From Potential to Prosperity AI, Inclusive Education and Economic Development in the MENA Region

Abstract

The MENA region is at a crucial point in time, with two urgent needs: the need for social inclusion right now and the brave search for economic diversification through technological innovation. This article goes into further detail on how these two important factors are coming together, focusing on a group of people who are not only very vulnerable but also represent a huge, untapped source of human potential: the 21 million disabled children in the area. These kids have been on the outside of society for a long time, and their exclusion has been kept up by a never-ending cycle of data neglect, policy failures, poorly financed schools, and social bias. This exclusion has a huge effect on the economy. In low- and middle-income nations, people with disabilities who are underemployed can cost the economy up to 7% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).¹

MENA countries are putting a lot of money into digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI) to build economies that are diverse and based on information. This article says that the smart use of AI in special education is the key to bringing these two regional agendas into line with each other. AI is a key tool that turns problems with social welfare into strong drivers of economic growth.

AI can help countries in the MENA area deal with the ongoing resource shortages that have made universal inclusive education seem like a pipe dream. AI-powered technologies have the ability to develop personalized learning experiences, provide improved support tools, help teachers find learning obstacles quickly and accurately, and improve teachers’ skills by making administrative jobs easier. This technology revolution makes it possible to move away from a reactive, segregated approach to special education and toward a proactive, inclusive paradigm that helps every kid reach their full potential.

This article goes into great detail on the present state of special education in the MENA area. It also talks about how AI might change the world and shows some of the most innovative projects in countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan. It goes beyond normal classrooms to provide a strong economic case, showing that funding AI-driven inclusive education leads to a big “Inclusion Dividend.” This dividend leads to better human capital, a more trained and diversified workforce, the birth of a new high-value Assistive Technology (AT) and EdTech industry that is predicted to reach USD 1.2 billion in the Middle East by 2030, and higher corporate profits. Companies that do an excellent job of including people with disabilities tend to make 1.6 times more money and 2.6 times more net income.³

This article gives governments, schools, businesses, and international organizations a complete set of rules to follow. We need to change the way we think about the 21 million disabled children. Instead of seeing them as a problem to be solved, we should see them as 21 million potential innovators, contributors, and leaders who are essential to the region’s future development. AI has the ability to change the MENA area from a place where people are left out to one where they are empowered. This will create societies that are not just fairer but also economies that are stronger and more dynamic.