His Excellency Ambassador Hossam Zaki, Assistant Secretary-General and Commissioner-General of the participation of the League of Arab States in Expo 2020 Dubai, stressed the importance of completing the course of economic reforms, providing an incubating environment for business, building capabilities, localizing technology, and developing creative and digital thought among young people.

His Excellency Ambassador Hossam Zaki said – during his speech at the opening of the Arab Digital Economy Forum in Dubai – that the youth element is the password, understanding the wealth that must be invested in by training, attracting and listening.

His Excellency added – according to a statement by the Arab League today, Sunday – that “aware of the importance of digital transformation, Arab governments have sought to develop plans to build their capacities in this field, as most Arab countries launched programs and policies in this regard, and some of them have established ministries and higher agencies entrusted with the follow-up of the implementation of these Plans, just as Algeria established a Ministry of Knowledge Economy and Emerging Enterprises, and the Emirates established two ministries in charge of artificial intelligence and advanced technology.

He continued, “Despite these efforts that have enabled the Arab region to achieve tangible steps in the field of digitization and improve the performance of its economies, our countries still face great challenges to develop their capabilities and provide an encouraging climate for innovation, which contributes to transforming our societies from consuming societies to producing it.” .

He stressed the need to change these conditions to move quickly in accordance with coordinated and integrated policies that address the issue in all its aspects, and in this regard, the Arab strategic vision for the digital economy that enjoys the support and patronage of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi,  includes all the elements that aim to build and develop Arab economic systems according to a program that includes 20 strategic goals, stressing the importance of cooperation all to implement them, especially since the file of the joint vision is included in the economic issues of the upcoming Arab summit scheduled to be held in Algeria.

His Excellency Ambassador Hossam Zaki referred to some of the efforts of the League of Arab States in the field of digital transformation, as it is the most comprehensive field, as it includes, in addition to the digital economy file, the topics of policy-making, capacity building, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and others.

He explained that the Higher Coordination Committee for Joint Arab Action headed by the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States – which is the highest Arab body whose membership includes all specialized organizations and Arab federations – chose to address the issue of digital transformation mainly during its work, and the recent meetings of the Committee witnessed the launch of many initiatives in this regard. .

He pointed to the Arab strategy for cybersecurity, the proposal to form an Arab advisory council for artificial intelligence, the Arab guiding principles for the smart university, and the update of the Arab strategy for communications in cooperation with member states and some partners, in addition to a number of projects aimed at supporting the digital transformation path for Arab organizations, such as the Arab Gate project. For information, securing Arab networks against piracy, and the Arab Network for Technology for Sustainable Development, among others.

His Excellency said that during the last meeting of the Higher Coordination Committee for Joint Arab Action held in Riyadh on January 26, it was decided to include a permanent item on the agenda of the Arab Summit to follow up on digital transformation files and to put forward new Arab initiatives within it. It was also agreed during the same meeting to start preparing for a vision for a holding An Arab conference under the umbrella of the League of Arab States and with the participation of Arab organizations, member states and the private sector, deals with the areas of digitization and provides an opportunity for all actors to exchange experiences and build partnerships, and it will be announced when all its aspects are completed.

His Excellency Ambassador Hossam Zaki stressed the keenness that the program be diversified, addressing the topics of the Arab digital agenda, the experiences of Arab countries, e-commerce and cybersecurity, expressing his confidence that the forum will produce results that serve Arab goals and objectives.

His Excellency Ambassador Hossam Zaki also expressed the Arab League’s thanks and appreciation to the UAE, which is achieving leadership in the field of digital technology, and for hosting the work of the Arab Digital Economy Forum, and to Lt. General H.H. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior,  or his continuous support for Arab efforts to enhance coordination And joint Arab cooperation, praising at the same time the efforts of the Arab Union for Digital Economy in organizing the forum.