Middle East and North Africa: Latest analysis, insights and developments from the World Economic Forum

Conflict in the region is increasingly playing out in digital and technological realms. At the same time, AI is emerging as both a vulnerability and a tool for resilience, raising the stakes for digital security. The cybersecurity landscape is evolving rapidly, with state and non-state actors targeting critical systems.

Emerging technologies like quantum computing are also entering the strategic conversation, as seen in national-level pilots.

Saudi Arabia, became the first country to operationalize the World Economic Forum's Quantum Economy Blueprint at a national scale. A new paper, Piloting the Quantum Economy Blueprint: Lessons from Saudi Arabia, distils key operational and strategic lessons informed to guide countries and organizations seeking to adapt the blueprint to their own national contexts.

As geopolitical risks rise, governments across the region are increasingly absorbing economic shocks, from underwriting energy risks to stabilizing key sectors. This shift raises long-term questions about fiscal sustainability and the evolving role of the state. While this can stabilize economies in the short term, it raises longer-term questions about fiscal pressure, debt and market distortion.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical and vulnerable trade arteries. Disruption is having immediate consequences for energy markets and global supply chains, reinforcing how geography continues to shape economic security.

In this episode of Radio Davos, Jason Bordoff of the Center on Global Energy Policy and the Columbia Energy Exchange podcast joined us to explore the potential long-term impacts on global energy systems of the oil shock caused by the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The region’s central role in energy supply means a global ripple effect through inflation, food prices and economic growth. Governments around the world are implementing measures to reduce fuel demand and protect consumers. The crisis highlights the growing impact of geoeconomic tensions more broadly on global energy systems and economic stability.

What’s shaping the Middle East and North Africa right now? Drawing on the World Economic Forum’s network of leaders and experts, this tracker curates the latest insights, data and analysis from and on the region to help make sense of the news.