Businesses focusing on resilient cities, sustainable agriculture and new energy could propel more than $637 billion in new business activity and 12.4 million jobs in the region by 2030.

A new report from the Business & Sustainable Development Commission, the same group that identified $12 trillion in economic potential related to the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals, also cites urban construction, mobility, and affordable housing as potentially large job creators.

The Goals are relevant to the Middle East and North Africa, where we see a young dynamic population motivated to seize opportunities and make positive contributions to the wider society,” Arif Naqvi, CEO of the $10 billion private equity firm Abraaj and a member of the business commission, said in a statement.

Read the full article by Jessica Pothering about economic opportunity from ImpactAlpha