Thursday, December 6, 2018, 1:00 PM
In line with the Arab region’s interest in the digital economy, the importance of which stems from its contributions to the development of the countries’ economic system, the Council of Arab Economic Unity at the League of Arab States announced the organization of the first conference on developing a common Arab vision for the digital economy. The conference will be held from December 16-17 in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
This conference is part of the efforts of the Council of Arab Economic Unity and the UAE’s support and sponsorship in keeping pace with major global transformations in the digital economy by mobilizing Arab capabilities and international expertise, and activating joint Arab cooperation to achieve a set of positive goals that will advance Arab societies.
The first conference on the Joint Arab Vision for the Digital Economy was held in Abu Dhabi, according to the Arab League, reflecting the Council of Arab Economic Unity’s leadership’s commitment to developing joint Arab action and harnessing all available resources to improve the living conditions of Arab citizens. It also supports international efforts, sustainable development goals, and the growth of Arab economies.
The conference aims to present the axes of the Joint Arab Strategy for the Digital Economy to representatives of Arab countries, experts, thinkers, academics, and Arab and international practitioners.
The Council emphasized that the strategy will generate development initiatives and projects that will highlight the economic opportunities available to Arab League member states in the areas of digital transformation, within a framework of non-competitive Arab integration to ensure that all Arab countries benefit from available opportunities.
The conference was announced at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Council of Arab Economic Unity in the presence of Ambassador Mohamed Mohamed Al-Rabee, Secretary-General of the Council of Arab Economic Unity; Atef Helmy, former Egyptian Minister of Communications and Information Technology; Ali Al-Khouri, Advisor to the Council of Arab Economic Unity; and a number of experts in the digital economy.
For his part, Ambassador Mohamed Mohamed Al-Rabee, Secretary-General of the Council of Arab Economic Unity, emphasized the importance of the conference, saying, “We had hope and ambition when we launched the Arab Common Market in 1964. Today, the European Union has achieved what we aspired to, the African Union is racing against time to achieve a common African market, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has reached advanced levels in this field… We in the Arab world continue to face internal and external challenges one after another. Despite this, we are hopeful that today there is a golden opportunity to advance our Arab world through the digital economy.”
He added, “We have tremendous potential, resources, and a geographical location, and, most importantly, a generation that aspires to the best, is passionate about technology, and has the potential to succeed in software, electronics, and modern technologies.” The Arab millennial generation has an instinct for technological knowledge and will, along with their global peers, represent nearly 75% of the workforce by 2025. We do not want this generation to be mere consumers, but rather producers, creators, innovators, and pioneers in the digital economy, taking their natural place in the renaissance of their societies and the Arab nation.”
The Secretary-General praised the role of the UAE and its leaders, saying, “We have the UAE, whose leaders are today offering their expertise and achievements to support a shared Arab vision for the digital economy, sharing their organizational and technological progress and successful experiences in the fields of the economy and digital transformation with the Arab nation. The UAE leaders are doing everything in their power to advance Arab societies and economies with unprecedented support, attention to detail, and care.”
He added, “We will manage a set of axes to support the digital transformation plans of Arab governments, enhance financial inclusion plans, and support the development of knowledge, legislative, and technological infrastructure to enable the young Arab generation to achieve their hopes and ambitions in the field of modern technologies.” Expressing deep gratitude to the UAE and its leaders for their insightful strategic vision to support joint Arab cooperation in light of global transformations,
Ali Mohammed Al Khouri, Advisor to the Council of Arab Economic Unity, presented the most important outcomes of the conference: “The conference aims to present the axes of the joint Arab strategy for the digital economy, which supports sustainable development and investment in technology projects and infrastructure in the Arab world.”
Al Khouri continued, “A number of international and Arab institutions and organizations, as well as more than 70 leading international experts and specialists in the field of the digital economy, are participating in drafting the strategy. We have also established subcommittees with the participation of numerous international and Arab entities to review the strategy before launching it at the conference, including the United Nations, the World Bank, the European Commission, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the UK Cabinet Office’s Office for Digital Government Services, and other institutions working in the field of the digital economy.”
Al-Khoury revealed that the conference will address the economic opportunities available to Arab countries as a result of digital transformation, emphasizing the presence of investments from global investment funds in technology sectors that are being channeled into the Arab world, in addition to the huge opportunities for inter-Arab investments in digital economy infrastructure.
