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Date: May 20, 2025
Dubai
At an official ceremony held during the Seamless Middle East 2025 Digital Economy Technology Conference and Exhibition, held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from May 20 to 22, His Excellency Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, honored the winners of the second edition of the Arab Digital Economy Award. The award recognizes the most prominent initiatives and influential figures in the digital transformation and technological innovation journey in the Arab world.
The Arab Digital Economy Award is one of the unique initiatives of the Arab Federation for Digital Economy, emerging from the Arab Vision for the Digital Economy adopted at the Arab Leaders Summit in 2022. It aims to highlight the best and most influential digital models and practices in supporting sustainable development and the smart economy in the region. Nominations undergo a rigorous evaluation process. It was judged by an independent jury comprising a select group of regional and international experts.
This year’s edition witnessed wide participation from across the Arab world, reflecting the growing interest in promoting a culture of excellence and innovation across various sectors of the digital economy. The 2025 awards included:
In the Leadership category, His Excellency Engineer Atef Helmy, former Minister of Communications and Information Technology of the Arab Republic of Egypt, received the Digital Leadership Award in recognition of his institutional contributions to building digital infrastructure and leading digital transformation in Egypt.
In the Arab Government Agencies category, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) was honored for its efforts in developing the artificial intelligence system and national digital infrastructure.
The Royal Oman Police also won the award for its “Bayan” system, which contributed to expediting customs procedures and connecting more than 70 government and private entities through automation and the use of artificial intelligence technologies.
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in the State of Qatar also won the award in the “National Digital Policies” category, in recognition of its efforts in implementing the Qatari strategy for digital transformation within the framework of Qatar National Vision 2030.
The “Bin Project” won The Ministry of Interior of the UAE awarded the award in the “Research Centers” category for its contributions to supporting research and technological innovation.
From the private sector, Al Maryah Bank from the UAE won the award in the “Smart Applications” category for its project on cryptocurrency exchange and trading regulation. This project represents an advanced model in integrating financial technology (FinTech) into secure banking frameworks, supporting digital assets, and developing advanced regulatory environments for modern financial transactions.
Internationally, Ms. Samia Melhem, Senior Expert at the World Bank, received the International Digital Empowerment Award in recognition of her work in supporting digital capabilities and building public-private partnerships in Arab countries.
Mr. Richard Kirby, former United Nations Senior Expert, received the International Leadership Award in recognition of his contributions to supporting digital transformation strategies in more than 40 countries and contributing to the development of digital performance indicators in the Arab region.
In the Research and Innovation category, Dr. Hajar Al-Musannaf from the Kingdom of Morocco received the award for a submitted research paper. Titled “Artificial Intelligence for a Knowledge Economy: Multiple Applications in Health, Agriculture, Education, and Industry,” the award recognizes her distinguished research contributions to artificial intelligence research and the development of digital solutions with social and educational impact.
The Arab Federation for Digital Economy emphasized that this award represents an effective path to promoting digital transformation in the Arab world and strengthening regional and international cooperation through the recognition of inspiring models. He noted that the patronage and honoring of His Excellency the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States reflects the deep official Arab interest in empowering the digital economy as a key pillar in building a more sustainable and prosperous future.
