The Council of Arab Economic Unity launched the “Arab Indicator for the Digital Economy” during the “Seamless 2020 Digital Economy Technologies Conference and Exhibition”, which will be held at the World Trade Center in Dubai and will run on November 16-17, 2020 under the auspices of the League of Arab States.

This initiative is one of the most important strategic vision initiatives, as it measures for the first time the capabilities of countries, the maturity of their experience and their work mechanisms to reach good levels and competition in the field of digital economy. The index also aims to provide key insights and recommendations to policy and decision makers in the Arab region in order to achieve long-term economic and digital growth goals, improve productivity levels, and grow the labor market and business. The index was based on international sources and reports issued by the World Bank, the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, and indicators of sustainable development.

Dr.. Ali Al-Khouri: Standards that take into account all factors in a balanced manner

His Excellency Dr. Ali Mohamed Al-Khouri, Advisor to the Council of Arab Economic Unity and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Federation for the Digital Economy, said that the Arab Digital Economy Index includes 57 indicators that are grouped into nine main axes, including: the institutional structure of governmental and non-governmental organizations operating in the state, technological and legislative infrastructure, business environments and network coverage, Education, skills, the ability to innovate, knowledge and technology, digital government services, financial and banking services, and finally the sustainable development axis, which stresses the importance of economic development work being subject to standards that take into account the human triangle, the environment and the economy together in a balanced manner.

He said that among the most important findings of the 2020 report, is the continued progress of the United Arab Emirates at the forefront of the Arab countries, as it retained the first place for the second year in a row, and in general the Gulf countries are still at the forefront of the digital scene. The report classified Arab countries into three groups: The first group was called the leading countries, which are countries that have made strategic investments for digital transformation and in employing advanced technologies and systems to support social and economic development plans. As for the second group, it was called the digitally promising countries, which are characterized by having good infrastructure and knowledge, but they still need to adopt more comprehensive plans for digital transformation and inclusion. The third group included countries that still lack the basic technological infrastructure in terms of digital network readiness, and Internet access rates at the level of individuals and institutions.

About the conference

The Conference and Exhibition of Digital Economy Technologies “Seamless 2020” will be held at the World Trade Center in Dubai and will continue on November 16-17, 2020 under the auspices of the League of Arab States and organized by Terrapin International Conferences Organization.

This year’s conference and exhibition session comes after the launch of the Arab Digital Economy Vision initiative in December 2018 in Abu Dhabi, and to complement the efforts of the Arab League in highlighting the role of advanced technologies in building social and economic systems in the region.

A large number of government officials and experts will participate in the conference to shed light on the latest technologies and challenges in the world of the digital revolution, through physical and virtual platforms for remote participation and live broadcasts of events and sessions.

Video link of the “Arab Index of the Digital Economy” initiative