Cairo

Her Excellency Mariam Khalifa Al Kaabi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates and its Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States, participated in the activities of the “Seamless North Africa 2024” conference and exhibition, which is being held over the course of September 2 and 3 under the slogan “The Future of Digital Trade Across North Africa” and was inaugurated by His Excellency Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States.

The conference aims to enhance the future of digital commerce, financial technology, and banking services, and discuss the challenges facing Arab economies in light of the major role that technological innovations have come to play in banking, e-commerce, and the financial sector in general.

In her speech, Ambassador Mariam Al Kaabi stressed that the world has become aware of the importance and role of the digital economy in enhancing wealth and increasing the gross domestic product of national economies. Several countries have achieved remarkable and real developments in this field, most notably the UAE.

Ambassador Mariam Al Kaabi added that the UAE has worked to anticipate the future and build a digital infrastructure, topping global indicators, especially in the network readiness and e-services indicators. This active work was part of a series of policies and strategies such as the digital transformation initiative, the national artificial intelligence program, the digital government strategy and other initiatives. The UAE has also worked to enhance inclusiveness and flexibility with future challenges and harmony with the requirements of the digital age, with a focus on customer needs and reliance on data.

She added that the UAE’s future directions aim to establish the digital transformation and technology sector as a strategic and essential sector due to its important role in developing and planning strategies to support the country’s economy. The UAE adopts economic strategies that stimulate economic diversification, away from oil, and works to build a knowledge-based and diversified economy enhanced by scientific and technological progress and digital transformation.

The UAE Ambassador explained that in 2024, the general framework for adopting sustainable digital transformation was issued as a guiding policy to integrate sustainability principles into all digital transformation activities and initiatives in government agencies in the country, in a strategic step aimed at enhancing sustainable digital readiness in the UAE… The launch of the general framework for adopting sustainable digital transformation came as a result of the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, “may God protect him”, to extend the “Year of Sustainability” to include the year 2024 and build on the successes achieved during the year 2023, in a way that contributes to achieving the country’s commitments to combating the effects of climate change and its ambitions towards a sustainable future enhanced by future technology and digital transformation in all sectors.

Ambassador Mariam Al Kaabi also pointed out in her speech that the fraternal relations and close partnership between the United Arab Emirates and the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt contribute to deepening the bonds of ties between the two countries and moving towards a new development phase that consolidates the existing cooperation system between the two countries in all fields, especially in the economic and commercial sectors.

The UAE Ambassador said that Egypt is a strategic investment and trade partner for the UAE in the region, while the UAE is among the most important trade partners of Egypt. In terms of investments, the UAE is among the most important countries investing in Egypt, and the number of companies has reached about 1941 companies in various strategic economic fields such as communications, tourism, the financial and banking sector, the real estate sector, infrastructure and ports, in addition to agriculture, trade, food and pharmaceutical industries, all of which are important sectors for achieving sustainable development.

Video of the speech of Her Excellency Mariam Al Kaabi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Arab Republic of Egypt, during the Seamless North Africa 2024 Conference