Category: Policy Briefs & Strategy
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Saudi Arabia is rapidly transforming into a digital powerhouse, aiming to lead the MENA region—and potentially the world—in ICT, AI, and digital governance. Anchored in Vision 2030, the Kingdom has launched multibillion-dollar initiatives like Humain, NEOM, and Digital City Riyadh, focusing on infrastructure, AI sovereignty, and innovation ecosystems. This report unpacks the strategy, current progress,…
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As Bangladesh positions itself beyond the ‘least developed’ label and transitions into a competitive emerging economy, the global investment landscape presents both a challenge and an opportunity. This article outlines a strategic framework for Bangladesh to attract and retain serious international investors by focusing on foundational research, infrastructure modernization, sectoral prioritization, and global investor confidence-building…
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China’s footprint in Bangladesh has expanded rapidly over the past decade—bridges, power plants, ports, and roads built with steel, machines, and manpower flown in from Beijing. Unlike the financial support from institutions like the World Bank, ADB, or JICA—typically disbursed in tranches, monitored closely, and executed via local contractors—Chinese investments often arrive as complete packages:…
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Drafted in 2019 with the support of a2i, UNDP, and the Cabinet Division, Bangladesh’s National AI Strategy was built through months of research, dialogue, and vision. Five years later, it remains unlaunched—this is my personal reflection on that journey, the delays, and what must happen next The Journey We Began with Hope In 2019, I…
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Dubai’s AI Revolution: From Vision to Reality in the Making In a world racing to harness the power of artificial intelligence, Dubai stands as a bold and futuristic experiment. What began as a dream of turning oil wealth into tech-driven development has now evolved into a vision for becoming the world’s first AI-powered city. But…
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Tech giants are extracting data from the Global South like colonial powers once extracted gold. But this time, resistance is digital – and growing. We were told the internet would democratize opportunity. For the Global South, it’s done something else entirely – turning users into unwitting suppliers of data for someone else’s algorithm. From Nairobi…
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How Algorithms Took Aim at Imagination Before Industry Introduction: The Lie We All Believed Just a few years ago, tech leaders, economists, and even artists themselves confidently proclaimed: “AI might take over repetitive labor, but it will never replace creativity.” Creativity was hailed as the final frontier of human uniqueness, immune to automation. Fast forward…