The Metaverse and the Future of the Arab Region: Public Policy Choices and Actions
Steven Kenney, founder and principal of Foresight Vector, served from 2020 to early 2025 as the founding Director of the Strategic Foresight Initiative program at The Middle East Institute, a leading Washington DC research institution. While in this role, he was the study director and lead author of a series of reports for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN ESCWA) under its “Megatrends” series of studies.
As ESCWA described it on its website, this report, published in August 2024, is an in-depth analysis of the Metaverse’s implications as a pivotal global megatrend, specifically focusing on its influence in the Arab region in the period up to 2040. It thoroughly investigates the concept of the Metaverse, emphasizing its potential to revolutionize sectors such as job creation, industrial evolution and economic growth in the Arab region. The report explains the diverse impacts that the Metaverse will have on multiple socioeconomic sectors in the Arab region. The analysis identifies various transformative pathways the Metaverse could enable in the region. These include reshaping job markets and industries through Metaverse-driven technologies, potentially creating new job categories, altering or phasing out existing jobs, shifting work into Metaverse environments, and evolving the necessary skill sets.
The report also describes the Metaverse’s capacity to bolster societal welfare in education, healthcare, environmental sustainability, and urban living standards. The report gives an in-depth account of the regulatory and governance frameworks essential for the Metaverse, and suggests that the Arab region is uniquely positioned to lead in establishing these frameworks, potentially becoming a major player in the global digital economy. The report culminates with 19 key findings, messages, and strategic recommendations targeting government agencies, private sector firms, civil society groups, and development leaders. These guidelines are designed to assist stakeholders in harnessing the Metaverse to achieve progress in the Arab region. It offers practical insights and policy recommendations to regional leaders to effectively navigate industry transformations and enhance societal wellbeing. The report also addresses potential challenges and opportunities, ensuring coverage of the Metaverse’s multidimensional implications for the future of the Arab region.