Artificial Intelligence has witnessed a rapid transformation from being a mere technical innovation to a major driver of the global economy.
In 2024 alone, global private investment in artificial intelligence jumped to an unprecedented level of $252.3 billion, an increase of 44.5% compared to the previous year, according to the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.
This wave of capital represents the dawn of a new economic era, in which countries and companies compete not only for market share, but also for leadership in the field of artificial intelligence itself.
The ramifications of this exponential rise extend beyond technology. By 2030, artificial intelligence is expected to generate approximately $2 trillion in annual revenues in global markets, driven by growing demand for computing capabilities and intelligent systems.
Countries are racing towards digital sovereignty by pumping huge investments in data centres, advanced chips and supercomputers to ensure their position in the new industrial revolution based on artificial intelligence.
AI infrastructure has thus become a symbol of national strength and a key pillar in building future economic resilience.
At the institutional level, these transformations have redrawn the map of power in the business world. Major technology companies – such as NVIDIA, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and Alphabet – today have a combined market capitalization of more than $15 trillion.
NVIDIA alone, with a value exceeding $4 trillion, embodies the financial weight of companies based on developing artificial intelligence technologies.
On the macroeconomic level, the impact is no less profound. A PwC study indicates that artificial intelligence could add $15.7 trillion to global GDP by 2030, driven by productivity gains and increased consumption.
78% of organizations around the world have adopted AI solutions to some degree – up from 55% in 2023 – reflecting an amazing acceleration in organizational transformation.
The result is a leap in efficiency, lower costs, and the emergence of entirely new markets based on intelligent automation.
In the midst of this global transformation, the Gulf countries have emerged as a major player in the artificial intelligence industrial revolution.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is investing about $600 billion to develop data centers, manufacture chips, and enhance public services supported by artificial intelligence.
While the State of Qatar has allocated about $1.2 trillion to expand its infrastructure in this field and enhance its research capabilities, by integrating smart systems into vital sectors.
As for the United Arab Emirates, it allocates nearly $200 billion among its national initiatives for artificial intelligence, including the MGX Fund in Abu Dhabi. Together, these initiatives reflect a shared ambition to make the Gulf a regional hub for artificial intelligence, supercomputing, and advanced technologies.
By 2030, AI is expected to contribute 14% to the UAE’s GDP and add $135 billion to the Saudi economy, strengthening the region’s position in the global AI landscape.
As for governments, they are no longer satisfied with the role of regulator, but have become strategic partners in the artificial intelligence revolution. The US Department of Energy, in collaboration with NVIDIA and Oracle, is building two of the world’s most powerful supercomputers – Solstice and Equinox – equipped with Blackwell GPU processors.
With chip orders exceeding $500 billion, AI infrastructure has become a national strategic asset, forming the cornerstone of economic security.
