AI as the New Silk Road: Code, Currency, and Connectivity in MENA’s Digital Renaissance

You've already aligned well with it through your titles:

• "AI as the New Silk Road" → speaks to digital and AI adoption, trade, and connectivity

• "Code, Currency, and Connectivity" → captures infrastructure, fintech, and integration

📄 Abstract (Submission-Ready Version):

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region stands at the precipice (critical turning point) of a historic transformation. As global trade patterns shift and geoeconomic fragmentation (splintering of the global economy into rival blocs) intensifies, artificial intelligence (AI) emerges not just as a technological tool, but as a modern-day Silk Road—a catalyst (accelerator) for productivity, integration, and innovation.

This paper explores how the adoption of digital technologies and AI can serve as conduits (pathways) for deeper trade and financial linkages within MENA. It examines three interdependent pillars:

1. Code – the digital infrastructure and platforms that enable cross-border connectivity and smart policy deployment;

2. Currency – the role of fintech, mobile payments, and digital finance in accelerating economic transactions and inclusion;

3. Connectivity – regional strategies to harmonize digital systems and attract AI-related investment, particularly in data centers, energy infrastructure, and talent ecosystems.

We analyze the implications (consequences) of AI adoption for MENA’s labor markets—highlighting both its disruptive potential and the opportunities it offers for upskilling and economic diversification.

The paper provides comparative insights from global emerging markets and proposes policy frameworks to ensure inclusive, interoperable, and sustainable digital growth.

Ultimately, this paper argues that AI and digitalization are not ancillary (secondary) to MENA’s economic strategy—they are its cornerstones.

2026 IMF MENA Research Conference