Geneva
The Arab Federation for Digital Economy held a joint meeting with a World Bank team to explore areas of cooperation in digital economy projects across the Arab world and to discuss existing initiatives and future plans that could support the development of digital transformation systems in the region. The Federation’s delegation was headed by His Excellency Dr. Ali Mohammed Al-Khouri, Advisor to the Council of Arab Economic Unity and Chairman of the Federation’s Board of Directors, while the World Bank delegation included several experts specializing in digital development and economic policies.
The meeting witnessed praise from the World Bank for the UAE initiative in developing the Arab vision for the digital economy and building the Arab Digital Economy Index, stressing that the UAE has become an advanced model in digital development at the regional and global levels, thanks to its advanced technological infrastructure and its strategic directions based on innovation and digital transformation.
During the discussions, Dr. Ali Al-Khouri explained that cooperation with the World Bank is a pivotal step towards enhancing joint working mechanisms, and that there are two main areas upon which to build in the coming phase. He pointed out that the first area relates to the Arab Digital Economy Index, one of whose key components relies on World Bank data. In this context, Al-Khouri emphasized the importance of involving the World Bank in the technical committees responsible for review and development, which will contribute to improving the efficiency of measurement methodologies and enhancing evaluation tools, and ensure that the index more accurately reflects the reality of the digital economy in Arab countries.
The meeting also discussed prospects for cooperation on the Arab Projects Platform for Digital Transformation, which the Federation is developing as an Arab system for collecting and classifying government projects related to the digital economy, through a formal system that allows ministries and relevant institutions to submit their projects nominated for funding or international partnerships.
Al-Khouri explained that this project is being carried out in cooperation with both the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), and that the World Bank joining as a key partner will give the platform greater credibility and open the way for aligning these projects with the Arab digital agenda, in addition to enhancing their access to international funding sources that contribute to transforming them into realistic development initiatives, especially in countries that need greater support to accelerate digital transformation.
Al-Khouri stressed that cooperation between the Federation, UN organizations and the World Bank can form a sustainable practical framework to support digital economic development in the Arab world, which supports the ability of countries to build an advanced digital infrastructure that meets the needs of the next stage, noting that the Federation will continue to work with international partners to support Arab efforts in developing digital policies and projects in accordance with best global practices.
