Page 58 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Saudi Arabia Number 1 among 140 Nations in Digital Competitiveness

Saudi Arabia's heavy investments in
technology allowed it to rank first among
140 nations in digital competitiveness,
beating France, Indonesia, and China.
The findings were based on a World
Economic Forum report that analyzed
the progress countries made in the last
three years. According to Philip Meissner,
founder of the European Center for Digital
Competitiveness, which compiled the
study, the standouts have clear strategic
visions that were swiftly implemented
and invested a lot in startups, future
technologies, and innovation. Saudi
Arabia’s Vision 2030 blueprint for
economic and social reform relies on
technology as a key driver. The Kingdom
is reducing its reliance on the oil industry
by investing heavily in global technology
companies while encouraging its citizens
to pursue careers in the sector. The report
noted that Saudi Arabia launched its
“ICT Strategy 2023” in 2018 to transform
itself into a digital and technological
powerhouse and that it allocated $500
billion for its smart city project NEOM to
highlight aspirations toward the “Saudi
Vision 2030.” Saudi Arabia was the top and Lebanon dropped significantly. The most in the "ecosystem" dimension, while
digital riser among G20 countries, with Middle East performed well with nine Saudi Arabia was most improved in the
India and Italy felling significantly behind. out of 14 countries improving in digital "mindset" dimension.
Among Middle Eastern countries, Iran competitiveness. Morocco improved the

TRA Hosts Local Governments Delegations to Discuss the UN E-Government
Survey 2020

The Telecommunications Regulatory Au- part a series of sessions initiated by the discussed the role of local governments
thority (TRA) hosted, in three webinars, OSI Executive Team to exchange experi- in enhancing e-government in the country,
delegations from the Competitiveness Of- ences with local electronic/smart/digital especially as the United Nations focuses
fice of Abu Dhabi (COAD), Dubai Govern- governments with the aim of highlighting on the development of smart cities during
ment (Smart Dubai), and Digital Sharjah the most prominent developments in the the survey process, in addition to the avail-
Office, to review the United Nations e-Gov- indicators included in the survey for 2020, ability of local smart services, particular-
ernment Survey 2020, its key results, and such as the e-Government Development ly in education, health and transportation
the role of local governments in enhanc- Index (EGDI), the digital participation index sectors. Commenting on these webinars,
ing the UAE e-Government in order to im- and the local services index (smart cities). H.E. Salem Al Housani, Acting Deputy Di-
prove results. These webinars come within During the three sessions, the speakers rector General for Information & E-Gov-
the framework of TRA’s supervisory role addressed the UN survey, the results of the ernment Sector, said: “The UAE achieve-
in the achievement of the national Online main index, the sub-indicators, and the ad- ments in the United Nations e-Government
Services Index (OSI), in accordance with vanced results achieved by the UAE, which Survey are greatly praised, thanks to hard
the United Nations e-Government Survey, reflect the great efforts made by all local work and close cooperation between all
in strategic partnership with the relevant and federal government entities to advance local and federal government entities. We
government entities. These webinars are the UAE rank in EGDI. The sessions also have been able to develop e-Government

58 SEP-OCT 2020