Much attention in the Middle East over the last three years has focused on the Arab uprisings -- on the political transformations, good and bad, that have remade the future of the region. Yet, much less attention has been paid to the small, but growing economic revolutionbrewing throughout the Arab world.
Startups, internet companies, and the technology sector more generally are beginning to lead the way in the Arab world’s economic transformation. The question is, can the Arab world parallel its political revolutions with a new economic paradigm?
Tel Aviv is known globally as the “startup city.” Though the Arab world has yet to create its own Silicon Valley, small hubs of innovation are sprouting in places like Amman, Beirut, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
As a new, young generation of Arabs turn to surfing the web more than the sand dunes it is an opportune time for tech-startups to establish themselves and lead the region in a new wave of economic inspiration.
More importantly, many of today’s entrepreneurs are creating products for Arabs and by Arabs. No longer simply imitating Western ideas, this new wave of entrepreneurs is creating solutions for local and regional Arab problems and needs.
Finally, the startup revolution offers the Middle East economies an opportunity to tackle stubbornly high youth unemployment by training and equipping a new generation in tech-related skills. For resource poor countries like Jordan, the treasures inherent in the startup sector create an opportunity to leverage the human capital that already resides in the country.
Can the Middle East transform itself into the new tech-Mecca of the world? Let’s explore...
