In this second report in our series on the economic value of open source AI, we reviewed the technology’s impact in Africa, the Middle East, and Türkiye (AMET). Drawing on evidence from industry and academia, the study reveals strong adoption and investment trends, enormous economic potential, and transformational workforce and sector impacts. Many of the themes from our global study ring true in AMET as well, alongside some findings that are unique to this region. 

Regional investments on the rise

Across AMET, both governments and private investors are pouring billions into AI. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa rank among the world’s top countries for public AI use. Gartner forecasts IT spending in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to hit USD 169 billion by 2026. Saudi Arabia has launched a $100 billion AI investment fund and the UAE’s MGX is of similar scale.

Türkiye’s public adoption of AI tools is the tenth highest globally, and its startup ecosystem secured $1.1 billion in funding in 2024, with AI companies leading in deal counts. Africa’s AI market, meanwhile, is expected to reach $6.4 billion by the end of 2025. The continent now hosts more than 2,400 AI companies that have collectively raised over $800 million. Multinationals are helping to close infrastructure gaps: Microsoft has invested $300 million in South African AI and cloud capacity, Google launched a catalytic fund for 100+ African startups, and Meta is extending undersea cable connectivity.

Why open source AI matters

The research shows that open source models and tools are a cost-effective and democratizing pathway for AMET countries. They enable governments, startups, and researchers to fine-tune models in local languages and cultural contexts, lowering barriers to entry, reducing waste, and accelerating innovation. Examples of applications built on open models include: 

• Orange Telecom using Meta to integrate African regional languages into large language models to promote digital inclusion;
• Masakhane, a pan-African collective, releasing dozens of translation models for more than 30 African languages;
• Falcon and Jais using open source AI to create Arabic language models.

Open source also supports innovation with limited compute resources. In Africa, where only 1% of data scientists have access to GPUs, lightweight open models make experimentation feasible. In the Gulf, open source AI sits atop massive new data-center investments to support a diverse range of applications.

Economic growth

AI’s productivity gains could inject $614 billion into the AMET region’s GDP by 2030: $320 billion in MENA, $50 to 60 billion in Türkiye, and up to $234 billion annually across Africa. For countries with tighter budgets, the cost advantage of open source is decisive. Organizations typically spend 3.5 times more on proprietary AI; two-thirds say open source AI is cheaper to deploy, and 51% report higher ROI than with closed tools. Beyond savings, open collaboration speeds up time to market and strengthens local innovation ecosystems.

Building skills and jobs

The workforce impact is significant but nuanced. Rather than mass displacement, AI in AMET is expected to complement and create jobs. For example, Türkiye projects 3.1 million net new jobs by 2030, while Saudi Arabia already ranks third globally for AI hiring. Africa’s youthful population, set to double by 2050, offers a significant talent pool.

In spite of, or rather due to, this increase in jobs, the region faces a skills gap. In 2025, Africa and the Middle East have only a fraction of AI specialists needed to meet these needs. National upskilling initiatives are scaling fast, integrating training programs and funding into national strategies, non-profit programming, and enterprise professional development. Open source tools make mass training feasible, giving students and early-career professionals free, hands-on experience.

Transforming key sectors

Five sectors stand to benefit most from open source AI in the AMET region:

• Agriculture: AI decision support and pest detection tools such as Nigeria’s FarmCrowdy, Senegal’s AgriPredict, and Türkiye’s Bugmapper are boosting yields and market access for farmers.
• Healthcare: Open source applications include Kenya’s MediScan radiology analysis, Nigeria’s Vax-Llama immunization tracker, and Türkiye’s HealthGPT—the first Turkish large language model for healthcare. These tools help address clinician shortages and improve diagnostic accuracy.
• Government services: Kenya is building an open source chatbot for e-government using GovStack, while Gulf states are deploying AI to streamline visa, tax, and licensing processes. Open models are especially valuable for enhancing security and privacy for sensitive citizen data.
• Education: Initiatives like South Africa’s STEPS project and Egypt’s AI curriculum tools support teachers and expand access to learning materials, and Masakhane’s open language models enable schools to deliver content in local languages.
• Telecommunications: Operators such as Orange are using open models to improve customer support in African languages. In the Middle East, startups such as DakAI are building smart city- and network-optimization solutions on open platforms.
  
  

Policy directions

To unlock the full potential for AI in the AMET region, the report recommends that governments:

• Embed open source AI in national strategies and procurement policies.
• Establish regional hubs for open development and ethical AI governance.
• Invest in public-private partnerships for compute infrastructure, datasets, and model development.
• Scale upskilling and certification programs using open tools and data.

AI adoption in AMET is accelerating, but open source AI offers a uniquely powerful way to make these benefits widely accessible, locally relevant, and sustainable. For Middle Eastern countries, it amplifies massive infrastructure investments by nurturing a vibrant startup scene. For African nations, it enables digital leapfrogging by giving entrepreneurs affordable tools to build mobile-first solutions. And for Türkiye, it can bridge high public interest with slower corporate uptake. By embracing open models now, the AMET region can shape an AI future that reflects its languages, values, and aspirations, and turn projected billions in GDP gains into inclusive development.

Anna Hermansen is a co-author of this report and is a Senior Researcher and Ecosystem Manager for the Linux Foundation.