Mobile World Congress 26 returned to Doha this week, with industry leaders projecting the MENA region's mobile economy will reach €421 billion by 2026, while acknowledging a dual challenge in building networks capable of powering artificial intelligence and narrowing a digital divide that still leaves millions of people without mobile internet access. The conference, held from November 10-13, 2026, gathered telecommunications operators, technology firms, and policymakers from across the Middle East and North Africa to discuss infrastructure investment priorities and regulatory frameworks needed to support next-generation connectivity. The event was officially reported by Euronews on November 10, 2026, as a critical juncture for advancing digital transformation strategies across the region.
The MENA region's digital economy trajectory aligns with broader EU-Mediterranean cooperation initiatives, as Brussels seeks to strengthen connectivity corridors linking Southern Europe with North African partners. Within the European single market framework, MENA's projected €421bn mobile economy represents significant economic spillovers through cross-border digital services, data centre investments, and expanded telecom partnerships. However, persistent connectivity gaps in rural and underserved areas complicate alignment with EU digital sovereignty objectives and raise concerns about competitive disadvantage versus more digitally mature European neighbours. Recent EU-MENA Digital Partnership agreements have prioritised spectrum harmonisation and cross-border roaming optimisation to address these structural imbalances.
Industry stakeholders anticipate that resolving the digital divide will be essential for realising MENA's full €421bn mobile economy potential, with implications for citizen inclusion, SME competitiveness, and regional geopolitical positioning. Upcoming decisions on spectrum allocation policies and cross-border infrastructure projects are expected at the European Commission's MENA Digital Council meeting scheduled for March 2027, which will determine funding allocations under the EU Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) for connectivity initiatives across the region.
Source: Euronews. Read the original report ↗