New York: Europe and the Arabs
A UN report stated that human development progress – measured by people's freedoms and well-being – slowed to an unprecedented pace worldwide over the past year. It stated that artificial intelligence, if used properly, could be a powerful tool to improve the lives of millions, according to the UN Daily News bulletin, a copy of which we received this morning, Tuesday.
For decades, human development indicators have shown a steady upward trend. UN researchers predicted that by 2030, the world's population would enjoy a high level of development. But these hopes have been dashed in recent years, following a period of exceptional crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and progress stalled in all regions of the world.
The annual Human Development Report, issued by the United Nations Development Programme, shows that inequalities between rich and poor countries have widened for the fourth consecutive year.
Global pressures – such as rising trade tensions and a deepening debt crisis that are limiting governments' ability to invest in services that support their populations, such as healthcare and education – are narrowing traditional development paths. Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, said: “This slowdown poses a very real threat to global progress. If slow progress in 2024 becomes the ‘new normal,’ the achievement of the 2030 goal could be delayed by decades—making our world less safe, more divided, and more vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks.”
The Arab Region: Digital Ambition and Challenges
The report stated that the Arab region is showing ambition in digital development and artificial intelligence, particularly in the Gulf, but faces slow human development index recovery, persistent digital divides, and gender constraints.
The Middle East has received approximately $6.5 billion in AI investments through 2024, making it the third-highest region in terms of global investment volume.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are among the few countries outside the West and China contributing to large-scale AI models. Despite this progress in the region, the report indicates that the recovery in the Human Development Index in Arab countries remains slow, due to the impacts of the pandemic, economic fluctuations, and geopolitical turmoil. Development levels in the region remain below the trajectory projected before 2019.
The report highlights fundamental differences in digital access across the region. While some Arab countries enjoy near-universal internet penetration, others face significant connectivity gaps, particularly in rural and disadvantaged communities.
Arab countries are among the regions facing losses in AI talent due to the migration of skilled workers to global technology hubs. This contributes to a global imbalance in AI expertise and capabilities between high-, middle-, and low-income countries.
The report indicates that women in many Arab countries face social norms and care burdens that limit their ability to develop ICT skills and participate in AI-related opportunities.
Maybe robots won't take our jobs!?
Despite the bleak indicators, the report expressed remarkable optimism about the potential of AI, noting the remarkable speed with which free or low-cost tools have been adopted by businesses and individuals alike.
UNDP researchers conducted a survey to assess attitudes toward AI and found that nearly 60 percent of respondents expect the technology to positively impact their work and create new opportunities.
Seventy percent of those living in low and middle levels of development expect AI to increase their productivity, and two-thirds of this group expect to use AI in education, health, or work within the next year.
The report authors made recommendations for actions to ensure AI is as beneficial as possible to human development, including modernizing education and health systems to adequately meet today's needs, building an economy focused on human collaboration with AI (rather than competition), and placing humans at the center of every aspect of AI development, from design to deployment. “The choices we make in the coming years will determine the legacy of this technological transformation of human development,” said Pedro Conceição, Director of the UNDP Office for the Human Development Report. “With the right policies and a focus on people, AI can be an important bridge to new knowledge, skills, and ideas that can empower everyone from farmers to small business owners.”
The report’s message is that the impact of AI is far from inevitable: rather than an independent force, it is a reflection and amplification of the values ​​and inequalities in the societies that shape it.
To avoid what it calls “development disillusionment,” UNDP urges enhanced global cooperation on AI governance, alignment of private innovation with public goals, and a renewed commitment to human dignity, equity, and sustainability.
“The 2025 Human Development Report is not a report about technology,” Mr. Steiner said in the report’s foreword. “It is a report about people—and our capacity to reinvent ourselves in the face of profound change.”

Regional Disparities
The report highlights divergent trajectories across regions:
Africa, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa, faces significant structural development challenges. AI offers the potential to improve education, health, and agriculture, but significant infrastructure gaps—in electricity, internet, and computing power—pose significant barriers to equitable access and use.
East Asia is a global AI powerhouse, with China playing a central role in AI research, robotics, and data ecosystems. However, the report also notes a lack of investment in AI safety and points to structural divisions in talent retention and organizational readiness across the region.
Europe and Central Asia are experiencing increasing political polarization and demographic aging, with AI often viewed as a disruptive force rather than a complementary force in the labor market.
Latin America and the Caribbean face inequality, slow educational gains, and digital disparities.