Africa region, according to a report by management consultant firm Oliver Wyman.
AI has already begun unlocking unprecedented benefits to multiple stakeholders. For example, the public sector has benefited immensely from its adoption in terms of streamlining operations, automating tedious tasks and enhancing policy and regulatory decision-making through big data and predictive analytics. Additionally, AI has strengthened citizen engagement via the personalized and swift responsiveness of government services.
AI is also empowering governments to enhance the delivery of elemental services, such as healthcare and education, which are vital to the well-being of any nation. For example, it can streamline patient care through AI-powered telemedicine, improving access to services, especially to remote and underserved communities. By leveraging and detecting patterns in big data and electronic health records, AI can reveal interesting public health patterns and disease predictions, leading to more tailored health programs. In the field of drug discovery, AI is speeding up clinical trials, cutting costs and time.
This technology is also transforming education with many innovative tools, including adaptive learning platforms that personalize lessons based on student needs, assistive technologies to help students with disabilities, the gamification of classroom content to engage students and speeding up administrative tasks, such as grading and curriculum planning.
With climate change being a pressing challenge for the region, AI is improving energy and water consumption efficiency by analyzing energy consumption patterns, enabling sustainable energy and water usage. In the same vein, AI is assisting farmers in improving water usage and boosting crop yields through precision farming techniques, thereby not only enhancing food security but also capitalizing on resourceful farming practices that are crucial in water-scarce areas.

AI is empowering governments to enhance the delivery of elemental services, such as healthcare and education.

Sara Al-Mulla

In urban planning, AI is aiding planners in enhancing traffic flow, monitoring environmental changes and designing holistic neighborhoods based on shifting demographics. Furthermore, AI is boosting economic growth by enabling startups to create innovative solutions and commercializing them into new products and services. This allows the MENA region to be positioned as a hub for AI-driven businesses in booming sectors, such as fintech, manufacturing and entertainment.
Recognizing these many opportunities, governments across the globe have not hesitated in crafting astute strategies to maximize their benefits. For instance, the White House has issued an executive order focused on the safe, secure and trustworthy development and use of AI, outlining key principles and strategies to guide the responsible advancement of this technology while mitigating its risks. In tandem, dedicated chief AI officers have been appointed for each government agency to spearhead AI-focused initiatives.
The UK government’s National AI Strategy centers on a number of important initiatives, such as drafting sector-specific AI strategies to reap rewards from its adoption, upskilling students, promoting career pathways in AI, collaborating with global research institutions on common challenges, facilitating trade deals in emerging technologies and publishing AI standards.
In 2017, the UAE unveiled its groundbreaking AI strategy, becoming the first nation to appoint a dedicated minister for artificial intelligence. It further cemented its leadership by establishing the Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, the world's first AI-focused university, and hosting global events like AI Everything and GITEX. It currently runs the Artificial Intelligence Program targeting government officials and private sector individuals, in collaboration with the University of Birmingham.
Saudi Arabia has developed a comprehensive National Strategy for Data and AI, aimed at positioning the Kingdom as a global leader in AI by 2030. Central to this strategy is the establishment of key institutions, such as the Saudi Data and AI Authority, which plays a pivotal role in advancing the Kingdom’s AI initiatives across a set of priority sectors. Additionally, the government is fostering innovation by introducing AI-specific academic programs at universities across the country, ensuring a skilled workforce to drive the nation’s technological transformation.
The MENA region can be uniquely positioned to be at the forefront of the AI revolution by envisioning a clear policy roadmap outlining its importance and the necessary policy and regulatory ecosystems for the sector to thrive. Policymakers would need to collaborate with government agencies and industry leaders to identify optimal use cases of AI within the various strategic industries.
Additionally, investing in the necessary digital and data infrastructure will be critical to harness the full potential of AI, ensuring its effective utilization across sectors. Dedicated innovation labs, AI accelerators and research centers could be established to pave the way toward world-class discoveries and to facilitate their commercialization.
Furthermore, special attention must be paid to building competent talent pools that can innovate in the realm of AI and expand its prospective use cases. Government incentives could also focus on attracting and encouraging the establishment of AI-focused enterprises, in addition to facilitating the adoption of AI by existing enterprises.
As AI continues to evolve, MENA governments can reimagine their industries and working models by integrating the groundbreaking abilities and untapped prospects of AI, promising an era of positive change and ensuring they are poised to be a global hub of innovation and opportunity.

• Sara Al-Mulla is an Emirati civil servant with an interest in human development policy and children’s literature. She can be contacted at www.amorelicious.com.