Digital transformation as a mechanism for achieving sustainable development in the Arab world

Abstract

Today, societies strive continuously to realize the principle of "a better life" for individuals by ensuring the success of efforts aimed at providing all the necessary means and conditions that enable people to live with dignity and well-being. In light of the many challenges facing communities, there emerges an urgent—if not inevitable—need to align with various local and global developments in a purposeful and effective manner, in order to achieve inclusive and sustainable development.

From this perspective, one of the key mechanisms adopted by societies to keep pace with rapid technological advancement is digital transformation, which has firmly established itself as a defining feature of all forms of development, regardless of their nature. Today, digital transformation has become an effective and indispensable tool across various domains- developmental, educational, economic, and beyond- serving to

meet the defined goals and respond to the needs of individuals within the framework of an integrated and robust relationship.

Accordingly, this study came to examine the role of digital transformation as a pivotal mechanism to promote sustainable development in the Arab world with its economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The study adopts an assessment of the readiness of the Arab digital infrastructure, and the monitoring of the technological gap within global models. Digitalization contributes to raising the efficiency of institutions, improving services, creating innovative job opportunities, and supporting smart cities. The study recommends the need to formulate unified Arab strategies, develop cybersecurity legislation, and qualify human cadres to localize technology to serve the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.