Middle East Embraces Future: Shifting from Oil Wealth to Tech Investments, AI Sector Booms with $100bn US Commitment

The Middle East is experiencing a significant transformation, as attention increasingly focuses on technology over fossil fuels. This evolution is evident in the burgeoning artificial intelligence (AI) sector, which is attracting substantial international investment and setting new standards for technological infrastructure with initiatives such as Stargate.

As AI reshapes the global economy and fossil fuel resources wane, several Gulf nations are actively pursuing alternative primary exports. Mohammed Soliman, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington DC, aptly compares this transition to the historical reliance on “black gold,” a reference to the region’s traditional oil wealth.

In much the same way that Gulf oil enterprises powered the global economy throughout the last century, regional AI companies now aspire to deliver “compute” — the prodigious processing capacity supplied by chips and data centers — to drive the increasingly digital economy of the 21st century.

The Middle East boasts considerable capital reserves and robust infrastructure, offering a solid base for cultivating a vibrant AI industry. This transition is already underway.

During his visit to the UAE this year, President Donald Trump brought promises of a $100bn investment in the region’s technological progress. This commitment underscores the growing importance of technology and digital innovation within the Middle East.