The conversation
Yousef presents the Middle East—and Saudi Arabia in particular—as a market moving from importing technology to creating and exporting it. He describes regulatory reform, digital infrastructure, and rapid talent development as the foundations enabling this shift.
The discussion covers the scale of NEOM and TONOMUS ambitions, including investment in artificial intelligence, venture capital, Arabic-language models, digital twins, and blockchain. The larger argument is that capital is being paired with deliberate institution-building rather than isolated technology purchases.
Human capital is central to the thesis. Yousef points to the dramatic growth of the Saudi technology workforce and female participation, arguing that the region will increasingly become a source of globally competitive talent.
Key arguments
The region is moving from technology reseller to technology creator.
Regulatory reform and talent development are as important as capital deployment.
Arabic AI, digital twins, and locally developed platforms can become exportable intellectual property.
Trust and long-term relationships remain decisive in doing business across the region.