Saturday, December 1, 2018
A delegation from the Council of Arab Economic Unity at the League of Arab States held meetings in the United States with the United Nations, the Development Programme, and the World Bank.
The United Arab Emirates announced its sponsorship of the “Common Arab Vision for the Digital Economy” initiative, to support political, social, and economic stability in the Arab world through the digital economy.
The vision, supported by the UAE government and sponsored by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, aims to advance political and social stability in the Arab world through digital inclusion and the development of legislative and technological infrastructure based on digital knowledge to achieve security, safety, and prosperity for Arab societies.
The Council of Arab Economic Unity affirmed the UAE’s support for the joint Arab vision, as this shared Arab vision will contribute to adopting Arab economic solutions from a comprehensive Arab perspective based on the foundations of cooperation and joint Arab action. The initiative also emphasizes the role of modern technology and its use as a tool to achieve sustainable development goals and economic growth rates by creating investment opportunities and supporting new markets and job opportunities.
The Council of Arab Economic Unity is the body responsible for the Arab strategy and enhancing cooperation with international organizations in this field.
In this context, the Council’s delegation, headed by Dr. Ali Al Khouri, Advisor to the Council of Arab Economic Unity, met with Mourad Wahba, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Regional Director for Arab States at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and with senior officials from the United Nations Division for Public Sector Development and Digital Government. UNDP’s investments in Arab countries are estimated at approximately one billion US dollars.
The Council also held a meeting with the World Bank, as the initiative comes at a critical time to support the Bank’s efforts in light of global economic challenges and transformations in all sectors.
The meeting discussed opportunities for comprehensive economic development in Arab countries through promoting a shared vision for the Arab digital economy.
The World Bank emphasized the importance of the Council’s role and plans in supporting enhanced cooperation among Arab countries through the digital economy, particularly in the areas of technological, legislative, and knowledge-based development infrastructure.
The United Nations, the United Nations Development Program, and the World Bank commended the initiative and the Council’s efforts, which will advance comprehensive development and enhance opportunities for cooperation among Arab countries.
The pillars of the Arab Digital Economy Strategy will be presented to representatives of Arab countries at an international conference to be hosted by Abu Dhabi in mid-December 2018. The study’s outcomes, which will result in development initiatives and projects in the areas of transformation and the digital economy, are planned to be reviewed in preparation for presentation to Arab leaders at the Arab Summit scheduled for March 2019 in Tunisia.
