Page 11 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2025

LEADERS' SUMMIT 2025 SAMENA TRENDS

Key Insights from the Leaders’

Summit 2025

Leadership and Policy
The Leaders’ Summit opened with a strong
reaffirmation that digital transformation must be
grounded in values, shaped by inclusive governance,
and driven by outcomes that reflect societal priorities.
Bocar A. BA emphasized that progress must be
measured not by technological sophistication alone,
but by its contribution to people, communities, and
sustainable growth. He called for public and private
collaboration to go beyond statements and move
toward long-term commitments that build trust and
new monetization opportunities. deliver real change. Other high-level voices reiterated
• Cybersecurity & Governance: Dedicated roundtables examined the new the importance of aligning national and regional
realities of governing AI systems, strengthening cyber resilience, and agendas, and cautioned against over-dependence on
making connectivity more inclusive and secure. technology without developing digital and emotional
• Digital Policy & Ecosystem Enablement: Stakeholders addressed how intelligence. The UAE’s Cybersecurity leadership
to balance innovation with affordability, competition, and long-term reinforced the urgency of preparing for a security
sustainability in the digital economy. environment where AI threats move faster than
traditional defenses, requiring stronger coordination
The SAMENA Council Leaders’ Summit also encompassed the 9th Global and regulatory anticipation. Meanwhile, the UAE
ICT Energy Efficiency Summit hosted by Huawei where experts addressed Minister of Tolerance spoke of digital transformation
the urgent need to align digital infrastructure growth with climate as a social endeavor, encouraging the industry to
treat trust, ethics, and inclusion not as afterthoughts
but as design principles from the classroom to the
boardroom.

Africa's Digital Priorities and G20 Engagement
South Africa’s Deputy Minister offered a clear picture
of Africa’s priorities under its G20 presidency. The
region is focused on creating affordable access,
developing public digital infrastructure, nurturing
MSME innovation, and shaping data governance that
serves both fairness and growth. It was highlighted
that G20 outcomes must take into account the
voices of non-G20 countries, especially when forming
global technology frameworks. This corroborated the
rational for the SAMENA Council to facilitate the G20
preparatory meeting during its Leaders’ Summit 2025,
and these reflections set the tone for the G20 Inter-
Ministerial Roundtable, where leaders from across
regions discussed how to close the gap between
policy ambition and practical execution. Several
participants noted that while many strategies exist
on paper, actual delivery remains weak. To correct
this, governments and industry must coordinate on
investment, regulation, and skills, while also reducing
friction caused by overlapping rules across sectors
such as health, environment, and urban planning. A
predictable, open policy environment was highlighted
as essential for securing long-term investment.

11 JUNE-JULY 2025