AI is everywhere in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Governments are increasingly positioning themselves as leaders in AI, and claiming that AI will transform healthcare, politics, research, sciences, sports, tech, and more. he main drive behind this investment is the need for governments, specifically gulf regimes, to seek alternative sources for revenue and growth. The development of non-oil sectors through investment in AI technologies could strategically position the region for years to come.While much technology investment in MENA is wrapped up in the discourse around ‘AI for good,’ I argue that these actions and narratives can legitimize structures of control that silence dissent from social movements.