Joint Arab vision for the digital economy is the outcome of the first Arab Digital Economy Conference
The first Arab Digital Economy Conference was organised in Abu Dhabi on 16-17 December 2018 during which the Arab League launched the Joint Arab Vision for the Digital Economy. In addition to Arab institutions and organisations, the conference was attended by a number of international organisations including the United Nations, the World Bank, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). ‘By 2030 the Arab countries adoption of the digital economy strategy could grow GDP from 2.6 trillion USD up to 4.15 trillion and the total digital growth effect at full maturity could reach up to 333 billion USD a year’, said Dr. Hesham O. Dinana, Head of Research for the Arab Digital Economy Strategy. The main recommendations of the conference focused on producing policies and laws to regulate the digital economy and support digital transformation, building the capacities of Arab citizens to deal with advanced digital technologies, and building partnerships with the private sector to invest in the sustainable development of the digital economy.