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The Middle East is making substantial progress in information and communication technology (ICT), according to the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Information Technology Report, released yesterday.
Gulf states are increasingly emphasising the role of ICT for national development, the report said, both as a key infrastructure and as a promising sector in view of diversifying their economies away from oil. As a whole, the Middle East stands out as having made the most progress in networked readiness over the last seven years and having recorded the largest growth in internet users.
Citizens accessing the Web have soared by more than 600 per cent - three times the global average increase. The findings of the report highlight significant improvement in the rankings of most of the Middle Eastern countries, with Qatar (32nd), Bahrain (45th) and Jordan (47th) at the forefront. Kuwait (52nd) also climbed four positions in a constant sample from last year.
The UAE continues to lead the Gulf states, and was unchanged from last year in 29th place, owing to a leading government role in ICT promotion as witnessed by the marks the country obtained in government readiness and usage. Newly included countries from the region were Saudi Arabia and Oman, which entered the rankings at 48th and 53rd respectively.
“If the Middle East maintains its current trajectory, it will reap the benefits of increasing competitivity, be able to take on other world economies, attract investment and create the millions of jobs necessary for a fast-expanding population,” said Soumitra Dutta, dean of external relations at INSEAD business school.
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