36Kr Global · Middle East | World Bank Report: Qatar Ranks at the Forefront of Global AI Development
Recently, the World Bank Group released the *2026 World Development Report: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence*. The report shows that Qatar has joined the ranks of economies that have made remarkable progress in the field of artificial intelligence, demonstrating Qatar's development potential in leveraging artificial intelligence to boost productivity, foster innovation and advance economic diversification.
The report focuses on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the global economy, and assesses the ability of countries to seize AI development opportunities from aspects including infrastructure, talent, data, computing power and institutional support.
In the assessment of the global AI development landscape, Qatar is listed in the report alongside technologically advanced economies such as Singapore, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates, reflecting Qatar's continuous investment in digital infrastructure as well as its efforts and achievements in building an innovation-driven knowledge economy.
At present, Qatar is accelerating the advancement of digital transformation and AI development, and relevant technologies have been gradually applied in government services, healthcare, education, scientific research, commerce and other sectors.
Sound digital connectivity and cybersecurity infrastructure, as well as continuous investment in scientific research, education and human capital, provide important support for Qatar's AI development. At the same time, Qatar is actively attracting international technology enterprises and continuously improving its local scientific research and innovation capabilities.
The World Bank report points out that artificial intelligence offers important opportunities for economies to increase productivity, improve public services and accelerate development. For developing countries, the greater potential of artificial intelligence lies in empowering workers and improving work efficiency, rather than simply replacing existing jobs.
The report shows that about 16.2% of jobs in developing countries are expected to achieve significant productivity gains through artificial intelligence, compared with 18.7% in high-income countries. These trends are of important reference significance for Qatar, which is working to increase productivity and accelerate economic diversification.
In Qatar, a considerable part of the jobs affected by artificial intelligence are highly complementary to AI, which means that artificial intelligence brings more productivity improvement.
Qatar has previously been recognized by multiple institutions as one of the emerging economies with a good foundation for AI technology application. Relevant assessments targeting the Gulf region show that Qatar and other GCC countries have certain advantages in advanced digital infrastructure, R&D investment, and access to AI talents.
The World Bank also notes that the dividends brought by artificial intelligence will not materialize automatically. Countries need reliable power supply, high-quality network connectivity, professional talents, accessible data and an efficient institutional system to translate technological progress into broader economic benefits.
As the application of artificial intelligence continues to deepen, the corresponding governance system is equally important. The report emphasizes that governments also need to properly address issues such as changes in employment structure and the responsible use of artificial intelligence, so as to establish a governance mechanism suitable for the long-term development of artificial intelligence while unlocking the potential of the technology.
Image | Unsplash
This article is from the WeChat official account "Invest Qatar (ID: InvestQatar)", reposted with authorization by 36Kr Global. Please contact the original author for reprint permission.
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