Morocco is positioning itself as a digital transformation leader, showing that countries in the Global South can set the pace in AI cooperation and sustainable development.

On September 26, on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA-80), the Kingdom of Morocco unveiled its new Digital for Sustainable Development (D4SD) Hub, a partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Hub is designed to help countries in Africa and the Arab States harness digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), and innovation to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“The adoption of Artificial Intelligence has emerged as a decisive global issue, and Morocco is determined to play an active role by harnessing this technology in the service of inclusive and sustainable human development,” said HE Aziz Akhannouch, Head of Government of Morocco.

The D4SD Hub, backed by a US$38 million budget over three years, will serve as a collaborative platform to co-create, pilot, and scale inclusive digital solutions. It will apply AI tools to health, education, climate resilience, and governance while empowering women and youth as digital leaders. The initiative stems from a memorandum of understanding signed in July between Morocco and UNDP during the country’s National AI Conference, signaling early alignment on the country’s AI priorities.

“Digital transformation is a cornerstone of UNDP’s newly adopted 2026–2029 Strategic Plan—an essential accelerator of systemic change across all areas of development. We are committed to helping governments harness AI in ways that build trust, ensure transparency, and promote equity,” said Haoliang Xu, UNDP’s Acting Administrator. “Through the D4SD Hub, Morocco and UNDP are creating a platform for countries to co-design, test, and scale digital solutions that serve people and the planet.”

The launch brought together ministers, UN officials, private sector leaders, and civil society partners to deliberate on the creation of an AI and Data Science Alliance for Arab States and Africa, a platform to harmonize standards, boost talent development, and ensure the responsible use of AI.

Morocco’s new hub is part of a broader wave of digital initiatives across Africa. In Kenya, UNDP is helping establish a GreenTech Hub and AI Skills Centre at Konza Technopolis. Similarly, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Google, and innovator will.i.am recently unveiled an AI and robotics training programme for young people across the continent. Within Morocco itself, grassroots initiatives like AI4Morocco are nurturing local AI ecosystems through training and collaboration for startups.

The launch comes as Morocco deepens international partnerships to accelerate its AI strategy. Also on the sidelines of UNGA-80, the government held talks with U.S.-based OpenAI on research, innovation, and ecosystem development, following a recent cooperation deal with French startup Mistral AI. These partnerships align with Morocco’s “Digital Morocco 2030” strategy, which aims to make AI a pillar of national development by strengthening local skills, fostering startups, and ensuring ethical adoption.

The D4SD Hub aligns with the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, UNDP’s Global Digital Strategy, and the digital agendas of both the African Union and Arab League.

Hikmatu Bilali