The potential impact of AI on the Middle East and North Africa’s (MENA) economy is phenomenal — adding a value of over $320 billion by 2030, according to the Economist Impact Report. But in order to seize the opportunities of AI, we need to equip people with the right skills to grow. And to do this the right way, we believe in collaboration and working closely with organizations across the region to transform lives and communities for the better.
Last week, we launched the AI Opportunity Initiative for the Middle East & North Africa, its largest AI initiative in the region, that will provide essential AI skills, research funding and access to helpful AI products. Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, is planning to contribute US$15 million, between this year and the end of 2027, through funding to organizations across the region to ensure the opportunities created by AI reach everyone.
This initiative builds on our long-standing commitment to the region, where, together with local partners, we’ve trained 3 million people on essential digital skills since 2018. Through this new initiative, we aim to further empower half a million individuals within two years with critical AI skills.
AI trainings across the region
As part of the AI Opportunity Initiative for MENA, we’re launching a new Arabic language AI-training curriculum under Google’s digital skills program “Maharat min Google” and Coursera to equip people with AI skills like prompt engineering.
Because AI skills need to be accessible by underserved communities, Google.org is providing a grant to Village Capital to equip Business Support Organizations (BSOs) with skills and resources to train underserved workers on AI skills in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the UAE.
Earlier this year, we announced the launch of Experience AI, an educational program created by Raspberry Pi Foundation and Google DeepMind, covering AI literacy skills. The program is now available in Arabic. To ensure the program reaches more educators in the region, Raspberry Pi Foundation will use grant funding from Google.org to train teachers on AI Literacy, to equip their students in the region (aged 11-14 yrs) with AI safety skills to better understand and navigate the challenges of AI technologies. In the UAE and Saudi, this will be run in partnership with Amideast.
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