AI reshaping entrepreneurship but regional technology gaps persist, business leader says

DUBAI: Artificial intelligence means anyone in the Middle East can be a coder and an engineer, a leading female entrepreneur has told Arab News.

Wafa Alobaidat, founder and CEO of networking platform Playbook, said AI is not only becoming a key resource for small businesses by allowing owners to automate tasks and cut down on costs, it also provides specialized skills for entrepreneurs to benefit from.

Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Dubai, Alobaidat said her company focuses on matching women with the right business deals in their network and utilizes AI to optimize services on the platform.

“If you have an entrepreneurial and problem-solving mindset, you can actually be a builder,” she said.

“AI puts you in the right room and gives you access to the right moment and the right opportunities based on your goals and needs,” Alobdaidat added.

Benefiting from AI can also depend on economic and political conditions.

In countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, where investment in digital infrastructure and AI adoption are becoming central to the nation's development, businesses might have a bigger advantage in integrating tech into their models.

In Lebanon and Syria, where economic instability and political uncertainty can take priority over long-term technological investment, entrepreneurs may face more immediate challenges.

This creates a disparity in how businesses can capitalize on AI, with access to tools being only one part of the equation; the wider environment in which entrepreneurs operate can determine whether that access translates into meaningful growth.

“Here in the region AI learning is becoming extremely accessible. It's also free. You have educational facilities and governments on an exponential, aggressive, assertive plan to get everyone to become an AI native and AI friendly,” added Alobaidat.

For entrepreneurs, the question is whether these tools translate into a genuine business advantage.

AI may help founders do more with less, but ultimately it's the skills and passion that set you apart, explained Alobaidat.

“I think you need a problem-solving mindset. I think if you're able to tackle design briefs, if you are a natural problem solver, if you are creative and innovative. I think artists, designers, engineers, I think people who are always trying to solve a challenge can look at AI and prompt it to build, make and create,” added the founder.