Lebanon Digital Transformation Strategy 2020-2030

National Strategy

May 2022 Update

The Lebanon Digital Transformation Strategy aims to modernise the nation’s governance and economy by leveraging digital technologies to address challenges, foster innovation, and improve public services. By 2030, the vision is to transform Lebanon into one of the most digitally advanced countries in the Arab world, with a focus on transparent, citizen-centric governance and fostering a vibrant digital economy.

The purpose of the strategy is not limited to digitizing services but extends to simplifying government processes and making them more accessible, efficient, and inclusive. This approach ensures the inclusion of citizens, businesses, and visitors in a thriving digital ecosystem. The strategy also supports Lebanon’s recovery and development plan by linking digital transformation to broader economic and societal goals.

The strategy builds upon four foundational areas:

1. Governance: Establishing a robust model with clear political commitment and legal frameworks to guide and sustain digital transformation efforts.
2. Open government: Emphasising transparency, open data initiatives, and active citizen participation.
3. Digital infrastructure: Developing secure, universally accessible, and inclusive digital systems to support transformation goals.
4. Business continuity: Ensuring resilience and operational sustainability through robust disaster recovery and continuity mechanisms.

The implementation of the strategy is structured around five main pillars:

• People: Focused on enhancing digital literacy, building capacities, and ensuring inclusivity in digital services. This includes establishing a National Digital Academy, promoting apprenticeships, and increasing awareness of digital opportunities.
• Innovation: Incorporating cutting-edge technologies such as AI, blockchain, and cloud computing to drive economic growth and governmental efficiency.
• Processes: Re-engineering government workflows to adopt international standards and ensure efficient, transparent, and citizen-focused operations.
• Civic engagement: Strengthening partnerships among local governments, the private sector, civil society, and academia to create co-designed solutions and foster inclusivity.
• Legal framework: Updating and modernising laws to accommodate the evolving needs of digital governance, ensuring privacy, security, and effective regulation.

Key objectives include improving public services by providing secure, citizen-centric platforms, fostering a dynamic digital economy that supports local SMEs and startups, and transforming government operations into a digital-by-design model. The implementation plan prioritises developing a unified digital identity system, building data governance platforms, enhancing digital education through initiatives like the Digital Academy, and simplifying key processes such as tax filing and judicial operations.

The strategy acknowledges significant challenges, including budgetary limitations, skill gaps, outdated legal frameworks, and resistance to change. To mitigate these challenges, it emphasises governance mechanisms, capacity-building programs, stakeholder collaboration, and legislative reforms. Continuous monitoring and evaluation will be conducted using Key Performance Indicators to measure progress in areas such as citizen engagement, digital infrastructure, and service efficiency.