Abstract

The transition to a digital economy is a major challenge in today’s world, with the rapid pace of technological development and the significant evolution of economic and social life, leading to a growing and diverse range of tastes. It has become imperative to develop all the necessary capabilities to ensure a rapid and effective transition to this new type of economy. Failure to keep pace with the global trend could lead to the isolation of various economies and the loss of significant surpluses and wealth that would otherwise have been achieved due to the digital revolution and the speed and multiplication of economic transactions it enables. Many ESCWA member countries, anticipating the coming changes, have begun a systematic move toward developing a digital economy. Similar programs have been implemented by the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, both of which are considered pioneers in digital economy development. Qatar and several other Arab and African countries, particularly Egypt, Lebanon, and Tunisia, have also embraced similar programs. Currently, programs supporting the digital transformation of the economy are widespread in many countries. Based on the above, we aimed to prepare this research to achieve three objectives: to understand the digital economy and its foundations; to provide an in-depth reading of the digital economy indicators for 2022; to analyze indicators of readiness for transition to the digital economy; and to determine the degree of readiness for the transformation potential of the various economic sectors in the economies of the sample countries.