Doha, Qatar: Qatar has emerged among a select group of economies making significant strides in artificial intelligence (AI), underscoring the country’s growing readiness to harness the technology for productivity, innovation and economic diversification, according to the World Bank Group’s newly released World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence.
Released this month, the flagship report examines how AI is reshaping economies and assesses countries’ ability to benefit from the technology through infrastructure, skills, data, computing capacity and supportive institutions.
Qatar features in the report alongside some of the world’s technologically advanced economies, reflecting the country’s sustained investment in digital infrastructure and its drive to build an innovation-led, knowledge-based economy.
The report highlights the increasing concentration of advanced AI capabilities among countries with strong technological ecosystems. Qatar is mentioned alongside Singapore, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates in the report’s assessment of the evolving global AI landscape.
The recognition comes as Qatar accelerates the implementation of its digital transformation and AI agenda, with the technology increasingly being deployed across government services, healthcare, education, research and business.
Qatar’s position is supported by strong digital connectivity and cybersecurity infrastructure as well as investments in research, education and human capital. The country has also sought to attract international technology companies while strengthening domestic research and innovation capabilities.
The World Bank report argues that AI represents an important opportunity for economies to raise productivity, improve public services and accelerate development or developing economies in particular, the biggest opportunity could come from using AI to complement workers rather than simply replace them.
According to the report, 16.2 percent of jobs in developing economies could experience meaningful productivity gains from AI, compared with 18.7 percent in high-income countries.
Meanwhile, about 4.5 percent of jobs in low- and middle-income economies are considered at risk of automation from generative AI, against 14.2 percent in high-income countries. The findings are particularly relevant to Qatar as it seeks to increase productivity and accelerate economic diversification.
Qatar has already been identified as one of the better-positioned emerging economies for AI adoption.
Assessments of the Gulf region have shown that Qatar and other GCC states benefit from advanced digital infrastructure, investment in research and development and growing access to AI talent.
In Qatar, a significant proportion of jobs exposed to AI are also considered highly complementary to the technology, suggesting considerable scope for productivity enhancement rather than outright displacement.
The World Bank nevertheless cautions that the benefits of AI will not be automatic. Countries need reliable electricity, high-quality connectivity, skilled workers, accessible data and effective institutions to translate technological advances into broad economic gains.
It also stresses the importance of appropriate governance as governments confront issues ranging from employment disruption and responsible use of AI.
