Cairo

The Arab Federation for Digital Economy, a member of the Executive Office of the Forum of Specialized Arab Federations at the League of Arab States, participated in the meetings of the Arab Committee for Communications and Information No. (54), which were held on January 20 and 21, 2025, and discussed recent developments in the communications and information technology sector at the Arab level.

Dr. Ayman Mokhtar Ghoneim, Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab Federation for Digital Economy, presented a working paper entitled: “Towards a unified Arabic language model” to establish an Arabic model for artificial intelligence based on large language models trained on the Arabic language.

Working paper topics

The paper reviewed the importance of developing an Arabic artificial intelligence model that focuses on enhancing the Arabic linguistic and cultural identity in the digital age. The main topics included:

1. Creating Arabic language models : Relies on artificial intelligence techniques to develop advanced tools and services that serve users in the Arabic language.
2. Supporting scientific research and development : Stimulating innovation by funding research projects in the field of artificial intelligence directed at the Arabic language.
3. Joint Arab Cooperation : Establishing a framework that facilitates the exchange of expertise and resources between Arab countries to develop an integrated artificial intelligence model.
4. Opportunities for practical applications : Using Arabic artificial intelligence in the fields of education, media, and translation, to improve the quality of Arabic digital content.

Action Plan : An action plan that includes the timelines for establishing and launching the language model and the stages of establishing the Arab Authority for Artificial Intelligence.

The Assistant Secretary-General stressed that this model represents a strategic step to benefit from artificial intelligence technologies in advancing the Arab digital economy, ensuring keeping pace with global developments in this vital field. He explained that the Arab model for artificial intelligence will not only contribute to promoting the Arabic language and culture on digital platforms, but will also form a strong foundation to support Arab digital innovation and integration.

Main recommendations of the Arab Committee for Communications and Information

The recommendations issued by the meetings of the Committee No. (54) for Communications and Information included referring the Union’s working paper, which was presented during the meeting, entitled “Towards a Unified Arabic Linguistic Model,” to the Artificial Intelligence Team to study its content and analyze the recommendations contained therein, with the aim of supporting efforts aimed at developing an artificial intelligence model that reflects the linguistic and cultural specificity of the Arab world.

In another context, the recommendations included a call to organize introductory workshops and seminars on the “Arab Digital Economy Index” in cooperation with the Arab Federation for Digital Economy, the International Telecommunication Union, and the Arab Indicators Team. The meetings also recommended exploring ways to include the index results within global indicators, in a way that enhances the position of the Arab digital economy on the international scene.

The meetings of the Committee No. (54) for Communications and Information are the most prominent periodic Arab platform for exchanging ideas and visions on the future of digital transformation in the region, as they bring together representatives from various Arab countries and relevant Arab and international organizations to discuss the latest issues related to communications and information systems, and the challenges and opportunities in this sector.