Sunday Okobi in Baku, Azerbaijan
Senior stakeholders and experts at this year’s Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Meeting taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, have explored how artificial intelligence and shared digital infrastructure can accelerate inclusive growth, strengthen digital public infrastructure (DPI), and address emerging gaps in compute capacity and AI readiness across IsDB Member Countries (MCs).
At the knowledge-sharing event titled: ‘Harnessing AI for Advancing Regional Digital Economies’, which brought together senior stakeholders and technical experts, the Director-General of Country Programmes at IsDB, Mr. Anasse Aissami, emphasized strongly that the Bank’s approach to artificial intelligence is not as an isolated technology agenda, but as a shared capability framework designed to help MCs transition from fragmented pilots toward scalable and trusted digital platforms that can be deployed across sectors and borders.
In his remarks, the Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Mr. Samaddin Asadov, highlighted Azerbaijan’s ongoing efforts to position itself as a regional digital hub through the expansion of innovation ecosystems, strengthening of digital infrastructure, and support for technology-driven economic activity.
He noted that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can serve as a catalyst across these priorities by increasing productivity, enabling new digital markets, improving the competitiveness of enterprises, and enhancing the efficiency of public service delivery.
The session brought together a diverse group of distinguished speakers and practitioners who contributed to both the panel discussion and interactive showcase segments of the event. In particular, the esteemed panelists represented the United Nations Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR), Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO), Digital Development Agency of Morocco, National ICT Council of Indonesia, Go Telecom, and the World Bank Group. Several key partners of IsDB, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Co-Develop, also provided valuable insights to the session.
The discussion underscored that while connectivity gaps have narrowed in recent years, a new divide is emerging around AI readiness, compute infrastructure, and access to scalable digital systems.
The participants emphasized that Digital Public Infrastructure forms the foundation of inclusive digital economies, while the next stage of transformation requires regional cooperation on shared AI infrastructure.
IsDB’s ongoing initiatives were highlighted, including the Joint MDB AI Use Case Repository, the AI Academy for Country Officials, and emerging models such as the Green AI Compute Corridor in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These initiatives were presented as building blocks for moving from isolated national efforts toward coordinated regional digital ecosystems.
The moderated discussions focused on how MCs and development partners can jointly address policy, governance, and financing challenges related to AI deployment.
Panelists also explored how shared infrastructure models can help bridge digital divides, particularly for low-income and vulnerable Member Countries, while ensuring that AI systems remain ethical, secure, and aligned with national development priorities.
The session also highlighted the importance of developing harmonized regulatory frameworks and innovative governance models to support cross-border digital integration and shared infrastructure.
It concluded with a strong call to deepen collaboration among governments, development institutions, and technology partners to accelerate the development of regional digital ecosystems. It was emphasized further that commitments toward joint initiatives, including AI capacity-building programmes and shared infrastructure models, represent an important step toward operationalising inclusive and resilient digital transformation across IsDB MCs.
