MIDDLE EAST AFRICA ECONOMIC AND INVESTMENT FORUM : paper comes at a time when technological and geopolitical forces are reshaping regional landscapes. At the same time, fractures between global stakeholders. adding another layer of risk for the region. The technological breakthroughs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are bringing opportunity but also risk for those unprepared to adapt., and because the region houses existing political and societal divides, the impacts of technological and geopolitical disruptions may be more pronounced here than elsewhere.