UN ESCWA

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia

3
Activities on AI
20
Countries

About UN ESCWA

Activities by UN ESCWA

UN ESCWA
National Guide for AI Strategies in the Arab Region
Arab States DjiboutiIraqJordanLibyaMauritaniaSomaliaSyria

National strategies need to address requirements and focus on multiple pillars across sectors and disciplines, covering a wide scope from legislation to human resources. This guide is aimed to help Arab countries to develop their own national strategies based on best global and regional practices.

Activity Type Technical AssistancePolicy/Regulatory Guidance
UN ESCWA
Arab Development Portal (ADP): An AI-Enabled Data and Policy Support Platform
Arab States AlgeriaBahrainDjiboutiEgyptIraqJordanKuwaitLebanonLibyaMauritaniaMoroccoOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaSomaliaSudanSyriaTunisiaUnited Arab EmiratesYemen

The Arab Development Portal (ADP) 2.0 is an AI-enabled regional digital platform developed and managed by ESCWA, in partnership with members of the Arab Coordination Group (ACG). The platform serves as a centralized hub for development data, statistics, research, and policy-support tools covering the Arab region.
ADP integrates large-scale structured and unstructured data from national statistical offices, international organizations, and alternative data sources. Advanced AI and data engineering techniques are used to automate data ingestion, enrichment, metadata generation, semantic search, and insight extraction. The platform also hosts interactive analytics, dashboards, and AI-driven policy tools that support evidence-based analysis and decision-making across key development domains, including economic growth, labor markets, social protection, financial inclusion, gender equality, climate, and the SDGs.

Activity Type AI Tools/SolutionsTrainings/WorkshopsTechnical AssistanceResearch/Reports/AssessmentsPolicy/Regulatory GuidanceAwareness/AdvocacyInfrastructure/Systems DevelopmentNetworks/Mentorship/Exchange
UN ESCWA
Artificial Intelligence Futures for the Arab Region
Arab States EgyptLebanon

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of AI as a transformative global megatrend, with a particular focus on its implications for the Arab region through to 2040. It outlines three strategic pathways through which AI could evolve in the Arab world, explores how AI could revolutionize key sectors, and highlights opportunities, risks and challenges.

Activity Type Research/Reports/Assessments