The ultimate example of urbanization in MENA: Dubai from above. (Image via Picasa)

'Megatrends', according to EY, are "large, transformative global forces that impact everyone on the planet".

But for MENA populations, sometimes those trends don't fit as well as for faster growing regions such as Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, or Western countries.

We compared the first of EY's megatrends - the digital future - with progress in the Middle East and North Africa.

MENA cities are not expected to grow as fast as those in Asia or Sub-Saharan Africa, either in population size, wealth or spending power.

But the region is expected to continue rapidly urbanizing. Entrepreneurs are already taking advantage of the opportunities on offer, providing solutions to problems that arise from a fast transition to high density living: transportation, rubbish collection, energy, and more.