MENA must classify AI data centres as critical loads, overhaul power planning amid rising demand: WEF
Oct 17, 2026
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has called for countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to classify artificial intelligence (AI) data centres as “critical dynamic loads” and overhaul energy planning, warning that rising electricity demand, water scarcity and extreme heat could threaten the region’s ambitions to become a global hub for AI infrastructure.