The World Trade Report 2025 revealed that artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping international trade, projecting that it could increase global trade by up to 40 percent by 2040, while boosting global GDP by around 12–13 percent over the same period.
اضافة اعلان
According to Bloomberg Economics, the report issued last night by the World Trade Organization (WTO) stressed that the Middle East and North Africa region, with its abundant solar and wind resources, holds a potential competitive edge to host AI data centers and develop digital services.
The report noted that these opportunities hinge on the region’s ability to attract investment in digital infrastructure and adopt clear, supportive regulatory policies.
It underlined that the benefits of these transformations will not be equally shared among all economies, depending largely on digital infrastructure, investment capacity in renewable energy, and supportive policies for AI deployment.
The report highlighted that global investment in AI data centers reached $400 billion in 2024, and that rising demand for sustainable energy creates a strategic opening for Arab states rich in solar and wind resources to join this global trend.
It also pointed to a clear policy gap despite the region’s vast potential, noting that high-income economies account for 69 percent of global renewable energy-supportive policies, while low-income economies account for only 1.5 percent.
This gap is particularly evident in the Middle East and North Africa, where strengthening policy and regulatory frameworks could unlock massive opportunities in AI-enabled trade.
The report emphasized that trade could serve as a tool to integrate the region into global AI value chains, whether through exporting key resources (such as minerals and raw materials), hosting data centers and cloud services, or participating in exportable digital services like telemedicine, data analytics, and digital content.
It concluded that the Middle East and Arab countries face a historic strategic opportunity to link their renewable natural resources with the digital economy and artificial intelligence, potentially transforming the region into a hub for digital trade and enhancing its contribution to the global economy.
At the same time, the report warned that seizing these opportunities requires accelerating investment in digital infrastructure, adopting supportive policies, and strengthening international cooperation to avoid widening the gap with advanced economies.
—(Petra)
