Dubai United Arab Emirates

The Arab Federation for Digital Economy launched the “Arab Digital Economy Index 2022” during the “Seamless Middle East 2022” Conference and Exhibition on Digital Economy Technologies, which will be held at the Convention and Exhibition Center in Dubai and will run on May 31 and June 01, 2022 under the auspices of the League of Arab States.

His Excellency Dr. Ali Mohamed Al-Khouri, President of the Arab Federation for Digital Economy and Chairman of the Higher Committee preparing the report, said that the index comes at a delicate time, especially with the turmoil in the global economy after the spread of the pandemic, the war between Russia and Ukraine and geopolitical and geoeconomic transformations, and provides a descriptive analysis to assess the status of the Arab digital economy, Knowing the extent of the Arab countries’ progress and their ability to keep pace with transformations and to make the most of them.

Al-Khouri indicated that a large number of international experts participated in preparing the report, and its data relied on the approved international indicators issued by the World Bank, the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, the World Telecommunication and Internet Organization, and others. He explained that the report is an important tool with its analyzes and inputs for policy makers, government officials, institutions and civil society in order to advance sustainable development efforts in the Arab world, and develop pivotal sectors such as education, digital government, public administration, information and communication technology, and others.

The report showed that the Gulf Cooperation Council countries continue to lead the Arab region in digital transformation, as the UAE topped the general index, followed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco have also made a qualitative leap in their rank in implementing the sustainable development goals. The report shows that Arab countries need to prepare better for possible future scenarios, and the need to intensify investments in developing digital infrastructure and the legislative system, especially in the second and third group countries, to bridge the growing digital divide.

Watch the video of the launch of the Arab Digital Economy Index 2022