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  • Regional Profile of The Information Society in The Arab Region - 2013

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    The information society, in which information is processed efficiently, including the production, exchange, adaptation and use of information, is the appropriate environment for achieving sustainable development and enhancing the quality of life for all citizens. However, the move towards the information society constitutes a real challenge to developing countries, particularly in view of the expanding digital divide with developed countries, thus rendering them increasingly vulnerable to reduction in their productive and economic capacities. Given the importance of information societies as a path for achieving sustainable development and achieving Internationally agreed development goals, and in the process of following up on the World Summit on the Information Society, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) prepared this regional profile report, which is the sixth in a series on the information society in the Arab region. The present report provides essential information on the status of the information society in ESCWA member countries. It aims at assisting decision makers and researchers by providing them with reference information for analysis and planning. It also allows national authorities to compare the current status of their information society with that of other countries in the region and the world, thereby promoting opportunities for cooperation and regional integration in an increasingly knowledge-based global economy.

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    The information society, in which information is processed efficiently, including the production, exchange, adaptation and use of information, is the appropriate environment for achieving sustainable development and enhancing the quality of life for all citizens. However, the move towards the information society constitutes a real challenge to developing countries, particularly in view of the expanding digital divide with developed countries, thus rendering them increasingly vulnerable to reduction in their productive and economic capacities. Given the importance of information societies as a path for achieving sustainable development and achieving Internationally agreed development goals, and in the process of following up on the World Summit on the Information Society, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) prepared this regional profile report, which is the sixth in a series on the information society in the Arab region. The present report provides essential information on the status of the information society in ESCWA member countries. It aims at assisting decision makers and researchers by providing them with reference information for analysis and planning. It also allows national authorities to compare the current status of their information society with that of other countries in the region and the world, thereby promoting opportunities for cooperation and regional integration in an increasingly knowledge-based global economy.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    167 views203 pages

    Regional Profile of The Information Society in The Arab Region - 2013

    Uploaded by

    UN - ESCWA
    The information society, in which information is processed efficiently, including the production, exchange, adaptation and use of information, is the appropriate environment for achieving sustainable development and enhancing the quality of life for all citizens. However, the move towards the information society constitutes a real challenge to developing countries, particularly in view of the expanding digital divide with developed countries, thus rendering them increasingly vulnerable to reduction in their productive and economic capacities. Given the importance of information societies as a path for achieving sustainable development and achieving Internationally agreed development goals, and in the process of following up on the World Summit on the Information Society, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) prepared this regional profile report, which is the sixth in a series on the information society in the Arab region. The present report provides essential information on the status of the information society in ESCWA member countries. It aims at assisting decision makers and researchers by providing them with reference information for analysis and planning. It also allows national authorities to compare the current status of their information society with that of other countries in the region and the world, thereby promoting opportunities for cooperation and regional integration in an increasingly knowledge-based global economy.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 203

    Regional Profile

    of the Information Society


    in the Arab Region
    2013
    iii
    1hls reorL on Lhe reglonul roFle of Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy ln Lhe Arub reglon ls ubllshed by Lhe
    UnlLed NuLlons Lconomlc und Soclul Commlsslon for WesLern Aslu (LSCWA) wlLhln Lhe frumework of follow-
    u ucLlvlLles Lo Lhe World SummlL on Lhe lnformuLlon SocleLy (WSlS) ouLcomes. lL ls Lhe slxLh ln u serles of
    such roFles, Lhe FrsL wus ubllshed ln 2003 und LhereufLer ln 2005, 2007, 2009 und 2011, resecLlvely.
    lL descrlbes Lhe currenL sLuLus und Lhe rogress mude ln Lhe Arub reglon Lowurds bulldlng Lhe lnformuLlon
    socleLy, rovldlng u comuruLlve evuluuLlon wlLh Lhe resL of Lhe world.
    1he reorL wus reured by u Leum comrlslng ull sLuff members of Lhe lC1 Llvlslon uL LSCWA, led
    by Ruml ZuuLurl under Lhe dlrecL suervlslon of Nlbul ldlebl, Chlef of Lhe lC1 AllcuLlons secLlon, und
    overull guldunce of Huldur lrulhuL, LlrecLor of Lhe lC1 Llvlslon. ln uddlLlon, Lhe Leum lncluded Aymun
    Ll-Sherblny, Chlef of Lhe lC1 Pollcy secLlon, Nuwur Aluwu, Reglonul Advlsor on lC1, Ceorge Younes, Mlrnu
    8urbur, MuLLhew Perklns, Syed Ahmed, Hunlu Llmussl, und Zuhr 8ou Chunem. AddlLlonul subsLunLlve
    lnuLs were rovlded by Abdullluh Lewuchl, lC1 consulLunL. A subsLunLlve eer revlew of Lhe reorL wus
    conducLed by Souhell Murlne, u consulLunL ln lC1 for develomenL.
    LSCWA ls gruLeful Lo member counLrles for Lhe shurlng of nuLlonul lnformuLlon und duLu us u
    resonse Lo lLs blennlul ucLlvlLy on Lhe NuLlonul Proflle of Lhe lnformuLlon SocleLy ln euch member
    counLry.
    leedbuck und commenLs from reuders ure welcome vlu e-mull uL escwu-lcLdQun.org.
    Acknowledgements
    v
    Table of Contents
    Acknowledgements iii
    Abbreviations and Explanatory Notes xi
    Introduction 1
    I. The Role of Governments and all Stakeholders in Building the Information Society 7
    A. CovernmenLs: NuLlonul e-sLruLegles 9
    8. Clvll socleLy: 1he role of non governmenLul orgunlzuLlons 12
    C. PurLnershls: Publlc-rlvuLe or mulLl-secLor 13
    L. ClusslFcuLlon und runklng of LSCWA member counLrles uccordlng Lo muLurlLy level 14
    L. SuggesLlons und recommenduLlons 16
    II. ICT Infrastructure 17
    A. Overvlew of Lhe Lelecom murkeL sLrucLure und reguluLory lundscue 19
    8. ComuruLlve unulysls of lC1 lnfrusLrucLure ln Lhe Arub reglon by servlce Lye 22
    C. lnLerneL lnfrusLrucLure 30
    L. ClusslFcuLlon und runklng of LSCWA member counLrles uccordlng Lo muLurlLy level 35
    L. SuggesLlons und recommenduLlons 36
    III. Access to Information and Knowledge 39
    A. ComuruLlve unulysls 41
    8. ClusslFcuLlon und runklng of LSCWA member counLrles uccordlng Lo muLurlLy level 52
    C. SuggesLlons und recommenduLlons 53
    IV. ICT Capacity-Building 55
    A. ComuruLlve unulysls 57
    8. ClusslFcuLlon und runklng of LSCWA member counLrles uccordlng Lo muLurlLy level 66
    C. SuggesLlons und recommenduLlons 66
    vi REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    V. Building Condence and Security in the Use of ICTs 69
    A. ComuruLlve unulysls of successes ln bulldlng conFdence und securlLy
    ln Lhe use of lC1s ln Lhe Arub reglon 71
    8. ClusslFcuLlon und runklng of LSCWA member counLrles uccordlng Lo muLurlLy level 76
    C. SuggesLlons und recommenduLlons 78
    VI. Enabling Environment 81
    A. ComuruLlve unulysls 83
    8. ClusslFcuLlon und runklng of LSCWA member counLrles uccordlng Lo muLurlLy level 94
    C. SuggesLlons und recommenduLlons 95
    VII. ICT Applications 97
    A. ComuruLlve unulysls of lC1 ullcuLlons ln governmenLs 99
    8. ComuruLlve unulysls of lC1 ullcuLlons ln buslness und commerce 102
    C. ComuruLlve unulysls of lC1 ullcuLlons ln educuLlon 104
    L. ComuruLlve unulysls of lC1 ullcuLlons ln heulLh cure 106
    L. ComuruLlve unulysls of lC1 ullcuLlons ln emloymenL 107
    l. ClusslFcuLlon und runklng of LSCWA member counLrles uccordlng Lo muLurlLy level 109
    C. SuggesLlons und recommenduLlons 109
    VIII. Cultural Diversity and Identity, Linguistic Diversity and Local Content 113
    A. ComuruLlve unulysls 115
    8. ClusslFcuLlon und runklng of LSCWA member counLrles uccordlng Lo muLurlLy level 122
    C. SuggesLlons und recommenduLlons 123
    IX. Media 125
    A. Overvlew of Lhe role of Lhe medlu ln bulldlng Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy ln Lhe Arub reglon 127
    8. ClusslFcuLlon und runklng of LSCWA member counLrles uccordlng Lo muLurlLy level 133
    C. SuggesLlons und recommenduLlons 135
    X. Regional and International Cooperation 137
    A. LSCWA lnlLluLlves Lowurds cooeruLlon und reglonul lnLegruLlon 139
    8. SuggesLlons und recommenduLlons 146
    XI. Building the ICT Sector 147
    A. ComuruLlve unulysls 149
    8. ClusslFcuLlon und runklng of LSCWA member counLrles uccordlng Lo muLurlLy level 157
    C. SuggesLlons und recommenduLlons 157
    vii
    XII. Regional and Global Comparative Analysis 161
    A. Performunce of Lhe Arub reglon ln bulldlng Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy 163
    8. Performunce of Lhe Arub reglon comured wlLh oLher counLrles und reglons 164
    C. Reglonul ouLlook und Lhe wuy forwurd 171
    Bibliography 174
    Endnotes 178
    TABLES
    1A8LL 1. NuLlonul lC1 sLruLegles ln Lhe Arub reglon, 2013 11
    1A8LL 2. Runklng of LSCWA member counLrles by muLurlLy level ln Lhe role of governmenLs
    und ull sLukeholders ln bulldlng Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy 15
    1A8LL 3. LlsL of LelecommunlcuLlons reguluLory enLlLles ln Lhe Arub reglon, 2013 20
    1A8LL 4. SLuLus of Lelecom murkeL comeLlLon ln Lhe Arub reglon, 2012 20
    1A8LL 5. llxed-llne llcenslng lundscue ln Lhe Arub reglon, 1une 2012 22
    1A8LL 6. llxed-llne subscrlbers ln Lhe Arub reglon: growLh und eneLruLlon ruLes, 2011-2012 23
    1A8LL 7. Moblle hone subscrlbers ln Lhe Arub reglon: growLh und eneLruLlon ruLes, 2011-2012 24
    1A8LL 8. lnLerneL users ln Lhe Arub reglon: growLh und eneLruLlon ruLes, 2011-2012 25
    1A8LL 9. llxed broudbund lnLerneL subscrlbers ln Lhe Arub reglon:
    growLh und eneLruLlon ruLes, 2011-2012 26
    1A8LL 10. Moblle broudbund lnLerneL subscrlbers ln selecLed Arub counLrles:
    growLh und eneLruLlon ruLes, 2011-2012 27
    1A8LL 11. llbre Lo Lhe home (l11H) servlce uvullublllLy ln Lhe Arub reglon, Muy 2012 28
    1A8LL 12. AvullublllLy of L1L servlces ln Lhe Arub reglon, AugusL 2013 29
    1A8LL 13. CrowLh ruLe of lnLernuLlonul lnLerneL bundwldLh ln Lhe Arub reglon, 2011-2012 30
    1A8LL 14. Submurlne cuble sysLems connecLlng Lwo Arub counLrles 32
    1A8LL 15. Submurlne cubles wlLh u lundlng olnL ln Lwo or more LSCWA member counLrles 33
    1A8LL 16. lnLerneL exchunge olnLs ln Lhe Arub reglon, 1une 2013 34
    1A8LL 17. lnLerneL hosLs ln Lhe Arub reglon, 2012 34
    1A8LL 18. Runklng of LSCWA member counLrles by muLurlLy level ln lC1 lnfrusLrucLure 36
    1A8LL 19. lmucL of lC1s on uccess Lo buslc servlces ln selecLed Arub counLrles, 2013 42
    1A8LL 20. Reudlness versus usuge sublndex comonenLs of Lhe NRl, 2013 43
    1A8LL 21. Oen governmenL duLu lnlLluLlvesjslLes ln Lhe Arub reglon, 2013 44
    1A8LL 22. AccesslblllLy of dlglLul conLenL ln selecLed Arub counLrles, 2012 46
    1A8LL 23. Runklng of selecLed Arub counLrles on Lhe lC1 Prlce 8uskeL, 2011 47
    1A8LL 24. SelecLed communlLy-bused enLlLles romoLlng Lhe use of lOSS ln Lhe Arub reglon 50
    1A8LL 25. Runklng of LSCWA member counLrles by muLurlLy level
    ln uccess Lo lnformuLlon und knowledge 53
    1A8LL 26. AdulL llLerucy ln selecLed Arub counLrles 58
    1A8LL 27. Reseurch und LducuLlon NeLworks (RLN) ln selecLed Arub counLrles 64
    1A8LL 28. Number of uLenLs Fled under Lhe PuLenL CooeruLlon 1reuLy (PC1) er mllllon
    ouluLlon ln selecLed Arub counLrles 65
    viii REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    1A8LL 29. Runklng of LSCWA member counLrles by muLurlLy level ln lC1 cuuclLy-bulldlng 67
    1A8LL 30. NuLlonul enLlLles ln churge of cybersecurlLy und Lhe resence of reluLed lnlLluLlves ln
    Lhe Arub reglon, 2013 73
    1A8LL 31. AdoLlon of cybercrlme luws ln selecLed Arub counLrles 76
    1A8LL 32. Runklng of LSCWA member counLrles by muLurlLy level
    ln bulldlng conFdence und securlLy ln Lhe use of lC1s 79
    1A8LL 33. Scores und runklngs of selecLed Arub counLrles on Lhe envlronmenL
    sublndex comonenL of NRl, 2013 83
    1A8LL 34. Scores und runklng of selecLed Arub counLrles on Lhe envlronmenL sublndex
    comonenL of NRl, 2010-2013 84
    1A8LL 35. SLuLus of selecLed Arub counLrles ln lnLernuLlonul lnLellecLuul roerLy rlghLs LreuLles 85
    1A8LL 36. SofLwure lrucy ruLes und commerclul vulue of unllcensed sofLwure
    ln selecLed Arub counLrles 86
    1A8LL 37. SLuLus of e-slgnuLure, e-LrunsucLlon und e-commerce luws ln selecLed Arub counLrles 88
    1A8LL 38. LnLlLles ln churge of munuglng cc1LL ln Lhe Arub reglon 90
    1A8LL 39. PerceLlon of venLure culLul uvullublllLy ln selecLed Arub counLrles 91
    1A8LL 40. Scores und runklngs of selecLed Arub counLrles on lLl und Lechnology Lrunsfer 92
    1A8LL 41. Clobul lnnovuLlon lndex, lLs lnuL und ouLuL sublndex ln selecLed Arub counLrles 93
    1A8LL 42. Runklng of LSCWA member counLrles by muLurlLy level ln esLubllshlng
    un enubllng envlronmenL 96
    1A8LL 43. Runklng of selecLed Arub counLrles by LoLul ercenLuge of lmlemenLuLlon
    of onllne governmenL servlces, 2012 100
    1A8LL 44. LCLl scores und runklngs of Lhe Arub reglon, 2010-2012 101
    1A8LL 45. Runklng of LSCWA member counLrles by muLurlLy level ln lC1 ullcuLlons 110
    1A8LL 46. ConLrlbuLlon of selecLed Arub counLrles Lo onllne Arublc conLenL 116
    1A8LL 47. ReglsLered Arublc cc1LLs ln Lhe Arub counLrles 121
    1A8LL 48. Runklng of LSCWA member counLrles by muLurlLy level ln culLurul
    und llngulsLlc dlverslLy und locul conLenL 123
    1A8LL 49. Medlu ownershl ln selecLed Arub counLrles, 2013 128
    1A8LL 50. Runklng of selecLed Arub counLrles on Lhe Press lreedom lndex, 2012-2013 130
    1A8LL 51. Runklng of selecLed Arub counLrles on Lhe Medlu SusLulnublllLy lndex (MSl), 2010-2011 133
    1A8LL 52. Runklng of LSCWA member counLrles by muLurlLy level of Lhe Medlu 135
    1A8LL 53. LSCWA reglonul ucLlvlLles und lnlLluLlves ln Lhe Feld of lC14L ln Lhe Arub reglon 140
    1A8LL 54. SelecLed exumles of suLelllLe Lechnologles for develomenL 146
    1A8LL 55. Runklng of selecLed Arub counLrles on Lhe World 8unk Luse
    of Lolng 8uslness lndex, 2011-2012 150
    1A8LL 56. 1elecommunlcuLlons revenues ln selecLed Arub counLrles, 2010-2011 151
    1A8LL 57. 1elecommunlcuLlons lnvesLmenLs ln selecLed Arub counLrles, 2010-2011 152
    1A8LL 58. lC1 goods und servlces lmorLs und exorLs ln selecLed Arub counLrles 153
    1A8LL 59. lull-Llme emloymenL ln Lhe LelecommunlcuLlon secLor ln selecLed Arub counLrles, 2010 155
    1A8LL 60. World und reglonul erformunce on Lhe World 8unk lnnovuLlon sysLem 156
    1A8LL 61. Reseurch und develomenL exendlLure us u ercenLuge of CLP ln selecLed Arub counLrles 156
    1A8LL 62. Runklng of LSCWA member counLrles by muLurlLy level ln bulldlng Lhe lC1 secLor 158
    1A8LL 63. Averuge scores of Lhe Arub reglon ln selecLed lnformuLlon
    socleLy comonenLs, 2009-2013 163
    ix
    1A8LL 64. Number of PC1 lnLernuLlonul Fllngs ln selecLed reglons und counLrles, 2012 168
    1A8LL 65. SofLwure lrucy ruLes ln selecLed counLrles und reglons, 2011 168
    1A8LL 66. Runklng of selecLed Arub counLrles on Lhe Press lreedom lndex, 2013 171
    FIGURES
    llCURL 1. Number of connecLed submurlne cuble sysLems er counLry ln Lhe Arub reglon 31
    llCURL 2. YouLh llLerucy ruLes ln selecLed Arub counLrles 59
    llCURL 3. Cross enrolmenL ruLe (CLR) by educuLlon level, 2010 60
    llCURL 4. Runklng of selecLed Arub counLrles ln OuullLy of MuLh und Sclence LducuLlon
    lndlcuLor vs. Lhelr globul NRl 62
    llCURL 5. LvoluLlon of Arub counLrles' runklng ln Lhe Clobul lnnovuLlon lndex (Cll)
    und lnnovuLlon Lmclency RuLlo (lLR) beLween 2012 und 2013 65
    llCURL 6. CrowLh ln number of lucebook users beLween 7 1unuury und 1 Muy 2013 75
    llCURL 7. PercenLuge of chlldren who huve been bullled onllne und oMlne ln selecLed counLrles 77
    llCURL 8. LCLl vs. CLP er culLu, 2012 102
    llCURL 9. B2C e-commerce ercenLuge sule by reglon, 2011 und 2016 103
    llCURL 10. 1oLul und youLh unemloymenL ruLes ln selecLed Arub counLrles, 2012 esLlmuLes 108
    llCURL 11. PercenLuge of selecLed Wlkledlu lunguuges bused on urLlcle counL, 2009-2013 119
    llCURL 12. lucebook lnLerfuce lunguuge use ln selecLed Arub counLrles 120
    llCURL 13. Runklng of selecLed member counLrles bused on Lhe MSl overull score, 2009-2010 134
    llCURL 14. lnLerneL users eneLruLlon ruLes ln selecLed reglons, 2005-2012 165
    llCURL 15. Moblle hone eneLruLlon ruLes ln selecLed reglons, 2005 - 2012 165
    llCURL 16. llxed-llne eneLruLlon ruLes ln selecLed reglons, 2005-2012 166
    llCURL 17. llxed broudbund lnLerneL eneLruLlon ruLes ln selecLed reglons, 2005-2012 166
    llCURL 18. Wlreless broudbund lnLerneL eneLruLlon ruLes ln selecLed reglons, 2005-2012 166
    llCURL 19. lC1 rlce sub-buskeLs by reglon und by level of develomenL, 2011 167
    llCURL 20. LCLl scores ln selecLed reglons, 2010-2012 169
    llCURL 21. PercenLuge of onllne users by lunguuge, 2012 170
    BOXES
    8OX 1. LgyL lnlLluLlve: 1uhrlr Acudemy 63
    8OX 2. Reglonul Lrends und Fgures on e-commerce ln Lhe Mlddle LusL 104
    8OX 3. LSCWA ucLlvlLles on dlglLul Arublc conLenL 118
    xi
    3G 1hlrd generauon
    3GPP 1hlrd Cenerauon arLnershlp ro[ecL
    4G lourLh generauon
    AAG Arab Advlsors Croup
    AASTM Arab Academy for Sclence and 1echnology and Marlume 1ransporL
    ADNS Arablc uomaln name SysLem
    ADSL AsymmeLrlc ulglLal Subscrlber Llne
    AICTO Arab lC1 Crganlzauon
    AIGLE Academy of lC1 Lssenuals for CovernmenL Leaders ln Lhe LSCWA 8eglon
    ALECSO Arab League Lducauonal, CulLural and Sclenuc Crganlzauon
    AMAG Arab Mulu-sLakeholder Advlsory Croup
    ANRT Agence nauonale de 8eglemenLauon des 1elecommunlcauons
    APCICT Aslan and aclc 1ralnlng CenLre for lnformauon and Communlcauon 1echnology for uevelopmenL
    ArabDIG Arab ulalogue on lnLerneL Covernance
    ARADO Arab AdmlnlsLrauve uevelopmenL Crganlzauon
    ARPT AuLhorlLe de 8egulauon de la osLe eL des 1elecommunlcauons
    ATM AuLomaLed Leller machlne
    ATUCOM 1unlslan Assoclauon for Communlcauon
    AUC Amerlcan unlverslLy of Calro
    B2B 8uslness Lo buslness
    B2C 8uslness Lo consumer
    B2G 8uslness Lo governmenL
    BATELCO 8ahraln 1elecommunlcauons Company
    BBC 8rlush 8roadcasung Corporauon
    BBM 8lack8erry Messenger
    BDD 8elruL ulglLal ulsLrlcL
    BIX 8ahraln lnLerneL Lxchange
    BOT 8ulld-operaLe-Lransfer
    BSA 8uslness Soware Alllance
    CAGR Compound annual growLh raLe
    CAI CompuLer-asslsLed lnsLrucuon
    CAIT CenLral Agency for lnformauon 1echnology
    CCNA Clsco Cerued neLwork AssoclaLe
    Abbreviations and
    Explanatory Notes
    xii REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    ccTLD CounLry code Lop-level domaln
    CD CompacL dlsc
    CERIST 8esearch CenLre of Sclenuc and 1echnlcal lnformauon
    CERT CompuLer emergency response Leam
    CIS CommonwealLh of lndependenL SLaLes
    CITC Communlcauons and lnformauon 1echnology Commlsslon
    CKC CommunlLy knowledge CenLres
    CLD CenLre for Law and uemocracy
    CMC Communlcauons and Medla Commlsslon
    CMMI CapablllLy MaLurlLy Model lnLegrauon
    CMS ConLenL managemenL sysLem
    COPUOS Commluee on Lhe eaceful uses of CuLer Space
    CSO CenLral SLausucs Cmce
    CSR CorporaLe soclal responslblllLy
    CSV Comma-separaLed values
    CULTNAT CenLre for uocumenLauon of CulLural and naLural PerlLage
    DAC ulglLal Arablc conLenL
    DSL ulglLal subscrlber llne
    ECA Lconomlc Commlsslon for Afrlca
    ECOSOC Lconomlc and Soclal Councll
    EDGE Lnhanced uaLa 8aLes for CSM Lvoluuon
    EGDI L-CovernmenL uevelopmenL lndex
    EHBP Ll Passan 8uslness ark of !ordan
    EIF Luropean lnLeroperablllLy lramework
    EIG Lurope lndla CaLeway
    ERP LnLerprlse resource plannlng
    ESCAP Lconomlc and Soclal Commlsslon for Asla and Lhe aclc
    ESCWA Lconomlc and Soclal Commlsslon for WesLern Asla
    ETC LSCWA 1echnology CenLre
    EUN Lgypuan unlverslues neLwork
    FAJ lederauon of Arab !ournallsLs
    FALCON lLAC and AlcaLel LucenL Cpucal neLwork
    FBWA llxed broadband wlreless access
    FDI lorelgn dlrecL lnvesLmenL
    FLAG llbre-opuc Llnk Around Lhe Clobe
    FOI lreedom of lnformauon
    FOSS lree and open-source soware
    FTTH llbre-Lo-Lhe-home
    FTTX llbre Lo Lhe x
    GBI Culf 8rldge lnLernauonal
    Gbps ClgablL per second
    GCC Culf Cooperauon Councll
    GDP Cross domesuc producL
    GER Cross enrolmenL raLe
    xiii
    GII Clobal lnnovauon lndex
    GITR Clobal lnformauon 1echnology 8eporL
    GNI Cross nauonal lncome
    GPI Cender arlLy lndex
    GSM Clobal SysLem for Moblle
    GTA Ceneral 1elecommunlcauons AuLhorlLy
    gTLD Cenerlc Lop-level domaln
    HIAST Plgher lnsuLuLe for Applled Sclences and 1echnology
    HSPA Plgh-speed ackeL Access
    IAI lnLerneL-asslsLed lnsLrucuon
    IANA lnLerneL Asslgned numbers AuLhorlLy
    ICANN lnLerneL Corporauon for Asslgned names and numbers
    ICDL lnLernauonal compuLer drlvlng llcence
    ICT lnformauon and Communlcauons 1echnology
    ICT4D lC1 for uevelopmenL
    ictQATAR Supreme Councll of lnformauon and Communlcauon 1echnology
    ID ldenuLy
    IDAL lnvesLmenL uevelopmenL AuLhorlLy of Lebanon
    IDN lnLernauonallzed domaln names
    IER lnnovauon Lmclency 8auo
    IFC lnLernauonal llnance Corporauon
    IGF lnLerneL Covernance lorum
    ILO lnLernauonal Labour Crganlzauon
    IMEWE lndla Mlddle LasL WesLern Lurope
    IMF lnLernauonal MoneLary lund
    IMPACT lnLernauonal MululaLeral arLnershlp AgalnsL Cyber 1hreaLs
    INSEAD lnsuLuL Luropeen d'AdmlnlsLrauon des Aalres - Luropean lnsuLuLe of 8uslness AdmlnlsLrauon
    INTT lnsLance nauonale des 1elecommunlcauons
    IOR lnnovauon ouLpuL rauo
    IPB lC1 rlce 8askeL
    IPR lnLellecLual properLy rlghL
    IREX lnLernauonal 8esearch and Lxchanges 8oard
    ISC lnLerneL SysLems Consoruum
    IsDB lslamlc uevelopmenL 8ank
    ISP lnLerneL servlce provlder
    ISPER lnformauon SocleLy orLal for Lhe LSCWA 8eglon
    ITA lnformauon 1echnology AuLhorlLy
    ITI lnformauon 1echnology lndusLry
    ITPPL lnformauon 1echnology ubllc-prlvaLe arLnershlp ln Llbya
    ITU lnLernauonal 1elecommunlcauon unlon
    IXP lnLerneL exchange polnL
    KACARE klng Abdullah ClLy for ALomlc and 8enewable Lnergy
    KACST klng Abdul Azlz ClLy for Sclence and 1echnology
    KAM knowledge AssessmenL MeLhodology
    KBE knowledge-based economy
    xiv REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    KI knowledge lndex
    KOICA korean lnLernauonal Cooperauon Agency
    LDC LeasL developed counLrles
    LMIS Labour MarkeL lnformauon SysLems
    LMS Learnlng managemenL sysLems
    LOST Lebanese Crganlzauon for SLudles and 1ralnlng
    LPI Llnux rofesslonal lnsuLuLe
    LPIC-1 Llnux rofesslonal lnsuLuLe CerucaLe - Level 1
    LTE Long-Lerm evoluuon
    LTT Llbya 1elecom and 1echnology
    Ma3bar Arab SupporL CenLer for lree and Cpen Source Soware
    Mbps MegablL per second
    MCIT MlnlsLry of Communlcauons and lnformauon 1echnology
    MDG Mlllennlum uevelopmenL Coals
    MENA Mlddle LasL and norLh Afrlca
    MEPI Mlddle LasL arLnershlp lnluauve
    MoC MlnlsLry of Communlcauons
    MoCIT MlnlsLry of Communlcauons and lnformauon 1echnology
    MoCT MlnlsLry of Communlcauons and 1echnology
    MOICT MlnlsLry of lnformauon and Communlcauons 1echnology
    MSI Medla SusLalnablllLy lndex
    MSP Mulu-secLor parLnershlp
    MTIT MlnlsLry of 1elecommunlcauons and lnformauon 1echnology
    MVNO Moblle vlrLual neLwork CperaLors
    N/A noL avallable
    NACS nauonal Agency for CompuLer SecurlLy
    NANS nauonal Agency for neLwork Servlces
    NCC nauonal CompuLer CenLre
    NCITP nauonal Communlcauons and lnformauon 1echnology lan
    NCTR nlle CenLre for 1echnology 8esearch
    NER neL enrolmenL raLe
    NERC nauonal Lnergy 8esearch CenLre
    NGO non-governmenLal organlzauon
    NIC nauonal lnformauon CenLre
    NITTA nauonal l1 1ralnlng and Awareness lramework
    NLP naLural language processlng
    NPFOSST nauonal rogramme for lree and Cpen-source Soware 1echnology
    NPRP nauonal rlorlues 8esearch rogramme
    NREN nauonal 8esearch and Lducauon neLwork
    NRI neLworked 8eadlness lndex
    NTC nauonal 1elecommunlcauons Corporauon
    NTI nauonal 1elecommunlcauon lnsuLuLe
    NTRA nauonal 1elecommunlcauon 8egulaLory AuLhorlLy
    OB Cbserver
    OCR Cpucal characLer recognluon
    xv
    OECD Crganlsauon for Lconomlc Co-operauon and uevelopmenL
    OeGAF Cman e-CovernmenL ArchlLecLure lramework
    OGD Cpen governmenL daLa
    OS Cperaung sysLem
    OWAM Cmanl Women Assoclauon
    PC ersonal compuLer
    PCT aLenL Cooperauon 1reaLy
    PDF orLable documenL formaL
    PES ubllc employmenL servlce
    PFI ress lreedom lndex
    PICTI alesunlan lnformauon and Communlcauons 1echnology lncubaLor
    PKI ubllc-key lnfrasLrucLure
    PLT aLenL Law 1reaLy
    PPP ubllc-prlvaLe parLnershlp
    PTC ubllc 1elecommunlcauon Corporauon
    PUOS eaceful uses of ouLer space
    QALM CaLar lnformauon exchange
    QCERT CaLar CompuLer Lmergency 8esponse 1eam
    QF CaLar loundauon
    QNB CaLar nauonal 8ank
    QNRF CaLar nauonal 8esearch lund
    QSCCB CaLar Soclal and CulLural CenLre for Lhe 8llnd
    Qtel CaLar 1elecom
    RAI 8adlo-asslsLed lnsLrucuon
    RDI 8esearch, developmenL and lnnovauon
    REN 8esearch and educauon neLwork
    RFS 8eady for servlce
    RPoA 8eglonal lan of Acuon
    RSS 8oyal Sclenuc SocleLy of !ordan
    RTI 8lghL Lo lnformauon
    RWB 8eporLers WlLhouL 8orders
    SANAD Self-employmenL and nauonal AuLonomous uevelopmenL
    SCS-ICTI Syrlan CompuLer SocleLy - lnformauon and Communlcauons 1echnology lncubaLor
    SEA-ME-WE SouLh LasL Asla-Mlddle LasL-WesLern Lurope
    SECC Soware Lnglneerlng CompeLence CenLre
    SME Small and medlum enLerprlse
    SMS ShorL message servlce
    SST4D Space and saLelllLe Lechnologles for developmenL
    STC Saudl 1elecom Company
    STE Syrlan 1elecom
    STI Sclence, Lechnology and lnnovauon
    SWOT SLrengLhs, weaknesses, opporLunlues, and LhreaLs
    TAG-Org 1alal Abu-Chazaleh Crganlzauon
    TAI 1elevlslon-asslsLed lnsLrucuon
    xvi REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    Tbps 1erablL per second
    TGN 1aLa Clobal neLwork
    TIMSS 1rends ln lnLernauonal MaLhemaucs and Sclence SLudy
    TLD 1op-level domaln
    TRA 1elecommunlcauons 8egulaLory AuLhorlLy
    TRC 1elecommunlcauons 8egulaLory Commlsslon
    TRIPS 1rade-relaLed aspecLs of lnLellecLual properLy rlghLs
    TSA 1elecommunlcauons Supervlsory AuLhorlLy
    UAE unlLed Arab LmlraLes
    UIS unLSCC lnsuLuLe for SLausucs
    UMTS unlversal Moblle 1elecommunlcauons SysLem
    UNCTAD unlLed nauons Conference on 1rade and uevelopmenL
    UNDESA unlLed nauons ueparLmenL of Lconomlc and Soclal Aalrs
    UNDP unlLed nauons uevelopmenL rogramme
    UNEP unlLed nauons LnvlronmenL rogramme
    UNESCO unlLed nauons Lducauonal, Sclenuc and CulLural Crganlzauon
    UNGIS unlLed nauons Croup on Lhe lnformauon SocleLy
    UNODC unlLed nauons Cmce on urugs and Crlme
    UNOOSA unlLed nauons Cmce for CuLer Space Aalrs
    UNPAN unlLed nauons ubllc AdmlnlsLrauon neLwork
    UNPSA unlLed nauons ubllc Servlce Award
    UNWOMEN unlLed nauons LnuLy for Cender LquallLy and Lhe LmpowermenL of Women
    URL unlform resource locaLor
    USPTO unlLed SLaLes aLenL and 1rademark 1rademark Cmce
    VC venLure caplLal
    VDSL very-hlgh-blL-raLe dlglLal subscrlber llne
    VoIP volce over lnLerneL roLocol
    VSAT very small aperLure Lermlnal
    WCKC Women's CommunlLy knowledge CenLre
    WCT WlC CopyrlghL 1reaLy
    WEF World Lconomlc lorum
    WHO World PealLh Crganlzauon
    WIPO World lnLellecLual roperLy Crganlzauon
    WRC World 8adlocommunlcauon Conference
    WSIS World SummlL on Lhe lnformauon SocleLy
    WTO World 1rade Crganlzauon
    YFOSA ?emenl lree Soware and Cpen-source Assoclauon
    XML LxLenslble markup language
    lnLroducLlon
    3
    Clobul chunges ure Luklng luce uL Lhe economlc,
    soclul und culLurul levels, wlLh lnformuLlon und
    knowledge luylng u mu|or role ln Lhe move
    Lowurds Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy. 1he ucceleruLlng
    develomenL ln knowledge durlng Lhe usL decude
    hus modlFed Lhe rlnclles of economlc growLh wlLh
    Lhe move Lowurds u knowledge-bused economy
    uecLlng ull secLors of Lhe economy.
    1he lnformuLlon socleLy ls u socleLy LhuL
    rocesses lnformuLlon emclenLly ln lLs socloeconomlc
    develomenL, lncludlng Lhe roducLlon, exchunge,
    uduLuLlon, und use of lnformuLlon for Lhe urose
    of develomenL und Lhe enhuncemenL of Lhe quullLy
    of llfe und work envlronmenL for ull clLlzens. ln
    order Lo reullze Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy, lnformuLlon
    und communlcuLlons Lechnologles (lC1s) need Lo
    be used. Whlle lC1s ure necessury, Lhey ure noL
    sumclenL, glven LhuL cuuclLy-bulldlng musL be
    equully enhunced ln knowledge-reluLed ureus,
    coverlng economlc, soclul, legul, educuLlonul und
    lnnovuLlon lssues.
    SlgnlFcunL dlerences exlsL ln Lhe cuuclLy of
    counLrles Lo uduL Lo chunges ln Lechnology und
    knowledge. ConsequenLly, Lhe move Lowurds Lhe
    lnformuLlon socleLy consLlLuLes u reul chullenge
    Lo develolng counLrles, urLlculurly ln vlew of Lhe
    erslsLlng dlglLul dlvlde wlLh develoed counLrles,
    Lhereby renderlng Lhem lncreuslngly vulneruble Lo
    reducLlon ln roducLlvlLy und economlc cuuclLy.
    1hls leuds, ln Lurn, Lo u myrlud of such soclul und
    economlc roblems us decreuse ln economlc
    ouLuL, unemloymenL, overLy, corruLlon, und
    murglnullzuLlon.
    ln Lhls conLexL, Lhe Cenerul Assembly udoLed
    resoluLlon 56j183 ln Lecember 2001 Lo endorse
    u roosul resenLed by Lhe lnLernuLlonul
    1elecommunlcuLlon Unlon (l1U), whlch ulmed uL
    convenlng Lhe World SummlL on Lhe lnformuLlon
    SocleLy (WSlS) under Lhe uLronuge of Lhe SecreLury-
    Cenerul of Lhe UnlLed NuLlons. 1he SummlL ulmed
    Lo reduce Lhe dlglLul dlvlde by lncreuslng uwureness
    regurdlng Lhe beneFLs of Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy,
    und by resenLlng mechunlsms Lo hel develolng
    counLrles udvunce Lowurds such u socleLy wlLhln Lhe
    conLexL of Lhe globul knowledge-bused economy.
    WSlS wus dlvlded lnLo Lwo huses, numely: (u)
    Lhe FrsL SummlL (Cenevu, 10-12 Lecember 2003),
    whlch resulLed ln u LecluruLlon of Prlnclles und u
    Plun of AcLlon, und (b) Lhe second SummlL (1unls,
    16-18 November 2005), whlch focused on Lhe
    lmlemenLuLlon of Lhe Plun of AcLlon, Fnunclng
    mechunlsms for uslng lC1s for develomenL, lnLerneL
    governunce lssues, und follow-u Lo Lhe FrsL SummlL.
    lL ls cruclul for member counLrles of Lhe Lconomlc
    und Soclul Commlsslon for WesLern Aslu (LSCWA)
    Lo reullze lnformuLlon socleLles und LrunslLlon Lo
    knowledge economles lf Lhey uslre Lo luy Lhe
    founduLlons for susLulnuble economlc develomenL
    und uchleve vurlous lnLernuLlonully ugreed
    develomenL gouls. Accordlngly, LSCWA orgunlzed
    Lhe Second Reglonul PreuruLory Conference for
    WSlS (Lumuscus, 22-23 November 2004) under
    Introduction
    4 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    Lhe moLLo PurLnershl for 8ulldlng Lhe Arub
    lnformuLlon SocleLy, whlch resulLed ln u Reglonul
    Plun of AcLlon (RPoA) coverlng vurlous lssues
    reluLlng Lo Lhe develomenL of un lnformuLlon
    socleLy ln Lhe reglon.
    1
    AddlLlonully, u conference
    on Lhe Reglonul lollow-u Lo Lhe OuLcome of Lhe
    World SummlL on Lhe lnformuLlon SocleLy wus
    held ln Lumuscus, 16-18 1une 2009, whlch rovlded
    u forum where vurlous WSlS sLukeholders ln Lhe
    reglon meL, resenLed, dlscussed und revlewed Lhe
    rogress mude Lowurds Lhe lmlemenLuLlon of Lhe
    eleven WSlS ucLlon llnes, us well us Lhe execuLlon
    of Lhe RPoA for 8ulldlng Lhe lnformuLlon SocleLy.
    1he conference resulLed ln uduLlng Lhe RPoA,
    und udoLlng Lhe Lumuscus ProclumuLlon for Lhe
    PromoLlon of Lhe Arub Knowledge SocleLy for
    SusLulnuble Lconomlc und Soclul LevelomenL.
    AgulnsL Lhls buckdro und wlLhln Lhe
    frumework of follow-u und evuluuLlon ucLlvlLles
    of Lhe WSlS, Lhls reorL ulms Lo delcL Lhe sLuLus
    of lnformuLlon socleLles ln Lhe Arub reglon,
    2

    meusure Lhe rogress mude ln bulldlng Lhese
    socleLles und evuluuLe Lhe currenL sLuLus of
    euch member counLry.
    3
    WlLh Lhose ob|ecLlves,
    comrehenslve unulysls ls rovlded on Lhe
    followlng:
    u. role of governmenLs und ull sLukeholders ln
    chuLer l,
    b. lC1 lnfrusLrucLure ln chuLer ll,
    c. uccess Lo lnformuLlon und knowledge ln
    chuLer lll,
    d. lC1 cuuclLy-bulldlng ln chuLer lv,
    e. bulldlng confldence und securlLy ln Lhe use of
    lC1s ln chuLer v,
    f. enubllng envlronmenL ln chuLer vl,
    g. lC1 ullcuLlons ln chuLer vll,
    h. culLurul dlverslLy und ldenLlLy, llngulsLlc
    dlverslLy und locul conLenL ln chuLer vlll,
    l. medlu ln chuLer lX,
    |. reglonul und lnLernuLlonul cooeruLlon ln
    chuLer X,
    k. bulldlng Lhe lC1 secLor ln chuLer Xl, und
    l. Lhe reglonul und globul comuruLlve unulysls
    und resulLs ln chuLer Xll.
    lollowlng Lhe FrsL huse of WSlS, serlous
    work seurheuded by lnLernuLlonul und reglonul
    orgunlzuLlons for meusurlng lC1 und Lhe
    lnformuLlon socleLy led Lo Lhe formuLlon of Lhe
    PurLnershl on Meusurlng lC1 for LevelomenL
    ln Cenevu, ln 2004, whlch LSCWA ls u member of.
    Slnce Lhen, Lhe conLlnuous work of Lhe PurLnershl
    hus led Lo Lhe develomenL und udoLlon of u
    common llsL of core lC1 lndlcuLors whlch hel
    ln meusurlng some usecLs of Lhe lnformuLlon
    socleLy. Whlle Lhe work of Lhe PurLnershl on
    Meusurlng lC1 for LevelomenL hus been Lhe
    guldlng meusuremenL model for Lhls reorL,
    such u model ls u work ln rogress und hus yeL Lo
    cover more usecLs of Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy.
    1hls sLems mulnly from Lhe dlmculLles ussocluLed
    wlLh meusurlng such un lnLunglble conceL us
    Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy. lor Lhls reuson, Lhe
    reorL relles subsLunLlully on essenLlul work ln
    lnformuLlon socleLy meusuremenL, currled ouL
    by Lhe UnlLed NuLlons und severul such bodles us
    Lhe l1U, Lhe UnlLed NuLlons Conference on 1rude
    und LevelomenL (UNC1AL), Lhe UnlLed NuLlons
    LducuLlonul, SclenLlFc und CulLurul OrgunlzuLlon
    (UNLSCO), Lhe UnlLed NuLlons LeurLmenL
    of Lconomlc und Soclul Aulrs (UNLLSA) und
    Lhe World 8unk. ln uddlLlon, Lhe work of such
    lndeendenL lnLernuLlonul orgunlzuLlons us Lhe
    World Lconomlc lorum (WLl) hus roved Lo be
    lnsLrumenLul for benchmurklng und evuluuLlng Lhe
    cuuclLy of Lhe world's economles Lo leveruge lC1
    for Lhelr develomenL.
    AsecLs of Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy evuluuLed by
    Lhls reorL rely mulnly on Len of Lhe eleven WSlS
    ucLlon llnes (excludlng LLhlcul dlmenslons of Lhe
    lnformuLlon SocleLy), ln uddlLlon Lo Lhe lC1 SecLor
    whlch ls un ureu of lnLeresL Lo Lhe Arub reglon. Luch
    of chuLer one Lhrough eleven ls Lhus dedlcuLed
    Lo u seclFc Lheme, rovldlng u comrehenslve
    unulysls, evuluuLlon und recommenduLlons coverlng
    ull member counLrles. 1uklng lnLo uccounL Lhe
    currenL dlmculLles ln meusurlng ull usecLs of Lhe
    lnformuLlon socleLy, und for evuluuLlng uroses,
    Lhe conceL of muLurlLy level hus been udoLed.
    5
    1herefore, muLurlLy levels for euch of Lhe mu|or
    usecLs comrlslng Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy rovlde
    member counLrles wlLh benchmurks for ussesslng
    ruLher Lhun comurlng Lhelr sLuLus ln bulldlng
    lnformuLlon socleLles. SeclFcully, four muLurlLy
    levels ure used for euch usecL of Lhe lnformuLlon
    socleLy, whereby level one lndlcuLes Lhe lowesL level
    of muLurlLy und level four lndlcuLes Lhe hlghesL level
    of muLurlLy. As such, Lhe muLurlLy level ussessmenL
    resulLs should be used by member counLrles us
    Lools for ldenLlfylng gus, und ouLllnlng correcLlve
    meusures ruLher Lhun becomlng Lhe focus of
    nuLlonul eorLs dedlcuLed Lo lmrovlng one's runk.
    1he four sub|ecLlve muLurlLy levels cunnoL be
    LrunsluLed lnLo comuruble sLuLlsLlcul lndlcuLors.
    8used on Lhe unulysls, Fndlngs und
    recommenduLlons rovlded ln Lhls reorL, Arub
    counLrles would formuluLe u frumework Lo be used
    us u guldellne for formuluLlng ollcles und sLruLegles
    beyond 2015. lurLhermore, severul lnlLluLlves und
    ro|ecLs muy be luunched Lo reduce Lhe exlsLlng
    dlglLul dlvlde boLh umong member counLrles und
    beLween Lhe Arub reglon und Lhe more develoed
    reglons of Lhe world. WlLhln LhuL conLexL, LSCWA
    wlll conLlnue Lo rovlde counLrles ln Lhe reglon
    wlLh Lhe suorL und udvlsory servlces requlred Lo
    ensure synergy wlLh Lhe globul Lrends of lC1, und Lhe
    develomenL of Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy ln llne wlLh
    Lhe WSlS rocesses und beyond 2015.
    X
    Reglonul und
    international
    cooeruLlon I
    1he role of governmenLs
    und ull sLukeholders
    ln bulldlng Lhe
    lnformuLlon socleLy
    9
    8ulldlng un lncluslve und eole-cenLred
    lnformuLlon socleLy, brldglng Lhe dlglLul dlvlde und
    ensurlng equlLuble, fulr und susLulnuble develomenL
    for ull requlre Lhe sLrong commlLmenL of, und
    cooeruLlon beLween, governmenLs, lnLernuLlonul
    orgunlzuLlons, Lhe rlvuLe secLor und clvll socleLy.
    1hls chuLer wlll look uL Lhe eorLs exended by
    vurlous sLukeholders Lo hel uchleve Lhe muln
    gouls of WSlS. 1hese exLend from Lhe drufLlng
    und lmlemenLuLlon of nuLlonul lC1 sLruLegles
    by governmenLs und Lhe role of clvll socleLy, Lo
    lnformuLlon socleLy ucLlvlLles currled ouL Lhrough
    new or exlsLlng ubllc-rlvuLe urLnershls (PPP) or
    mulLl-secLor urLnershls (MSP).
    A. Governments: NuLlonul e-sLruLegles
    As of mld-2013, mosL governmenLs ln Lhe Arub
    reglon hud udoLed nuLlonul lC1 or e-sLruLegles.
    Consclous of Lhe need Lo uduL Lo chunglng reullLles
    und udvunclng Lechnologles, muny huve chosen
    Lo umend Lhelr orlglnul sLruLegles whlch hud been
    wrlLLen Lowurds Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe mlllennlum.
    A selecLed few huve gone Lhrough more Lhun Lwo
    lLeruLlons und huve mude lL u ollcy Lo revlew und
    umend Lhelr sLruLegles erlodlcully.
    LrufLlng u ollcy, even one wlLh cleurly
    urLlculuLed gouls, does noL guurunLee lLs
    lmlemenLuLlon. Some counLrles, be Lhey slLuuLed
    lnslde or ouLslde Lhe reglon, ure urLlculurly good uL
    drufLlng comrehenslve lC1 sLruLegles LhuL end u
    geLLlng sldesLeed becuuse of u deurLh of funds, Lhe
    non-exlsLence of u reullsLlc lmlemenLuLlon lun, Lhe
    luck of u monlLorlng und evuluuLlon rocess or more
    resslng nuLlonul rlorlLles.
    1he urugruhs below glve u gllmse of Lhe
    currenL sLuLus of nuLlonul lC1 sLruLegles ln u cross-
    secLlon of counLrles slLuuLed ln Lhe Arub reglon.
    1he muln source of Lhe duLu ls Lhe 2013 edlLlon of u
    counLry's nuLlonul roFle of Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy,
    u documenL whlch ls reured by un lnformuLlon
    socleLy exerL who ls ulso u nuLlonul of Lhe counLry uL
    hund.
    AgulnsL Lhe buckdro of u rolonged erlod
    of ollLlcul lnsLublllLy whlch hus lusLed more Lhun
    Lwo yeurs, Lhe MlnlsLry of CommunlcuLlons und
    lnformuLlon 1echnology (MCl1) of LgyL ls ln Lhe
    rocess of uduLlng lLs lC1 SLruLegy.
    4
    1he new
    sLruLegy ls bused on seven lllurs, euch lllur
    conLulnlng u grou of rogrummes, ro|ecLs und
    lnlLluLlves. 1he seven lllurs mlrror some of Lhe WSlS
    ucLlon llnes ln LurgeLlng Lhe develomenL of lC1
    lnfrusLrucLure, lnformuLlon lnfrusLrucLure, dlglLul
    conLenL, soclul develomenL, Lhe lC1 lndusLry, Lhe
    reguluLory frumework, und lnvesLmenLs ln Lhe lC1
    secLor. 1hls luLesL lLeruLlon of Lhe LgyLlun lC1
    sLruLegy comes wlLh u seL of meusuruble LurgeLs
    ln Lhe shorL und medlum Lerms LhuL lnclude
    uchlevlng hlgh growLh ruLes for Lhe lC1 secLor, Lhe
    develomenL of un elecLronlcs lndusLry, uLLrucLlng
    lnvesLmenLs, creuLlng |ob oorLunlLles und
    lncreuslng lC1 exorLs. lL ls lndeed commenduble
    I. The Role of Governments and
    all Stakeholders in Building
    the Information Society
    10 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    for u counLry Lo roduce u new ollcy ln u Llme
    of Lurmoll, buL lLs eecLlve lmlemenLuLlon ln u
    worsenlng economlc slLuuLlon wlll undoubLedly
    rove Lo be u chullenge.
    1he Syrlun Arub Reubllc, ln Lhe Lhroes of un
    lnLerneclne wur, munuged Lo seL uslde enough Llme
    durlng Murch 2012 Lo revlew Lhe lmlemenLuLlon
    ruLe of lLs 2004 lC1 sLruLegy.
    5
    An lnLernul evuluuLlon,
    underLuken by Lhe MlnlsLry of CommunlcuLlons
    und 1echnology (MoC1), concluded LhuL Lhe ruLe of
    lmlemenLuLlon of Lhe sLruLegy wus llmlLed. Some
    comonenLs fured slgnlFcunLly beLLer Lhun oLhers.
    As un exumle, Lhe ResLrucLurlng of Lhe 1elecom
    SecLor recelved u hlgh lmlemenLuLlon ruLlng of
    70 er cenL, whlle Lhe comonenL enLlLled SecLorul
    CenLres of Lxcellence fulled Lo even Luke o und, us
    such, recelved u ruLlng of 0 er cenL. 1he remulnlng
    comonenLs recelved ruLlngs of, ln descendlng order,
    30 er cenL for lC1 CuuclLy 8ulldlng, 30 er cenL for
    Knowledge Lconomy, 24 er cenL for e-CovernmenL,
    19 er cenL for l1 SecLor 8ulldlng, und 3 er cenL for
    1echnology Purks.
    A new lC1 sLruLegy for Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc ls
    belng reudled for releuse by Lhe end of 2013. lLs muln
    uxes ure envlsuged Lo be Lhe develomenL of lC1
    lnfrusLrucLure, uccess Lo broudbund for ull clLlzens,
    Lhe romoLlon of dlglLul conLenL ln Arublc, lC1
    cuuclLy-bulldlng, Lhe develomenL of e-governmenL
    servlces, muxlmlzlng Lhe economlc beneFLs of lC1,
    bulldlng conFdence und securlLy ln Lhe use of lC1,
    develomenL of u reguluLory frumework, sLlmuluLlng
    lnnovuLlon ln lC1, lncreuslng Lhe level of reglonul
    und lnLernuLlonul cooeruLlon und encouruglng
    lnvesLmenLs ln lC1. lL ls uncleur lf Lhe envlsuged
    uduLe of Lhe sLruLegy ls Luklng uny cues from Lhe
    slLuuLlon on Lhe ground or lf lL wlll lncororuLe
    elemenLs LhuL wlll uddress dlmenslons LhuL were
    of no or llLLle concern when Lhe FrsL nuLlonul lC1
    sLruLegy wus devlsed ln 2004.
    1uklng u more ollLlcully sLuble counLry us our
    nexL exumle, OuLur, ln 2011, udoLed un uduLed
    nuLlonul lC1 sLruLegy enLlLled OuLur's NuLlonul lC1
    Plun 2015: Advunclng Lhe LlglLul Agendu.
    6
    This
    new lun ls ullgned wlLh Lhe counLry's hlgher level
    sLruLegles, numely, OuLur's NuLlonul vlslon 2030, und
    OuLur's NuLlonul LevelomenL SLruLegy 2011-2016.
    1he uduLed lun focuses on Fve muln comonenLs,
    whlch lL lubels SLruLeglc 1hrusLs, numely, lmrovlng
    connecLlvlLy, boosLlng cuuclLy, fosLerlng economlc
    develomenL, enhunclng ubllc servlce dellvery us
    well us udvunclng socleLul beneFLs. 1hese Fve LhrusLs
    ure subdlvlded lnLo rogrummes whlch corresond
    Lo vurlous ureus of lnLeresL und whlch lnclude lC1
    lnfrusLrucLure, Lhe legul und reguluLory frumework,
    cybersufeLy und securlLy, dlglLul lncluslon, lC1 humun
    culLul, lnnovuLlon und enLrereneurshl, dlglLul
    conLenL, e-governmenL, e-educuLlon, e-heulLh us well
    us lnLerneL und socleLy. lcLOA1AR, Lhe muln sonsor
    of Lhls documenL, wlll monlLor und ussess rogress
    uslng u vurleLy of Lools LhuL lnclude key erformunce
    lndlcuLors, benchmurks und ubllc surveys.
    As u Fnul remurk for Lhls secLlon, one could
    observe LhuL Lhe Lhree uduLed sLruLegles dlscussed
    ubove conLuln muny slgnlFcunL slmllurlLles,
    eseclully lf one comures Lhelr muln comonenLs,
    LhrusLs or ureus of focus. 1he mu|or dlerence
    remulns ln Lhe cuuclLy of Lhe Lhree counLrles uL hund
    Lo lmlemenL Lhese sLruLegles. lL ls sufe Lo suy LhuL
    OuLur, wlLh u sLuble und secure ollLlcul envlronmenL
    und u roserous economy, hus Lhe besL chunce uL
    seelng lLs sLruLegy successfully lmlemenLed. LgyL,
    whlch, rlor Lo Lhe beglnnlng of lLs erlod of ollLlcul
    lnsLublllLy ln 2011, hud currled ouL muny successful
    lnformuLlon socleLy lmlemenLuLlons, wlll fuce mu|or
    hurdles. 1he mlnlsLry ln churge muy huve uL u loL
    of LhoughL lnLo uduLlng Lhe counLry's lC1 sLruLegy,
    buL, wlLh u sLugnuLlng economy, dwlndllng forelgn
    reserves, rlslng unemloymenL und conLlnued
    clvll unresL, LgyL wlll mosL llkely Fnd dlmculLy ln
    Fnunclng un umblLlous lun. 1he Lhlrd counLry, Lhe
    Syrlun Arub Reubllc, huvlng suered from u mu|or
    desLrucLlon of lLs lnfrusLrucLure, muy Fnd LhuL Lhe
    comonenLs LhuL lL ls focuslng on ln lLs uduLed
    nuLlonul lC1 sLruLegy muy huve Lo be seL uslde for
    more resslng und more buslc nuLlonul rlorlLles. lf
    Lhe securlLy slLuuLlon does noL lmrove, Lhe Syrlun
    11
    Arub Reubllc wlll mosL llkely end u uchlevlng u
    very low lmlemenLuLlon ruLe for Lhe comonenLs
    of lLs uduLed lC1 sLruLegy whlch could be us low us,
    or even lower Lhun, Lhe ruLe uchleved wlLh Lhe FrsL
    sLruLegy.
    1uble 1 glves u snushoL of Lhe currenL sLuLus
    of lC1 sLruLegles ln Lhe Arub reglon. lL ls bused on
    reseurch currled ouL durlng 1uly 2013, mosLly on Lhe
    webslLes of Lhe governmenL enLlLles ln churge of
    lmlemenLlng nuLlonul lC1 sLruLegles, us well us on
    the 2013 NuLlonul lnformuLlon SocleLy ProFle of Lhe
    counLry belng revlewed. Whenever uvulluble, llnks
    Lo Lhe mosL currenL nuLlonul lC1 sLruLegy, us well us
    Lo Lhe governmenL enLlLy ln churge, ure rovlded.
    Lue Lo suce consLrulnLs, long unlform resource
    locuLors (URLs) were shorLened wlLh Coogle URL
    shorLener. AmendedjuduLed sLruLegles huve been
    TABLE 1. National ICT strategies in the Arab region, 2013
    Country Title of current strategy Status
    Year of
    adoption Implementing entity Progress
    Algeria e-Algerle-2013 (hLL:jjwww.mLlc.dzj
    frj?e-Algerle-2013,43)
    AdoLed 2008 MlnlsLere de lu PosLe eL des
    1echnologles de l'lnformuLlon eL de lu
    CommunlcuLlon
    LlmlLed
    Bahrain 1hlrd NuLlonul 1elecommunlcuLlons
    Plun (UduLe) (hLL:jjgoo.gljy5Xv)
    AdoLed 2012 1elecommunlcuLlon ReguluLory
    AuLhorlLy (hLL:jjgoo.gljbMw61)
    LxcellenL
    Egypt NuLlonul lC1 SLruLegy (2013-2017)
    (UduLe) (hLL:jjgoo.gljqY8OR)
    UduLe ln
    progress
    UduLe ln
    progress
    MlnlsLry of CommunlcuLlons und
    lnformuLlon 1echnology (hLL:jjwww.
    mclL.gov.egj)
    lulr
    Iraq No nuLlonul ollcy: vurlous secLor-
    seclFc lC1 sLruLegles udoLed by
    severul ubllc enLlLles
    NjA NjA vurlous mlnlsLrles, munlclullLles
    und ubllc works (heulLh, lnLerlor,
    communlcuLlons)
    NjA
    Jordan 1ordun NuLlonul lC1 SLruLegy 2013-
    2017 (UduLe) (hLL:jjgoo.gljm88Ke)
    AdoLed 2012 MlnlsLry of lnformuLlon und
    CommunlcuLlons 1echnology (hLL:jj
    goo.gljlwCxM)
    Cood
    Kuwait NuLlonul SLruLegy for 8ulldlng un
    lnformuLlon SocleLy
    AdoLed 2010 CenLrul Agency for lnformuLlon
    1echnology (hLL:jjgoo.gljH3e6w)
    Cood
    Lebanon NuLlonul e-SLruLegy for Lebunon (hLL:jj
    goo.glj3ssel)
    AdoLed 2003 Presldency of Lhe Councll of MlnlsLers
    (hLL:jjgoo.glj8l8Yl)
    LlmlLed
    Libya NuLlonul lC1 SLruLeglc Plun for Llbyu
    (hLL:jjgoo.glj5ONU|)
    ln
    Progress
    ln
    Progress
    MlnlsLry of CommunlcuLlons und
    lnformuLlcs (hLL:jjwww.clm.gov.lyj)
    NjA
    Morocco Muroc Numerlc 2013 (UduLe) (hLL:jj
    goo.glj0lkwL)
    AdoLed 2009 MlnlsLry of lndusLry, Commerce und
    New 1echnologles (hLL:jjgoo.gljsC119)
    Cood
    Oman eOmun SLruLegy (hLL:jjgoo.glj8qPCk) AdoLed 2002 lnformuLlon 1echnology AuLhorlLy
    (hLL:jjgoo.gljvm31u)
    Cood
    Palestine NuLlonul SLruLegy for lnformuLlon
    1echnology 2013-2015 (UduLe)
    (hLL:jjgoo.glj2p1lu)
    AdoLed 2013 MlnlsLry of 1elecom und lnformuLlon
    1echnology (hLL:jjwww.mLlL.gov.sj)
    LlmlLed
    Qatar OuLur's NuLlonul lC1 Plun 2015:
    Advunclng Lhe LlglLul Agendu (UduLe)
    (hLL:jjgoo.gljYyy0v)
    AdoLed 2011 Sureme Councll of lnformuLlon und
    CommunlcuLlon 1echnology (lcLOA1AR)
    (hLL:jjwww.lcLquLur.qujen)
    LxcellenL
    Saudi Arabia 1he NuLlonul CommunlcuLlons und
    lnformuLlon 1echnology Plun (NCl1P)
    (UduLe)
    UduLe ln
    progress
    UduLe ln
    progress
    MlnlsLry of CommunlcuLlons und
    lnformuLlon 1echnology (www.mclL.
    gov.su)
    Cood
    12 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    Lugged wlLh Lhe word uduLe. NoLe LhuL for lruq,
    reseurch und Lhe submlLLed 2013 nuLlonul roFle
    were lnconcluslve ln us fur us lndlcuLlng lf u nuLlonul
    lC1 sLruLegy ls uvulluble und LhuL, ln 2012, Llbyu hud
    lnlLluLed u seurch for consulLunLs Lo drufL u nuLlonul
    lC1 sLruLegy, buL LhuL no furLher lnformuLlon us Lo
    Lhe sLuLus of LhuL seurch ls uvulluble.
    B. Civil society: 1he role of non governmenLul
    orgunlzuLlons
    ln Llmes of Lurmoll, such us Lhe ones uecLlng
    severul counLrles ln Lhe Arub reglon, clvll unresL
    und ollLlcul lnsLublllLy muy dlsruL Lhe ow of
    governmenL servlces. 1he role of non-governmenLul
    orgunlzuLlons (NCOs) grows ln lmorLunce us
    muny lck u Lhe sluck cuused by Lhe lncuuclLy of
    governmenL lnsLlLuLlons Lo curry ouL Lhelr normul
    everyduy Lusks. Much of Lhls new role cenLres on
    ensurlng uccess Lo Lhe buslc necesslLles of llfe. 8y
    deFnlLlon, Lhese necesslLles huve more Lo do wlLh
    mere survlvul und less wlLh Lhe rlnclles of bulldlng
    un lnformuLlon socleLy. One could urgue LhuL Lhe
    udded soclul und morul resonslblllLles of NCOs
    durlng erlods of soclul und ollLlcul lnsLublllLy muy
    dlsLrucL muny from ursulng Lhe gouls envlsuged
    for Lhem durlng Lhe WSlS rocess.
    However, Lhe sLuLemenL ubove ls noL unlversul
    ln lLs lmucL. 1he NCOs of member counLrles, even
    some whlch huve gone Lhrough erlods of clvll und
    ollLlcul unresL, conLlnue Lo be qulLe ucLlve ln Lhelr
    ursulL Lo bulld un lnformuLlon socleLy ln Lhe reglon.
    1he urugruhs below glve u gllmse of Lhe work
    reluLed Lo WSlS currled ouL by Lhree NCOs ln Lwo
    counLrles of Lhe Arub reglon, numely, Lebunon und
    1unlslu.
    ln whuL seems Lo be u growlng Lrend uorded by
    Lhe eusy-Lo-use nuLure of wldely uLlllzed lnformuLlon
    socleLy Lools, Lebunon, durlng Lhe erlod covered
    by Lhls reorL, exerlenced u growLh ln Lhe number
    of clLlzen-led lnlLluLlves ulmed uL lmrovlng Lhe
    duy-Lo-duy exlsLence of Lebunese nuLlonuls und
    resldenLs. A number of Lhese lnlLluLlves ure dlrecLly
    reluLed Lo Lhe rlnclles of WSlS, wlLh some culllng
    for Lhe democruLlzuLlon und beLLer rouguLlon of
    communlcuLlon Lools ln generul, und Lhe lnLerneL
    ln urLlculur. One such lnlLluLlve led Lo Lhe creuLlon
    of u new NCO culled ullolAlL.
    7
    Uslng lucebook und
    1wlLLer Lo geL lLs messuge ucross, Lhe orgunlzuLlon
    TABLE 1. National ICT strategies in the Arab region, 2013 (Cont.)
    Country Title of current strategy Status
    Year of
    adoption Implementing entity Progress
    Sudan 1he Sudun NuLlonul SLruLegy for lC1
    lndusLry (UduLe) (hLL:jjgoo.glj1LO88)
    AdoLed 2007 NuLlonul lnformuLlon CenLre (www.nlc.
    gov.sd)
    lulr
    Syrian Arab
    Republic
    NuLlonul lC1 SLruLegy for Soclo-
    Lconomlc LevelomenL ln Syrlu
    (UduLe)
    UduLe ln
    progress
    UduLe ln
    progress
    MlnlsLry of CommunlcuLlons und
    1echnology (hLL:jjwww.mocL.gov.syj
    mocLj)
    LlmlLed
    Tunisia 1unlslu lC1 SLruLegy (UduLe) (hLL:jj
    goo.gljO6LYK)
    UduLe ln
    progress
    UduLe ln
    progress
    1he MlnlsLry of lnformuLlon und
    CommunlcuLlon 1echnologles (hLL:jj
    goo.glju6yz7)
    lulr
    United Arab
    Emirates
    Cenerul Pollcy for Lhe
    1elecommunlcuLlons SecLor ln Lhe SLuLe
    of Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes (2006-
    2010) (hLL:jjgoo.glj7bOSq)
    AdoLed 2006 1elecommunlcuLlons ReguluLory
    AuLhorlLy (hLL:jjwww.Lru.gov.uej
    lndex-A.h)
    LxcellenL
    Yemen lnformuLlon 1echnology MusLer Plun for
    Yemen (ln Arublc) (hLL:jjgoo.gljlM7qf)
    AdoLed 2011 NuLlonul lnformuLlon CenLre (hLL:jj
    www.yemen-nlc.lnfoj)
    LlmlLed
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA, 2013.
    13
    luunched u grussrooLs cumulgn ulmed uL lmrovlng
    Lhe servlces of Lhe Lwo moblle oeruLors of Lhe
    counLry. ullolAlL resorLs Lo ubllc ressure Lo reuch
    lLs gouls, buL Lukes greuL ulns uL ensurlng LhuL lLs
    eorLs ure noL ollLlcully moLlvuLed und LhuL lLs
    ressure LucLlcs ure noL dlrecLed ugulnsL lndlvlduuls
    or lnsLlLuLlons, be Lhey rlvuLe or ubllc. Lurlng Lhe
    FrsL hulf of 2013, Lhe Lebunese OrgunlzuLlon for
    SLudles und 1rulnlng (LOS1),
    8
    u well-esLubllshed
    Lebunese NCO wlLh four locuLlons sreud ouL ln
    rurul ureus, lmlemenLed un lnlLluLlve culled CeL
    ConnecLed. 1he lnlLluLlve ls un uLLemL Lo emower
    youLh und clvlc ucLlvlsLs Lo use soclul medlu for
    udvocucy, enuble locul CSOs Lo muke more sLruLeglc
    use of mulLlle medlu luLforms Lo udvunce Lhelr
    cuuses, fosLer neLworklng umong lndeendenL clvlc
    ucLors worklng on lssues of common lnLeresL, und
    romoLe clLlzen |ournullsm Lo wlden Lhe suce for
    lndeendenL dlulogue.
    9
    1he 1unlslun AssocluLlon for CommunlcuLlon
    (A1UCOM)
    10
    ls un NCO LhuL ulms uL romoLlng Lhe
    usuge, und uL conLrlbuLlng Lo Lhe develomenL,
    of communlcuLlon Lechnologles us well us uL
    ussesslng Lhelr lmucL on vurlous such sLukeholders
    us reorLers, udverLlsers, ubllc reluLlons omcers,
    reseurchers, soclologlsLs, lnnovuLors, comuLer
    sclenLlsLs, Lechnlcluns, und englneers. HlsLorlcully,
    Lhe ucLlvlLles of A1UCOM huve lncluded Lrulnlng on
    Lhe rlnclles of Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy. One such
    course, enLlLled lounduLlons of Lhe lnformuLlon
    SocleLy, comrlses buL ls noL llmlLed Lo - modules
    on Lhe Lheorles of lnformuLlon und Lhelr lmucL
    on socleLy, Lhe conLrlbuLlons of lnformuLlon Lo
    develomenL, cyberculLure, cybergovernunce,
    lnLerneL governunce, dlsLunce leurnlng,
    globullzuLlon, us well us Lhe role of clvll socleLy ln
    Lhe develomenL of un lnformuLlon socleLy.
    11
    Lurlng
    1une 2013, A1UCOM orgunlzed u Lrulnlng course
    enLlLled ComuLers und e-AdmlnlsLruLlon for Lhe
    8eneFL of Lhe Rurul YouLh.
    12
    1he course ulmed uL
    Lrulnlng young eole ln rurul ureus on comuLers
    Lo lmrove Lhelr chunces uL geLLlng beLLer-uylng
    |obs und Lo hel Lhem uL succeedlng und lnLegruLlng
    ln Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy.
    C. Partnerships: Publlc-rlvuLe or mulLl-secLor
    Muklng Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy u reullLy requlres
    u lurge umounL of eorL LhuL cunnoL be exLended
    excluslvely by one secLor. PPPs und MSPs brlng
    LogeLher enLlLles und lndlvlduuls from dlerenL
    secLors und ullow Lhem Lhe oorLunlLy Lo shure
    knowledge und resources LhuL muy oLherwlse be
    unuvulluble or lnsumclenL.
    PurLnershls ln Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy fulFl
    u vurleLy of needs und Luke dlerenL forms. No
    muLLer Lhe form, Lhe execLuLlon ls LhuL Lhe
    urrungemenL would ulLlmuLely be lucruLlve Lo ull
    urLners. As un exumle, u governmenL conLrucLs
    u rlvuLe secLor enLlLy Lo mulnLuln und munuge u
    ubllcly owned LelecommunlcuLlons enLlLy. 1he
    rlvuLe secLor enLlLy beneFLs from huvlng u lurge
    conLrucL LhuL ensures u sLeudy monLhly lncome
    und LhuL currles mlnlmum rlsk. 1he ubllc secLor
    geLs Lo kee ull Lhe roFLs, wlLhouL huvlng Lo worry
    ubouL Lhe mulnLenunce of Lhe neLwork or Lhe
    munugemenL of resources. A second Lye of u PPP
    occurs when u ubllc-secLor enLlLy, whlch does noL
    huve Lhe necessury exerLlse or resources, hlres u
    rlvuLe-secLor Frm Lo bulld, oeruLe und Lrunsfer
    (8O1). An lnformuLlon socleLy exumle of u PPPj
    8O1 ro|ecL could lnvolve u governmenL LhuL
    wunLs Lo bulld und oeruLe u LelecommunlcuLlons
    suLelllLe, buL does noL huve Lhe requlred meuns
    or knowledge. 1huL governmenL chooses Lo hlre u
    rlvuLe-secLor Frm Lo bulld, oeruLe und ulLlmuLely
    Lrunsfer suld suLelllLe Lo Lhelr ownershl. 8elow ure
    u few exumles of ucLlve mulLl-secLor urLnershls
    LhuL ure dlrecLly reluLed Lo udvunclng WSlS
    rlnclles ln Lhe Arub reglon.
    Lurlng 1uly 2012, sLukeholders guLhered ln
    8enghuzl, Llbyu, Lo luunch whuL wus culled Lhe
    lnformuLlon 1echnology Publlc-PrlvuLe PurLnershl
    ln Llbyu (l1PPL). 1hls mulLl-secLor urLnershl
    broughL LogeLher colluboruLors from Lhe ubllc
    secLor (Lhe CovernmenL of Llbyu), un lnLernuLlonul
    orgunlzuLlon (Lhe US-Mlddle LusL PurLnershl
    lnlLluLlve (MLPl)), locul NCOs (vurlous Llbyun
    14 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    clvll socleLy orgunlzuLlons) und Lhe rlvuLe secLor
    (MlcrosofL). l1PPL wlll use sofLwure und Lrulnlng
    Lo usslsL u lurge number of Llbyun NCOs Lo use
    Lechnology Lo lmrove Lhe eecLlveness of Lhelr
    ro|ecLs, bulld orgunlzuLlonul cuuclLy, und develo
    more sohlsLlcuLed ouLreuch.
    13
    Lurlng 2011, und LgyLlun NCO (LgyL lC1
    1rusL lund), un lnLernuLlonul orgunlzuLlon (lslumlc
    LevelomenL 8unk (lL8)) und u governmenL enLlLy
    (MlnlsLry of LducuLlon) luunched u ro|ecL ulmed uL
    uslng und lnLegruLlng lC1 ln rlmury educuLlon Lo
    lmrove Lhe rosecLs of soclul lncluslon of school
    chlldren wlLh heurlng und vlsuul lmulrmenL. 1he
    muln comonenLs of Lhe ro|ecL were Lhe ugrudlng
    of lC1 luboruLorles ln four seclul rlmury schools
    slLuuLed ln Culro und Clzu, Lhe develomenL of
    e-currlculu und Lhe rovlslon of Lrulnlng for Leuchers.
    14
    D. Classication and ranking of ESCWA
    member countries according to maturity level
    1. Maturity level 1: Iraq, Libya and Palestine
    CounLrles clusslFed uL Lhls level ure welghed
    down by Lhe ubsence of un lnformuLlon socleLy
    vlslon, Lhe non-exlsLence or lrrelevunce of u nuLlonul
    lC1 sLruLegy, Lhe luck of u rucLlcul lnformuLlon
    socleLyjlC1 sLruLegy lmlemenLuLlon lun und Lhe
    scurclLy of funcLlonul PPPs or MSPs.
    lruq conLlnues Lo be clusslFed uL Lhls level becuuse
    lLs governmenL does noL huve u unlFed vlslon for
    un lnformuLlon socleLy. PulesLlne conLlnues Lo be
    lugued by lnLernul dlvlslons LhuL sLo lL from belng
    uble Lo lmlemenL un lC1 sLruLegy uL Lhe nuLlonul
    level. Llbyu's low FrsL-Llme runklng ls uLLrlbuLed Lo
    Lhe fucL LhuL Lhe counLry hud no nuLlonul lC1 sLruLegy
    durlng Lhe erlod covered by Lhls reorL.
    2. Maturity level 2: Egypt, Lebanon, the Sudan,
    Syrian Arab Republic, and Yemen
    CounLrles clusslFed uL Lhls level huve ulreudy
    urLlculuLed un lnformuLlon socleLy vlslon undjor
    u nuLlonul lC1 sLruLegy, buL sLlll suer from u luck
    of u rucLlcul lnformuLlon socleLyjlC1 sLruLegy
    lmlemenLuLlon lun und u scurclLy of funcLlonul
    PPPs or MSPs.
    All Fve counLrles uL Lhls level, numely, LgyL,
    Lebunon, Lhe Sudun, Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc, und
    Yemen, hud Lhe oLenLlul of belng ruLed uL muLurlLy
    level 3. lor Lhe greuLer urL of Lhe erlod covered by
    Lhls reorL (2011-2013), ull were humered down by
    cycllcul securlLy lncldenLs undjor unsLuble ollLlcul
    condlLlons. Suld lncldenLs und condlLlons skewed
    Lhe rlorlLles of Lhe governmenLs of Lhese counLrles
    und dlverLed Lhelr uLLenLlon from WSlS gouls. LgyL,
    revlously ruLed uL level Lhree, cun qulckly reclulm
    LhuL level lf und when lLs ubllc lnsLlLuLlons resume
    Lhelr revlous uce of lmlemenLuLlons of WSlS
    lnlLluLlves. 1unlslu, belng ussessed ln Lhls reorL for
    Lhe FrsL Llme, ulso hus Lhe oLenLlul Lo qulckly move
    u Lo u hlgher muLurlLy level lf lLs currenL slow ruLe
    of rogress Lowurds uchlevlng ollLlcul sLublllLy
    lmroves.
    3. Maturity level 3: Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco,
    Oman, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia
    CounLrles clusslFed uL Lhls level ulreudy huve u
    cleur lnformuLlon socleLy vlslon undjor u nuLlonul
    lC1 sLruLegy, whlch ure suorLed by u moderuLely
    eecLlve lnformuLlon socleLyjlC1 sLruLegy
    lmlemenLuLlon lun und funcLlonul PPPs or MSPs.
    Morocco und 1unlslu, belng ussessed ln Lhls reorL
    for Lhe FrsL Llme, |oln Lhe runks of oLher counLrles
    erformlng reusonubly well for Lhls WSlS ucLlon llne.
    ln lLs eorL Lo ensure Lhe success of lLs currenL lC1
    sLruLegy, numely Muroc Numerlc 2013, und ln order
    Lo kee lL relevunL for us long u erlod us osslble,
    Lhe CovernmenL of Morocco consLunLly monlLored
    Lhe lmlemenLuLlon ruLe of vurlous reluLed lnlLluLlves
    und lnvolved exLernul consulLunLs ln Lhe evuluuLlon
    of Lhe lmucL of Lhe sLruLegy.
    15
    1hls course of ucLlon
    uLLesLs Lo Lhe hlgh level of commlLmenL of Lhe
    Moroccun CovernmenL, un lmorLunL fucLor ln Lhls
    fuvouruble FrsL-Llme runklng.
    1he runklng of Lhe remulnlng counLrles uL Lhls
    level muLches Lhe ruLlng Lhey obLulned ln Lhe 2011
    edlLlon of Lhls reorL, lndlcuLlng u sLeudy ruLe of
    rogress, buL no mu|or lmrovemenLs. 1he Suudl
    Arublun CovernmenL, whlch ls ln Lhe rocess of
    15
    creuLlng u new lC1 sLruLegy for Lhe counLry, hus
    creuLed u webslLe Lo sollclL ldeus from Lhe ubllc.
    16

    1hls urouch, whlch ls novel for Lhe Arub reglon,
    ls Lo be commended, buL lLs success cun only be
    ussessed uL Lhe concluslon of Lhe exerclse und would
    deend on Lhe level of lnLegruLlon of Lhe ldeus of Lhe
    ubllc ln Lhe Fnul roducL.
    4. Maturity level 4: Bahrain, Qatar and United
    Arab Emirates
    CounLrles clusslFed uL Lhls level ure worklng
    dlllgenLly Lo uchleve WSlS gouls. 1helr lnformuLlon
    socleLy vlslon ls cleurly urLlculuLed, Lhelr nuLlonul lC1
    sLruLegy ls well luld ouL, Lhelr lnformuLlon socleLyjlC1
    sLruLegy lmlemenLuLlon lun ls eecLlve, und Lhelr
    PPPs or MSPs dellver on Lhelr romlses.
    8uhruln, OuLur und Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes
    conLlnue Lo be runked uL Lhls level. 8uhruln und
    OuLur huve shown Lhelr conLlnued commlLmenL
    Lo Lhe WSlS rocess by erlodlcully revlewlng und
    uduLlng Lhelr lC1 sLruLegy us uLLesLed ln Luble 1
    ubove. 1helr 2012 sLundlng ln Lhe l1U ubllcuLlon
    enLlLled Meusurlng Lhe lnformuLlon SocleLy shows
    lmrovemenLs on muny WSlS fronLs.
    17
    1he UnlLed
    Arub LmlruLes needs Lo revlew und uduLe lLs 2006
    lC1 sLruLegy Lo ensure u unlFed lnformuLlon socleLy
    vlslon for Lhe counLry us u whole, buL lndlvlduul
    emlruLes conLlnue Lo erform oslLlvely.
    TABLE 2. Ranking of ESCWA member countries by maturity level in the role of governments
    and all stakeholders in building the information society
    Country Maturity level 1 Maturity level 2 Maturity level 3 Maturity level 4
    2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013
    Bahrain
    Egypt
    Iraq
    Jordan
    Kuwait
    Lebanon
    Libya*
    Morocco*
    Oman
    Palestine
    Qatar
    Saudi Arabia
    Sudan
    Syrian Arab Republic
    Tunisia*
    United Arab Emirates
    Yemen
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA.
    NoLe: * No ussessmenL wus rovlded for Llbyu, Morocco und 1unlslu rlor Lo 2013 slnce Lhey only |olned LSCWA ln 2012.
    16 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    E. Suggestions and recommendations
    (u) ConducL erlodlcul revlews of Lhe nuLlonul
    lnformuLlon socleLy vlslon und of Lhe lC1 sLruLegy
    Lo ensure Lhelr ullgnmenL wlLh evolvlng nuLlonul
    rlorlLles,
    (b) CreuLe, uduLe und ullgn sLruLegles und such
    comunlon ucLlon luns LhuL ure secLor-seclFc us
    e-leurnlng, e-educuLlon, e-heulLh, e-governmenL,
    und e-commerce sLruLegles (refer Lo chuLer 7 for
    more deLulls on secLor-seclFc sLruLegles),
    (c) Reseurch, evuluuLe, exlore Lhe osslblllLy und
    sLudy Lhe feuslblllLy of uduLlng und lnLegruLlng
    new or recenL globul urouches und conceLs,
    such us oen duLu, lnLo nuLlonul lC1 und secLor-
    seclFc sLruLegles,
    (d) Levlse und uL lnLo rucLlce rucLlcul
    lmlemenLuLlon luns, relevunL lndlcuLors, us
    well us uccuruLe monlLorlng und meusuremenL
    Lools LhuL would hel ln Lhe ussessmenL of Lhe
    relevunce und lmucL of nuLlonul lC1 und secLor-
    seclFc sLruLegles,
    (e) Scule und ullgn your sLruLegles und comunlon
    lmlemenLuLlon luns wlLh nuLlonul rlorlLles
    und economlc reullLles. Pollcymukers und fund
    rovlders wlll shy uwuy from grundlose und
    overumblLlous sLruLegles LhuL look good on uer
    buL requlre excesslve budgeLs und overly long
    lmlemenLuLlon erlods,
    (f) Muxlmlze Lhe chunces of success of your nuLlonul
    lC1 und secLor-seclFc sLruLegles by reuchlng
    ouL Lo u cross-secLlon of Lhe ouluLlon uL lurge
    Lhrough such oulur soclul medlu webslLes us
    You1ube und lucebook, wlLhouL neglecLlng
    such LrudlLlonul medlu us rudlo, Lelevlslon und
    newsuers,
    (g) Seek und culLlvuLe urLnershls wlLh oLher
    ersons or enLlLles LhuL shure Lhe sume lnLeresLs
    und LhuL huve comlemenLury exerLlse und
    know-how. Chooslng Lhe rlghL urLner or urLners
    wlll ensure LhuL un ucLlvlLy or u ro|ecL ls currled
    ouL more emclenLly by Lhe erson or enLlLy besL
    sulLed for Lhe |ob uL hund.
    X
    Reglonul und
    international
    cooeruLlon II
    lC1
    lnfrusLrucLure
    19
    lC1 lnfrusLrucLure ls un essenLlul lllur ln bulldlng
    Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy und one of Lhe four mu|or
    lllurs of Lhe knowledge economy ulongslde educuLlon
    und Lrulnlng, economlc lncenLlve und lnsLlLuLlonul
    reglme und lnnovuLlon sysLems.
    18
    lnfrusLrucLure ls
    equully un lmorLunL fucLor ln uchlevlng Lhe gouls of
    dlglLul lncluslon, enubllng u unlversul, susLulnuble,
    ublqulLous, und uorduble uccess Lo lC1s by ull.
    1he underlylng Lechnology of lC1 lnfrusLrucLure
    ls ruldly evolvlng, Lhunks Lo Lhe udvenL of ever
    more sohlsLlcuLed moblle neLworks und broudbund
    lnLerneL uccess uvulluble Lhrough Fxed und moblle
    neLworks. 1hls conLexL necesslLuLes mu|or
    lnvesLmenLs, und one of Lhe reluLed chullenges
    fuclng Arub counLrles ls Lo develo u world-cluss
    lnfrusLrucLure cuuble of oerlng lnnovuLlve servlces
    LhuL cuLers Lo evolvlng demunds of Loduy's cusLomers.
    1hls lnvolves ollcy-level ucLlons geured Lowurds
    creuLlng u comeLlLlve murkeL-sLrucLure LhuL serves
    new requlremenLs lmosed by currenL und nexL
    generuLlons of lC1 lnfrusLrucLure. Such eorLs cunnoL
    be frulLful wlLhouL roFclenL reguluLory uuLhorlLles
    und conLrlbuLlon from ull concerned sLukeholders.
    A. Overview of the telecom market structure
    and regulatory landscape
    1he murkeL sLrucLure of Lhe Lelecom secLor ln Lhe
    Arub reglon ls sLeudlly growlng Lowurd u comeLlLlve
    envlronmenL. Arub governmenLs, wheLher Lhrough
    mlnlsLrles or u Lelecom reguluLory uuLhorlLy, luy u key
    role ln formuluLlng sLruLegles und reguluLlons for Lhe
    develomenL of Lelecom lnfrusLrucLure.
    MosL Arub counLrles huve esLubllshed Lelecom
    reguluLory enLlLles, exceL for KuwulL, PulesLlne
    und Yemen. 1uble 3 shows Lhe vurlous reguluLors
    or mlnlsLrles ln Lhe Arub reglon LhuL reguluLe Lhe
    lundscue of Lhe Lelecom secLor uccomunled wlLh
    Lhe duLe of Lhelr esLubllshmenL or reformuLlon. 1he
    sLuLus of Llbyu ls unlque where u reguluLor used
    Lo exlsL, buL lL hus been dlsruLed slnce Lhe Llbyun
    revoluLlon of 2011, from Lhls ersecLlve, lL ls deFned
    us NjA ln Lhe Luble.
    1uklng lnLo uccounL Lhe number of exlsLlng
    funcLlonul oeruLors LhuL rovlde servlces ln euch
    Arub counLry, Luble 4 summurlzes Lhe sLuLus of
    Lelecom murkeL comeLlLlon ln Lhe Arub reglon, whlch
    vurles from monooly or duooly Lo comeLlLlve. ln
    Fxed-llne servlces, monoolles revull ln seven Arub
    counLrles, ln Lhe remulnlng eleven counLrles, elLher
    duooly or comeLlLlon revulls. Lurlng eurly 2012,
    OuLur broke lLs Fxed-llne monooly, when vodufone,
    u consorLlum of vodufone und OuLur lounduLlon
    (Ol), obLulned Lhe second Fxed-llne llcence, slde by
    slde wlLh OuLur 1elecom (OLel). As fur us moblle und
    lnLerneL servlces ure concerned, Lhe murkeL ls mosLly
    consldered comeLlLlve. WlLh Lhe exceLlon of Llbyu
    1elecom und 1echnology (L11), whlch monoollzes
    Lhe lnLerneL servlce rovlslonlng ln Llbyu, 75 er cenL
    of Lhe moblle und lnLerneL servlces ln Lhe reglon ure
    comeLlLlve, whlle 25 er cenL of Lhese servlces follow
    u duooly or conLrolled duooly model.
    II. ICT Infrastructure
    20 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    TABLE

    3. List of telecommunications regulatory entities in the Arab region, 2013
    Country Telecom regulator Established/
    reformed
    Algeria
    a/
    L'AuLorlLe de ReguluLlon de lu PosLe eL des 1elecommunlcuLlons (ARP1) 2000
    Bahrain 1elecommunlcuLlons ReguluLory AuLhorlLy (1RA) 2002
    Egypt NuLlonul 1elecommunlcuLlon ReguluLory AuLhorlLy (N1RA) 2003
    Iraq CommunlcuLlons und Medlu Commlsslon (CMC) 2004
    Jordan 1elecommunlcuLlons ReguluLory Commlsslon (1RC) 1995
    Kuwait
    b/
    NjA - MlnlsLry of CommunlcuLlons (MOC) NjA
    Lebanon 1elecommunlcuLlons ReguluLory AuLhorlLy (1RA) 2007
    Libya Cenerul 1elecommunlcuLlons AuLhorlLy (C1A) NjA
    Morocco
    a/
    L'Agence NuLlonule de ReglemenLuLlon des 1elecommunlcuLlons (ANR1) 1996
    Oman 1elecommunlcuLlons ReguluLory AuLhorlLy (1RA) 2002
    Palestine
    b/
    NjA - MlnlsLry of 1elecommunlcuLlons und lnformuLlon 1echnology (M1l1) NjA
    Qatar Sureme Councll of lnformuLlon und CommunlcuLlon 1echnology (lcLOA1AR) 2004
    Saudi Arabia CommunlcuLlons und lnformuLlon 1echnology Commlsslon (Cl1C) 2004
    Sudan NuLlonul 1elecommunlcuLlons CororuLlon (N1C) 1996
    Syrian Arab Republic 1elecommunlcuLlons Suervlsory AuLhorlLy (1SA) 2010
    Tunisia
    a/
    L'lnsLunce NuLlonule des 1elecommunlcuLlons (lN11) 2001j2008
    United Arab Emirates 1elecommunlcuLlons ReguluLory AuLhorlLy (1RA) 2003
    Yemen
    b/
    NjA - MlnlsLry of 1elecommunlcuLlons und lnformuLlon 1echnology NjA
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA.
    NoLes: NjA meuns noL ullcuble.
    uj
    1he omclul non-Arublc nume of Lhe Lelecom reguluLory enLlLy ls ln lrench.
    bj
    1he counLry does noL huve un lndeendenL reguluLor ln churge of Lhe LelecommunlcuLlon secLor. 1hls role ls ussumed by Lhe shown
    mlnlsLry.
    TABLE 4. Status of telecom market competiton in the Arab region, 2012
    Country Fixed-line services Mobile services Internet services
    a/
    Algeria Monooly ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve
    Bahrain ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve
    Egypt Monooly ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve
    Iraq ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve
    Jordan ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve
    Kuwait Monooly ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve
    Lebanon Monooly ConLrolled duooly ComeLlLlve
    Libya Luooly ComeLlLlve Monooly
    21
    AlbelL much less Lhun moblle und lnLerneL servlces,
    Fxed-llne servlces ln LSCWA member counLrles ure
    geLLlng sllghLly more comeLlLlve. Seven counLrles,
    or more Lhun one Lhlrd of Lhe LSCWA member
    counLrles, exerclse monooly over Fxed-llne servlces.
    1he seven oeruLors LhuL en|oy monooly ure: Algerle
    1elecom ln Algerlu, 1elecom LgyL ln LgyL, MlnlsLry
    of CommunlcuLlons ln KuwulL, OgerojMlnlsLry of
    1elecommunlcuLlons ln Lebunon, PulLel ln PulesLlne,
    Syrlun 1elecom (S1L) ln Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc,
    und Publlc 1elecommunlcuLlon CororuLlon (P1C) ln
    Yemen. 1uble 5 summurlzes llcences uvulluble ln Lhe
    Arub reglon us of mld-2012. AlLhough N1RA ln LgyL
    deLermlned Lo go for Lhe second Fxed-llne llcence ln
    SeLember 2010, lL declded Lo osLone Lhe venLure
    unLll lnLernuLlonul economlc condlLlons recueruLe.
    19

    ln 1une 2012, slx counLrles rucLlced u comeLlLlve
    envlronmenL for Fxed-llne oeruLors, numely 8uhruln,
    lruq, 1ordun, Morocco, Suudl Arublu, und 1unlslu,
    whereus Fve counLrles hud u duooly. Whlle some
    of Lhe newly llcensed Fxed-llne oeruLors ure sLlrrlng
    u comeLlLlon und enLerlng lnLo Lhe LerrlLory of
    LrudlLlonul lncumbenLs, oLhers ure uddresslng such
    nlche murkeLs us lnLernuLlonul culllng, or exLendlng
    coveruge Lo underserved ureus Lhrough seclul
    unlversul servlce llcences. 1he ouLlook of Lhe Fxed-llne
    llcenslng lundscue ln Lhe Arub reglon shown ln Luble
    6 reveuls LhuL, us of 1une 2012, 48 Fxed-llne oeruLors
    huve been llcensed ln Lhe reglon, buL only 44 are
    oeruLlonul.
    ln Lhe moblle secLor, comeLlLlon revulls ull
    over Lhe reglon, whlle four counLrles sLlll exerlence
    duooly. Lebunon und Syrlun Arub Reubllc rucLlce
    conLrolled duooly, wlLh Lhe CovernmenL of Lebunon
    ownlng Lhe moblle neLworks lnfrusLrucLure, whlle Lhe
    moblle comunles ln Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc ure sLlll
    under u 8O1 conLrucL und should Lrunsfer ownershl
    Lo Lhe CovernmenL by 2015. ln oLher counLrles, Lhe
    moblle lundscue ls qulLe seclul. lor exumle, ln lruq,
    ln uddlLlon Lo Lhe Lhree nuLlonul oeruLors, MoblLel
    ls u reglonul cellulur oeruLor ln lruq und oeruLes
    ln Lhe KurdlsLun reglon only. ln PulesLlne, ulLhough
    Lhere ure omclully Lwo llcensed moblle oeruLors,
    numely 1uwwul und WuLunlyu, Lhey fuce unllcensed
    comeLlLlon from Fve lsruell oeruLors. ln Omun, by
    1une 2012, Lhere were slx oeruLlonul moblle vlrLuul
    neLwork oeruLors (MvNO), numely: Rennu, Anu
    Moblle, Muzoon, SumuLel, lrlendl, und Hulufonl. ln
    Llbyu, Lhere were Lwo llcensed MvNOs, numely Llbyu
    TABLE 4. Status of telecom market competiton in the Arab region, 2012 (Cont.)
    Country Fixed-line services Mobile services Internet services
    a/
    Morocco ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve
    Oman Luooly ComeLlLlve Luooly
    Palestine Monooly ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve
    Qatar Luooly Luooly Luooly
    Saudi Arabia ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve
    Sudan Luooly ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve
    Syrian Arab Republic Monooly ConLrolled duooly ComeLlLlve
    Tunisia ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve ComeLlLlve
    United Arab Emirates Luooly Luooly Luooly
    Yemen Monooly ComeLlLlve Luooly
    Count
    b/
    7 M, 5 D, 6 C 0 M, 4 D, 14 C 1 M, 4 D, 13 C
    Source: AAC, 2012u, AAC, 2012b, und AAC, 2012c.
    NoLes:
    uj
    1hese servlces concern Fxed lnLerneL uccess only.

    bj
    M = Monooly, L = Luooly or conLrolled duooly, C = ComeLlLlve.
    22 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    Phone und Al 1eel ul 1udld. Only Llbyu Phone hud
    sLurLed oeruLlons by 1une 2012.
    As for flxed lnLerneL servlces, wlLh Lhe
    exceLlon of Llbyu whlch ls sLlll u monooly, four
    counLrles exerlence u duooly murkeL whlle
    Lhe remulnlng counLrles en|oy full comeLlLlon.
    lnLerneL ls churucLerlzed by un evoluLlon Lowurds
    broudbund lnLerneL uccess. 1hls concerns
    boLh flxed-broudbund uccess us well us Lhe
    emerglng moblle broudbund lnLerneL und
    duLu servlces, Lhunks Lo moblle lnfrusLrucLure
    evoluLlon Lowurds Lhe so-culled Lhlrd und fourLh
    generuLlon (3Cj4C) uccess Lechnologles. More
    deLulls on Lhe broudbund lnLerneL ecosysLem ln
    Lhe Arub reglon wlll be dlscussed ln secLlon 8 of
    Lhls chuLer.
    B. Comparative analysis of ICT infrastructure in
    the Arab region by service type
    1. Fixed-line telephone services dissemination
    Overull, Fxed-llne subscrlbers ln LSCWA member
    counLrles showed u neguLlve growLh of -0.3 er cenL
    in 2012 comured Lo 2011 us shown ln Luble 6.
    TABLE 5. Fixed-line licensing landscape in the Arab region, June 2012
    Country Operational licensees Licensed but not operational Total licensees
    Algeria 1 0 1
    Bahrain 9 0 9
    Egypt 1 0 1
    Iraq 4 0 4
    Jordan 8 0 8
    Kuwait 1 0 1
    Lebanon 1 0 1
    Libya 1 1 2
    Morocco 3 0 3
    Oman 2 0 2
    Palestine 1 0 1
    Qatar 2 0 2
    Saudi Arabia 2 2 4
    Sudan 2 0 2
    Syrian Arab Republic 1 0 1
    Tunisia 2 1 3
    United Arab Emirates 2 0 2
    Yemen 1 0 1
    Total 44 4 48
    Source: AAC, 2012b.
    23
    One hus Lo slngle ouL Llbyu reresenLlng Lhe
    hlghesL dro ln Fxed-llne subscrlber buse, by 18.6
    er cenL, due Lo dumuges susLulned Lo lLs Lelecom
    lnfrusLrucLure sLurLlng ln 2011, und reluLed Lo Lhe
    revoluLlon und serles of urm conlcLs. 1he Sudun,
    1unlslu, Morocco, und 1ordun slgnlFcunLly decreused
    Lhelr Fxed-llne subscrlbers by 12.2, 9.2, 7.8, und
    6.7 er cenL, resecLlvely, whlle LgyL und KuwulL
    murglnully decreused Lhelrs by 1.8 und 0.9 er cenL,
    however, Lhelr decreuse ls mosL llkely uLLrlbuLed Lo
    u henomenon seen ln mosL reglons of Lhe world,
    dubbed Fxed-Lo-moblle subsLlLuLlon.
    CounLrles whlch lmroved Lhelr Fxed-llne
    subscrlbers buse lnclude Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes,
    whlch hud Lhe hlghesL oslLlve growLh of 7.8 per
    cenL, und PulesLlne comlng second, wlLh u growLh
    ruLe of 6.1 er cenL, closely followed by Omun und
    OuLur. Such counLrles us Algerlu, 8uhruln, lruq,
    Lebunon, Suudl Arublu, Syrlun Arub Reubllc, und
    Yemen suw u less Lhun 5 er cenL growLh ln Lhelr
    Fxed-llne subscrlbers. Yemen und Syrlun Arub
    Reubllc, however, dld noL wlLness uny slgnlFcunL
    lmrovemenLs ln 2012, und hence, mulnLulned u
    slmllur number of subscrlber buse.
    ln Lerms of Fxed-llne eneLruLlon ruLes, Lhe
    uveruge of Lhe reglon sllghLly decreused, numely
    by 0.2 er cenL, comured Lo 2011, und sLood uL 9.7
    er cenL ln 2012. 1he UnlLed Arub LmlruLes cume
    FrsL wlLh u ruLe of 24.3 er cenL ln 2012, registering
    Lhe hlghesL lncreuse ln Lhe reglon uL 1.2 ercenLuge
    olnLs. 1hls lncreuse wus mulnly cuused by u
    susLulned lnux of exuLrluLes seen ln Lhe emlruLes,
    und u dynumlc Lelecom secLor oerlng u runge
    of Lrlle-luy servlces, whlch lnclude Fxed volce
    servlces ln uddlLlon Lo broudbund und Lelevlslon
    servlces.
    20
    1he Sudun remulned Lhe counLry wlLh
    Lhe lowesL eneLruLlon ruLe, sLundlng uL 0.9 er cenL
    in 2012, drolng u furLher 0.2 ercenLuge olnLs
    TABLE 6. Fixed-line subscribers in the Arab region: growth and penetration rates, 2011-2012
    Country Fixed-line
    subscribers,
    2011
    Penetration
    rate, 2011
    (%)
    Fixed-line
    subscribers,
    2012
    Penetration
    rate, 2012
    (%)
    Growth in
    xed-line
    subscribers (%)
    Percentage
    point change in
    penetration
    Algeria 3,059,336 8.5 3,202,000 8.8 4.7 0.3
    Bahrain 276,523 20.9 289,990 21.3 4.9 0.4
    Egypt 8,714,286 10.6 8,557,497 10.2 -1.8 -0.4
    Iraq 1,794,000 5.5 1,871,000 5.6 4.3 0.1
    Jordan 465,388 7.4 434,437 6.7 -6.7 -0.6
    Kuwait 514,696 18.3 510,000 17.6 -0.9 -0.6
    Lebanon 865,617 20.3 878,105 20.5 1.4 0.1
    Libya 1,000,000 15.6 814,000 12.6 -18.6 -3.0
    Morocco 3,566,076 11.0 3,279,054 10.1 -8.0 -1.0
    Oman 287,323 10.1 304,545 10.5 6.0 0.4
    Palestine 382,700 9.2 406,000 9.5 6.1 0.3
    Qatar 309,000 16.5 327,000 16.9 5.8 0.3
    Saudi Arabia 4,633,158 16.5 4,801,824 16.7 3.6 0.2
    Sudan 483,617 1.1 424,586 0.9 -12.2 -0.2
    Syrian Arab Republic 4,345,225 20.9 4,423,412 20.9 1.8 0.0
    Tunisia 1,217,781 11.5 1,105,586 10.3 -9.2 -1.2
    United Arab Emirates 1,825,496 23.1 1,967,486 24.3 7.8 1.2
    Yemen 1,075,000 4.3 1,104,000 4.3 2.7 0.0
    Total 34,815,222 9.9 34,700,522 9.7 -0.3 -0.2
    Source: l1U, 2013.
    24 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    from where lL hud sLood ln 2011. lL ls worLh noLlng
    LhuL Lhe cosLs for Fxed-llne Lelehone servlces ln
    Lhe Sudun ure Lhe hlghesL ln Lhe reglon, uccordlng
    Lo Lhe lC1 rlce buskeL of Lhe l1U (see Luble 23 of
    chuLer 3).
    2. Mobile telephone services dissemination
    8uhruln wlLnessed Lhe hlghesL growLh ln moblle
    servlces, us shown ln Luble 7, wlLh 25.4 er cenL
    yeur-over-yeur growLh from 2011 to 2012, Lhls hus
    led Lo un lncreuse ln lLs moblle eneLruLlon ruLe
    by 28 ercenLuge olnLs from 128 to 156 er cenL
    resecLlvely. 1ordun uchleved Lhe second-besL
    growLh ruLe wlLh u 20.1 er cenL yeur-over-yeur
    growLh for Lhe sume erlod, followed by Yemen,
    Lhen Lebunon. LeslLe u hlgh moblle eneLruLlon
    ruLe ln Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes uL 148.6 er cenL ln
    2011, moblle subscrlLlons conLlnued Lhelr growLh
    Lo uchleve 17.5 er cenL yeur-over-yeur growLh
    reuchlng 169.9 er cenL, Lhus lncreuslng lLs moblle
    eneLruLlon ruLe by 21.3 ercenLuge olnLs.
    AlmosL 105.1 er cenL of Lhe LoLul ouluLlon
    ln Lhe Arub reglon hud moblle hone subscrlLlon
    by 2012 comured Lo 98.9 er cenL ln 2011. ln 2011,
    ull counLrles of Lhe CCC runked Lo slx ln Lhe Arub
    reglon, wlLh Suudl Arublu runklng FrsL, followed
    by KuwulL und Omun, ln 2012, KuwulL cume FrsL,
    followed by Suudl Arublu, Lhen Omun. Moreover,
    CCC counLrles, us well us Algerlu, LgyL, 1ordun,
    Llbyu, Morocco, und 1unlslu, LoLulllng 12 counLrles
    ouL of 18, exceeded Lhe 100 er cenL moblle hone
    eneLruLlon ruLe us un lndlcuLlon of moblle hone
    suLuruLlon. Whlle Lhese elevuLed ruLes mlghL olnL Lo
    suLuruLlon ln some counLrles, oLher such counLrles us
    CCC counLrles, huvlng lurge numbers of exuLrluLes
    und LourlsLs, mlghL reorL lnuLed eneLruLlon ruLes
    due Lo Lhe henomenon of ownlng mulLlle SlM
    curds. ln Lhls regurd, l1U udvlses ugulnsL counLlng
    TABLE 7. Mobile phone subscribers in the Arab region: growth and penetration rates, 2011-2012
    Country Mobile
    subscribers,
    2011
    Penetration
    rate, 2011
    (%)
    Mobile
    subscribers,
    2012
    Penetration
    rate, 2012
    (%)
    Growth
    in Mobile
    subscribers (%)
    Percentage
    point change in
    penetration
    Algeria 35,615,926 99.0 37,692,000 103.3 5.8 4.3
    Bahrain 1,693,650 128.0 2,123,903 156.2 25.4 28.3
    Egypt 83,425,145 101.1 96,798,801 115.3 16.0 14.2
    Iraq 25,519,000 78.1 26,756,000 79.4 4.8 1.3
    Jordan 7,482,561 118.2 8,984,252 139.1 20.1 20.9
    Kuwait 4,934,160 175.1 5,526,000 191.1 12.0 16.0
    Lebanon 3,387,000 79.5 4,000,000 93.2 18.1 13.7
    Libya 10,000,000 155.7 9,587,000 148.2 -4.1 -7.5
    Morocco 36,553,943 113.3 39,016,336 119.7 6.7 6.4
    Oman 4,809,248 169.0 5,277,591 181.7 9.7 12.8
    Palestine 2,884,964 69.5 3,041,000 71.2 5.4 1.7
    Qatar 2,302,225 123.1 2,600,000 134.1 12.9 11.0
    Saudi Arabia 53,705,808 191.2 53,012,322 184.7 -1.3 -6.6
    Sudan 25,056,185 56.1 27,658,595 60.5 10.4 4.4
    Syrian Arab Republic 13,117,253 63.2 12,928,011 61.2 -1.4 -1.9
    Tunisia 12,387,656 116.9 12,841,277 120.0 3.7 3.0
    United Arab Emirates 11,727,401 148.6 13,775,252 169.9 17.5 21.3
    Yemen 11,668,000 47.0 13,900,000 54.4 19.1 7.3
    Total/average 346,270,125 98.9 375,518,340 105.1 8.4 6.2
    Source: l1U, 2013.
    25
    SlM curds LhuL huve been lnucLlve for Lhree monLhs
    or more, however, und ln some cuses, oeruLors
    ure slow Lo remove lnucLlve uccounLs from Lhelr
    duLubuses und mlghL end u reorLlng lnuLed
    numbers.
    21

    Yemen und Lhe Sudun runked lusL ln Lhe reglon,
    whlle Llbyu, Suudl Arublu und Syrlun Arub Reubllc
    suered u decreuse ln Lhelr moblle eneLruLlon ruLes
    by 7.5 points, 6.6 olnLs, und 1.9 olnLs, resecLlvely.
    ln Llbyu, Lhe dro ln Lhe oeruLor's moblle llnes ls
    belleved Lo be due Lo Lhe ufLermuLh of Lhe Llbyun
    revoluLlon und ongolng ollLlcul unresL. ln Suudl
    Arublu, und uccordlng Lo Lhe Cl1C, Lhe reuson for
    Lhe decllne ls Lhe lmlemenLuLlon of new declslon
    for reguluLlng Lhe sules und ucLlvuLlon of re-uld
    SlM curds. 1hls resulLed ln u deucLlvuLlon of u lurge
    number of unldenLlFed SlM curds whlch led Lo Lhe
    dro.
    22

    3. Internet services dissemination
    lnLerneL servlces ure lncreuslng ruldly ln Lhe
    Arub reglon Lhunks Lo Lhe lncreused udoLlon of
    Fxed broudbund uccess und, ln urLlculur, Lhe ruld
    udoLlon of moblle broudbund due, on one hund,
    Lo Lhe deloymenL of Lhlrd und fourLh generuLlon
    moblle lnfrusLrucLure und, on Lhe oLher hund, Lo Lhe
    udoLlon of so-culled smurLhones by end users.
    As shown ln Luble 8, Lhe LoLul number of lnLerneL
    users ln Lhe Arub reglon grew by uround 11 er cenL
    beLween 2011 und 2012, wlLh lruq und Llbyu huvlng
    Lhe hlghesL growLh ruLe uL 42 und 41.9 er cenL,
    resecLlvely, followed by Omun und 1ordun, uL 25
    und 17.5 er cenL, resecLlvely, yeur-on-yeur growLh
    ruLe.
    23

    As fur us lnLerneL eneLruLlon ruLe ls concerned,
    Lhe overull ruLe of Lhe reglon reuched 34.8 per
    cenL ln 2012, wlLh four CCC counLrles, numely,
    TABLE 8. Internet users in the Arab region: growth and penetration rates, 2011-2012
    Country Internet users,
    2011
    Penetration
    rate, 2011
    (%)
    Internet users,
    2012
    Penetration
    rate, 2012
    (%)
    Growth in
    Internet users
    (%)
    Percentage
    point change in
    penetration
    Algeria 5,108,016 14.0 5,556,072 15.2 8.8 1.2
    Bahrain 1,046,803 77.0 1,196,347 88.0 14.3 11.0
    Egypt 33,440,618 39.8 37,000,453 44.1 10.6 4.2
    Iraq 1,685,153 5.0 2,392,918 7.1 42.0 2.1
    Jordan 2,253,584 34.9 2,647,477 41.0 17.5 6.1
    Kuwait 2,145,532 74.2 2,289,480 79.2 6.7 5.0
    Lebanon 2,231,694 52.0 2,628,669 61.2 17.8 9.2
    Libya 905,730 14.0 1,285,081 19.9 41.9 5.9
    Morocco 17,277,224 53.0 17,929,195 55.0 3.8 2.0
    Oman 1,393,938 48.0 1,742,422 60.0 25.0 12.0
    Palestine* 1,754,441 41.1 1,930,398 45.2 10.0 4.1
    Qatar 1,671,206 86.2 1,708,127 88.1 2.2 1.9
    Saudi Arabia 13,634,938 47.5 15,500,772 54.0 13.7 6.5
    Sudan 8,687,196 19.0 9,601,637 21.0 10.5 2.0
    Syrian Arab Republic 4,751,480 22.5 5,131,620 24.3 8.0 1.8
    Tunisia 4,185,635 39.1 4,436,302 41.4 6.0 2.3
    United Arab Emirates 6,322,581 78.0 6,889,992 85.0 9.0 7.0
    Yemen 3,811,099 14.9 4,460,941 17.4 17.1 2.5
    Total/average 112,306,868 32.1 124,327,902 34.8 10.7 2.7
    Source: l1U, 2013.
    NoLe: * LuLu on PulesLlne for 2012 were esLlmuLed by LSCWA.
    26 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    OuLur, 8uhruln, UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, und KuwulL,
    reglsLerlng Lhe hlghesL lnLerneL user eneLruLlon
    ruLes ln Lhe reglon. AurL from Lhose counLrles
    en|oylng eneLruLlon ruLes neurlng 80 er cenL
    or more, elghL counLrles huve eneLruLlon ruLes
    sunnlng beLween 40 und 60 er cenL. On Lhe oLher
    exLreme, Syrlun Arub Reubllc, Lhe Sudun, Yemen,
    Algerlu, und lruq huve Lhe lowesL eneLruLlon ruLes
    ln Lhe reglon, wlLh lruq reuchlng u mere 7.1 er cenL
    in 2012. 1he counLry LhuL hus uchleved Lhe hlghesL
    rogress ln lLs eneLruLlon ruLe yeur-over-yeur ls
    Omun, whlch lncreused lLs eneLruLlon ruLe by
    Lwelve olnLs ln one yeur, from 48 er cenL ln 2011 to
    60 er cenL ln 2012, 8uhruln comes second wlLh u no
    less lmresslve lmrovemenL of 11 olnLs, from 77
    to 88 er cenL, Lo uchleve second oslLlon ln Lerms of
    penetration rate in 2012, ulmosL ulongslde OuLur.
    4. Fixed broadband Internet services
    dissemination
    1he LoLul number of Fxed broudbund lnLerneL
    subscrlbers ln Lhe Arub reglon grew by 22.3 er cenL
    beLween 2011 und 2012, comured Lo Lhe 60 per
    cenL growLh uLLulned ln Lhe erlod 2008-2010, Lhls
    lndlcuLes u slower uLuke Lhun durlng Lhe revlous
    blennlum. AlLhough Lhe 2012 penetration rate
    remulns very low, uL 2.7 er cenL, lL consLlLuLes u
    40 er cenL lmrovemenL comured Lo Lhe 1.93 per
    cenL ruLe reglsLered uL Lhe end of 2010. lL ls worLh
    noLlng LhuL Lhe Lo Lwo counLrles ln growLh ruLe, us
    shown ln Luble 9, ure Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc und
    Lebunon, murklng u 212 er cenL und 138 er cenL
    yeur-over-yeur growLh ruLe, resecLlvely. ln Lerms
    of eneLruLlon ruLes ln 2012, Bahrain is the regional
    leuder uL 12.7 er cenL, closely followed by Lhe
    TABLE 9. Fixed broadband Internet subscribers in the Arab region: growth and penetration rates, 2011-2012
    Country Fixed
    broadband
    subscribers,
    2011
    Penetration
    rate, 2011
    (%)
    Fixed
    broadband
    subscribers,
    2012
    Penetration
    rate, 2012
    (%)
    Growth
    in Fixed
    broadband
    subscribers (%)
    Percentage
    point change in
    penetration
    Algeria 1,000,000 2.8 1,111,100 3.0 11.1 0.3
    Bahrain 183,004 13.8 173,176 12.7 -5.4 -1.1
    Egypt 1,843,624 2.2 2,287,249 2.7 24.1 0.5
    Iraq .. .. .. .. .. ..
    Jordan 199,888 3.2 193,596 3.0 -3.1 -0.2
    Kuwait 47,000 1.7 47,000 1.6 0.0 0.0
    Lebanon 210,000 4.9 500,000 11.7 138.1 6.7
    Libya 70,000 1.1 67,300 1.0 -3.9 0.0
    Morocco 588,989 1.8 681,568 2.1 15.7 0.3
    Oman 52,562 1.8 71,214 2.5 35.5 0.6
    Palestine* 156,000 3.8 186,380 4.4 19.5 0.6
    Qatar 163,000 8.7 159,000 8.2 -2.5 -0.5
    Saudi Arabia 1,576,976 5.6 1,965,751 6.8 24.7 1.2
    Sudan 17,430 0.0 24,789 0.1 42.2 0.0
    Syrian Arab Republic 121,300 0.6 378,000 1.8 211.6 1.2
    Tunisia 544,392 5.1 512,254 4.8 -5.9 -0.4
    United Arab Emirates 866,968 11.0 951,785 11.7 9.8 0.8
    Yemen 109,000 0.4 167,300 0.7 53.5 0.2
    Total/average 7,750,133 2.2 9,477,462 2.7 22.3 0.4
    Source: l1U, 2013.
    NoLes: * LuLu on PulesLlne for 2012 were esLlmuLed by LSCWA.
    1wo doLs (..) lndlcuLe LhuL duLu ure noL uvulluble.
    27
    UnlLed Arub LmlruLes und Lebunon, wlLh eneLruLlon
    ruLes of 11.7 er cenL for euch. All oLher Arub
    counLrles ure below Lhe 10 er cenL murk wlLh muny
    uround Lhe reglonul uveruge, Llbyu, Yemen, und Lhe
    Sudun occuy Lhe lusL Lhree oslLlons uL 1, 0.7 und
    only 0.4 er cenL, resecLlvely.
    Severul counLrles exhlblLed murglnul growLh
    ruLes below Lhe Arub reglon uveruge ln Lhelr
    Fxed broudbund subscrlbers or huve even shown
    neguLlve growLh slgnulllng elLher suLuruLlon or
    subsLlLuLlon by moblle broudbund fuelled by hlgh
    moblle dlssemlnuLlon ruLes. ln 1unlslu, where ALSL
    consLlLuLes mosL of Lhe Fxed broudbund murkeL,
    Lhe counLry wlLnessed u shur dro of 30,000 ALSL
    subscrlLlons durlng 2012, lowerlng lLs eneLruLlon
    rate to 4.8 er cenL.
    24
    ln oLher counLrles, where ALSL
    consLlLuLes u slzeuble shure of Fxed broudbund,
    Lhe dro ln Lhelr Fxed broudbund eneLruLlon wus
    urLly due Lo u reducLlon ln ALSL subscrlLlons.
    lor lnsLunce, by mld 2012, ALSL subscrlLlons ln
    8uhruln decreused by 5.75 er cenL comured Lo
    Lhe numbers reglsLered uL Lhe end of 2011, owlng Lo
    u hlgh demund on moblle broudbund.
    25
    ln 1ordun,
    ALSL subscrlLlons decreused slgnlFcunLly ln 2011
    und 2012 Lo Lhe exLenL LhuL Cyberlu, one of Lhe
    muln ALSL oeruLors ln Lhe counLry, unnounced
    shuLLlng lLs servlces on 30 Muy 2013, due Lo Ferce
    comeLlLlon, sLugnunL murkeL, decreused rlces,
    und dlmlnlshlng murglns.
    26
    lL ls worLh noLlng LhuL
    Lhe decreuse ln ALSL subscrlLlons ln boLh 8uhruln
    und 1ordun wus oseL by Lhe udoLlon of oLher
    broudbund Lechnologles.
    5. Mobile broadband Internet services
    dissemination
    1he LoLul number of moblle broudbund lnLerneL
    subscrlbers ln Lhe Arub reglon grew by 22.6 per
    cenL beLween 2011 und 2012 us shown ln Luble 10,
    furLhermore, Lhe eneLruLlon ruLe reuched u vulue of
    15.9 er cenL ln 2012, whlch ls neurly slx Llmes hlgher
    Lhun Lhe Fxed broudbund eneLruLlon of 2.7 er cenL.
    1uble 10 furLher shows LhuL Lhe Lo Lwo counLrles
    TABLE 10. Mobile broadband Internet subscribers in selected Arab countries:
    growth and penetration rates, 2011-2012
    Country Mobile
    broadband
    subscribers,
    2011
    Penetration
    rate, 2011
    (%)
    Mobile
    broadband
    subscribers,
    2012
    Penetration
    rate, 2012
    (%)
    Growth
    in Mobile
    broadband
    subscribers, (%)
    Percentage
    point change in
    penetration
    Bahrain 126,385 9.5 912,603 67.1 622.1 57.6
    Egypt 19,847,928 24.0 22,543,290 26.9 13.6 2.8
    Jordan 312,209 4.9 691,619 10.7 121.5 5.8
    Lebanon* 469,000 11.0 1,260,000 29.4 168.7 18.3
    Morocco 2,590,534 8.0 3,273,563 10.0 26.4 2.0
    Oman 1,076,254 37.8 1,646,098 56.7 52.9 18.9
    Qatar 1,315,312 70.3 1,398,000 72.1 6.3 1.8
    Saudi Arabia 11,337,154 40.4 12,280,264 42.8 8.3 2.4
    Sudan 6,920,215 15.5 7,495,779 16.4 8.3 0.9
    Syrian Arab Republic 200,199 1.0 389,800 1.8 94.7 0.9
    Tunisia 254,145 2.4 557,148 5.2 119.2 2.8
    United Arab Emirates 1,713,366 21.7 4,125,165 50.9 140.8 29.2
    Yemen 21,000 0.1 48,108 0.2 129.1 0.1
    Total/average 46,183,701 13.2 56,621,437 15.9 22.6 2.7
    Source: l1U, 2013.
    NoLes: LuLu wus noL uvulluble for Algerlu, lruq und PulesLlne due Lo u luck of moblle broudbund servlces, KuwulL und Llbyu dld noL
    reorL Lhelr duLu Lo l1U.
    * LuLu on Lebunon for 2011 und 2012 were rovlded by Lhe Lebunese MlnlsLry of 1elecommunlcuLlons.
    28 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    ln Lerms of moblle broudbund subscrlbers' growLh
    ruLe ure 8uhruln, wlLh un lmresslve 622.1 er cenL
    (movlng from only 9.5 er cenL eneLruLlon Lo 67.1 per
    cenL ln one yeur), und Lebunon, wlLh 168.7 er cenL.
    1he UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, 1ordun, Yemen, und 1unlslu
    uchleved more Lhun u 100 er cenL growLh beLween
    2011 und 2012. Moblle broudbund lnLerneL servlce
    ls Lhe only servlce where ull counLrles, regurdless
    of Lhelr lnlLlul eneLruLlon level, uchleved oslLlve
    growLh und enhunced Lhelr eneLruLlon ruLes.
    ln Lerms of eneLruLlon ruLes ln 2012, OuLur, wlLh
    72.1 er cenL, occules Lhe FrsL oslLlon, closely
    followed by 8uhruln, wlLh 67.1 er cenL. 1hree
    oLher CCC counLrles follow uL reluLlvely hlgh ruLes:
    Omun (56.7 er cenL), UnlLed Arub LmlruLes (50.9
    er cenL) und Suudl Arublu (42.8 er cenL). 1unlslu,
    Syrlun Arub Reubllc und Yemen come lusL ln Lerms
    of eneLruLlon ruLes uL 5.4, 1.8 und 0.2 er cenL,
    resecLlvely.
    Moblle broudbund ln Lhe Arub reglon ls mulnly
    drlven by Lhe rollouL of 3C moblle neLworks. ln 2012,
    Lhe mu|orlLy of Arub counLrles, wlLh Lhe exceLlon of
    lruq,
    27
    Algerlu und PulesLlne, wlLnessed u rollouL of
    3C neLworks.
    28
    Advunced moblle 4C neLworks begun
    rollouL ln 2012, essenLlully ln CCC counLrles, und wlll
    be furLher dlscussed below. PeneLruLlon ruLes of
    moblle 3C servlces ln Lhe Arub reglon ure execLed Lo
    grow from 21 er cenL ln 2012 to 51 er cenL ln 2017.
    29

    6. Fibre to the Home
    llbre Lo Lhe Home (l11H) ls one of severul l11x
    Lerms denoLlng u broudbund neLwork urchlLecLure
    uslng oLlcul Fbre, und exLendlng from Lhe
    LelecommunlcuLlon oeruLor's swlLchlng equlmenL
    Lo (uL leusL) Lhe boundury of Lhe home llvlng suce
    or buslness omce suce. WlLh Lhe develomenL of
    such servlces LhuL demund fusLer connecLlvlLy und
    lurger bundwldLh us Lrlle-luy servlce,
    30
    l11H ls
    TABLE 11. Fibre to the Home (FTTH) service availability in the Arab region, May 2012
    Country Availability
    Year service rst
    oered
    Number of
    operators/ service
    providers Type of service
    Algeria Yes 2007 1 CororuLe und resldenLlul
    Bahrain Yes 2006 8 CororuLe und resldenLlul
    Egypt Yes 2010 2 CororuLe und resldenLlul
    Iraq Yes 2008 1 CororuLe und resldenLlul
    Jordan Yes 2008 3 CororuLe und resldenLlul
    Kuwait Yes 2007 4 CororuLe und resldenLlul
    Lebanon Nojln rogress .. .. CororuLe und resldenLlul
    Libya Nojlunned .. .. ..
    Morocco Nojlunned .. .. ..
    Oman Yes 2011 2 CororuLe und resldenLlul
    Palestine No .. .. ..
    Qatar Yes 2012 1 CororuLe und resldenLlul
    Saudi Arabia Yes 2010 3 CororuLe und resldenLlul
    Sudan No .. .. ..
    Syrian Arab Republic Nojlunned .. .. ..
    Tunisia Yes 2007 5 CororuLe
    United Arab Emirates Yes 2009 2 CororuLe und resldenLlul
    Yemen No .. .. ..
    Source: 8used on AAC, 2012 (7 Muy).
    NoLes: 1wo doLs (..) lndlcuLe LhuL duLu ure noL uvulluble.
    29
    u muln requlremenL ln order Lo huve Lhe lellne
    cuuclLy needed. l11H lnvesLmenL ln Lhe Arub reglon
    ls rogresslng slowly und ls sLlll ln Lhe esLubllshmenL
    huse. So fur, 11 ouL of 18 counLrles huve ongolng l11H
    ro|ecLs. 1uble 11 shows servlce uvullublllLy ln Lhe Arub
    reglon us uL Muy 2012. 1ye of servlce runges from
    CcroruLe und resldenLlul Lo comounds only. And Lhe
    number of oeruLors und servlce rovlders er counLry
    runges from one oeruLor, us ls Lhe cuse ln Algerlu, lruq
    und OuLur, Lo Fve oeruLors ln Lhe cuse of 1unlslu, und
    even Lo elghL oeruLors, ln Lhe cuse of 8uhruln.
    7. Next generation wireless networks LTE
    Long 1erm LvoluLlon (L1L), oulurly known us 4C
    Lechnology,
    31
    ls un evoluLlon of Lhe 1hlrd CeneruLlon
    PurLnershl Pro|ecL (3CPP), bused on Lhe Lnhunced
    LuLu RuLes for CSM LvoluLlon (CSMjLLCL) und
    Unlversul Moblle 1elecommunlcuLlons SysLemj
    Hlgh-seed PuckeL Access (UM1SjHSPA) neLwork
    Lechnologles. lL ls Lhe luLesL sLundurd for wlreless
    communlcuLlon of hlgh-seed duLu for moblle hones
    und duLu Lermlnuls. L1L hus been lnlLluLed by 3CPP Lo
    lmrove Lhe moblle hone sLundurd ln Lerms of uckeL-
    oLlmlzed sysLems LhuL suorL mulLlle rudlo uccess
    Lechnologles, reduced luLency, lmroved coveruge,
    lncreused duLu ruLes, und lmroved secLrum
    emclency. 1uble 12 below llsLs Lhe uvullublllLy of L1L ln
    Lhe Arub reglon. OuL of Lhe 18 Arub counLrles covered
    ln Lhls reorL, eleven huve L1L elLher commerclully
    luunched or ln Lhe lellne, elLher lunned or ln Lrlul.
    1he FrsL counLrles Lo luunch L1L were KuwulL, Omun,
    Suudl Arublu, und Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, Whlle lrun
    und OuLur were Lhe luLesL Lwo counLrles, wlLh Ooredoo
    luunchlng lLs L1L ln Lohu ln Arll 2013, und lusLllnk
    luunchlng lLs servlce ln lrbll ln AugusL 2013.
    L1L bunds dler from one oeruLor Lo Lhe oLher
    und from one counLry Lo Lhe oLher. As u resulL, hones
    from one counLry muy noL work ln oLher counLrles.
    TABLE 12. Availability of LTE services in the Arab region, August 2013
    Country Operator
    Service
    launched Deployment status LTE band
    Bahrain Zuln
    vlvu 8uhruln
    8uLelco
    ?es ln servlce, Aprll 2013
    ln Lrlal, !anuary 2013
    ln servlce, March 2013
    L1L-2600
    L1L-2600
    L1L-1800
    Egypt vodufone LgyL
    LLlsuluL Mlsr
    MoblNll
    no lanned, 2013
    lanned, 2013
    ln Lrlal
    ..
    L1L-2100
    ..
    Iraq lusLllnk ?es ln servlce, AugusL 2013 ..
    Jordan Zuln 1ordun
    Umnluh
    Orunge 1ordun
    no ln Lrlal, 2013
    ln Lrlal, 2013
    lanned, 2014
    ..
    ..
    ..
    Kuwait Zuln
    vlvA
    ?es ln servlce, nov. 2012
    ln servlce, uec. 2011
    L1L-1800
    L1L-1800
    Lebanon M1C 1ouch
    Alfu 1elecom
    Yes ln servlce, Muy 2013
    ln servlce, Muy 2013
    L1L-1800
    L1L-1800
    Oman OmunLeljOmun Moblle
    Nuwrus
    ?es ln servlce, !uly 2012
    ln servlce, leb. 2013
    L1L-1800, L1L-2300
    L1L-1800
    Qatar Ooredoo (OuLur 1elecom)
    vodufone
    ?es ln servlce, !une 2013
    lanned, 2013
    L1L-2600
    L1L-850
    Saudi Arabia Zuln
    S1C
    Moblly
    ?es ln servlce, SepL. 2011
    ln servlce, SepL. 2011
    ln servlce, SepL. 2011
    L1L-1800, L1L-2600
    L1L-1800
    L1L-2600
    Tunisia 1unlslunu No lanned, 2013 ..
    United Arab Emirates LLlsuluL
    du
    ?es ln servlce, SepL. 2011
    ln servlce, !une 2012
    L1L-1800, L1L-2600
    L1L-1800
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA bused on hLL:jjlLemus.orgjhome und AAC, 2012 (11 November), und AAC, 2013 (4 Arll, 21 1uly und 26 AugusL).
    NoLe: 1wo doLs (..) lndlcuLe LhuL duLu ure noL uvulluble.
    30 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    Users wlll need u mulLl-bund cuuble hone for
    roumlng lnLernuLlonully. lL ls belleved LhuL Lhe reglon
    wlll undergo furLher L1L deloymenLs durlng Lhe
    nexL few yeurs. Clven LhuL u globul ugreemenL on Lhe
    hurmonlzuLlon of L1L bunds wlll noL be reuched before
    l1U's World RudlocommunlcuLlon Conference (WRC)
    Lo be held ln 2015, Lhe Arub reglon ls hlghly udvlsed Lo
    udoL u common sLunce uheud of Lhls conference.
    C. Internet infrastructure
    Lue Lo Lhe huge demund for broudbund
    servlces und new ullcuLlons und Lhe ussocluLed
    bundwldLh und cuuclLy needs, vurlous ugrudes
    und overhuuls of lnLerneL lnfrusLrucLure become
    necessury Lo cuLer for Lhose needs. SubsLunLlul
    enhuncemenLs und mu|or develomenLs of Lhe
    lnLerneL lnfrusLrucLure huve been consLunLly
    Luklng luce ln Arub counLrles, wheLher Lhrough
    Lhe esLubllshmenL of new core neLworks, new
    submurlne cubles, new nuLlonul und LerresLrlul
    flbre oLlc neLworks, new lnLerneL exchunge olnLs
    (lXPs) or new lnLerneL hosLs.
    1. International Internet bandwidth in the region
    1he need for lncreuslng lnLernuLlonul lnLerneL
    bundwldLh Lo cuLer for lncreused Lrumc volumes hus
    TABLE 13. Growth rate of international Internet bandwidth in the Arab region, 2011-2012 (Ranked by growth)
    Rank Country
    Internaonal Internet
    bandwidth (Mbps), 2010
    Internaonal Internet
    bandwidth (Mbps), 2012
    Growth rate
    (percentage)
    1 Lebanon 2,500 60,000 2,300
    2 Yemen 3,200 11,600 264
    3 Morocco 75,000 266,000 255
    4 Syrian Arab Republic 5,735 20,000 249
    5 Oman 5,605 17,792 217
    6 United Arab Emirates 105,100 253,875 142
    7 Bahrain 10,000 21,000 110
    8 Qatar 24,502 48,000 96
    9 Saudi Arabia 317,944 555,961 75
    10 Egypt 90,558 150,906 67
    11 Tunisia 51,200 84,480 65
    12 Algeria 36,000 45,000 25
    13 Iraq 80 100 25
    14 Libya 10,000 12,000 20
    15 Jordan 13,000 15,000 15
    16 Sudan 13,300 13,300 0
    17 Kuwait 10,000 .. ..
    18 Palestine* .. .. ..
    Total 737,724 1,530,014 107
    Source: l1U, 2013.
    NoLes: * lnLernuLlonul lnLerneL bundwldLh ln PulesLlne ls sLlll rovlded by lsruell sources due Lo Lhe occuuLlon slLuuLlon.
    1wo doLs (..) lndlcuLe LhuL duLu ure noL uvulluble.
    31
    never sLoed growlng slnce Lhe lnceLlon of Lhe
    lnLerneL. 1he Arub reglon hus reglsLered u growLh of
    107 er cenL beLween 2010 und 2012, wlLh Lebunon
    reglsLerlng u musslve 2,300 er cenL Fgure, Lhe
    hlghesL score ln Lhe reglon, us shown ln Luble 13.
    Slx Arub counLrles reglsLered more Lhun u 100 per
    cenL lncreuse over Lhe sume erlod und elghL oLhers
    reglsLered u double-dlglL lncreuse. Only Lhe Sudun
    wlLnessed no lncreuse, und no duLu wus uvulluble for
    KuwulL for 2012.
    LxerLs und ollcymukers ln Lhe reglon huve
    been culllng for lncreused lnLerconnecLlvlLy beLween
    Arub counLrles, formlng un Arub reglonul buckbone
    lnLerconnecLlng mosL, lf noL ull, Arub counLrles,
    enubllng Lhem Lo hundle lnLrureglonul Lrumc wlLhouL
    Lhe need Lo leuve und re-enLer Lhe reglon. One
    osslblllLy of looklng lnLo Lhls ls by unulyslng Lhe
    lnLerconnecLlvlLy uL Lhe cubllng (Lrunsmlsslon) level,
    unoLher wuy ls by unulyslng Lhe lnLerconnecLlvlLy uL
    Lhe rouLlngjeerlng level (lXPs) us dlscussed below.
    2. Submarine cable systems
    Submurlne cuble sysLems curry lnLernuLlonul
    volce und duLu Lrumc, Lhey lnLerconnecL mosL
    counLrles ln ull geogruhlcul reglons, lncludlng
    Lhe Arub reglon, whlch ls currenLly served by u
    subsLunLlul number of submurlne cubles LhuL vury
    ln lengLh und oLenLlul cuuclLy. As uL AugusL
    2012, u LoLul of 48 submurlne cuble sysLems llnk
    Lo Arub counLrles,
    32
    40 of whlch were oeruLlonul
    wlLh exlsLlng or lunned lundlng olnLs ln Lhose
    counLrles, whlle Lhe remulnlng elghL submurlne
    cuble sysLems were lunned buL noL yeL
    oeruLlonul.
    33
    A close look uL Lhe lundscue of submurlne
    cuble sysLems connecLlvlLy ln Lhe Arub reglon,
    whlch ls delcLed ln Fgure 1 (lncludlng ull cubles,
    boLh oeruLlonul und lunned), reveuls LhuL such
    counLrles us lruq, 1ordun und Yemen ure connecLed
    Lo us few us Lwo cubles, whlle oLher such counLrles
    us LgyL und Suudl Arublu ure connecLed Lo us muny
    us Lwelve cubles, und Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes
    Lo even 13 cubles. 1he meun number of cuble
    connecLlvlLy ln Lhe reglon ls four, whlch ulles Lo
    Algerlu, 8uhruln, KuwulL, Lebunon, Lhe Sudun, und
    Syrlun Arub Reubllc. Whlle such counLrles us Omun
    (nlne), Morocco (seven), und OuLur und 1unlslu (Fve)
    ure sllghLly ubove Lhe reglonul uveruge, Llbyu ls
    FIGURE 1. Number of connected submarine cable systems per country in the Arab region
    (Cables include operational and planned, ranked by number)
    13
    12
    12
    9
    7
    5
    5
    4
    4
    4
    4
    4
    4
    3
    2
    2
    2
    0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
    UAE
    Saudi Arabia
    Egypt
    Oman
    Morocco
    Tunisia
    Qatar
    Syria
    Sudan
    Lebanon
    Kuwait
    Bahrain
    Algeria
    Libya
    Yemen
    Jordan
    Iraq
    Source: AAC, 2012d.
    32 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    connecLed Lo only Lhree cuble sysLems. PulesLlne ls
    Lhe only counLry ln Lhe reglon LhuL ls noL connecLed
    Lo uny submurlne cuble sysLem.
    34
    1he need Lo esLubllsh uddlLlonul und ulLernuLlve
    cuble rouLes Lo secure und susLuln demund for
    lnLernuLlonul bundwldLh, eseclully followlng
    severul dlsruLlons of submurlne cubles ln Lhe
    reglon, hus led Lo Lhe develomenL of dedlcuLed
    submurlne cubles LhuL llnk only one Arub counLry
    Lo Lhe ouLslde world, buL noL Lo uny oLher counLry
    ln Lhe reglon. Lxumles of such dedlcuLed cubles
    ure ALASlA, reudy for servlce (RlS) ln 2013, und
    LUROPA, (RlS 2015, whlch resecLlvely llnk Syrlun
    Arub Reubllc und Lebunon Lo Cyrus. OLher
    exumles lnclude LOKKOS (RlS 2012) llnklng
    Morocco Lo Suln, whlle ORAN-vALLNClA (RlS
    2013) llnks Algerlu Lo Suln, 1UNlSlANA (RlS 2013)
    llnks 1unlslu Lo lLuly, und SlLPHlUM (RlS 2012) llnks
    Llbyu Lo Creece. ln Lhe Culf reglon, OMRANjLPLC
    (RlS 2013) und POl (RlS 2012) ure Lwo cubles LhuL
    llnk Omun Lo lrun.
    1he henomenon of dedlcuLed cubles ls
    noL new, for lnsLunce, such cubles us ALPAL-2
    (RlS 2002) connecLlng Algerlu Lo Suln, A1LAS
    OllSHORL (RlS 2007) connecLlng Morocco Lo
    lrunce, CALMOS (RlS 1995) connecLlng Lebunon
    Lo Cyrus, LS1LPONA-1L1OUAN (RlS 1997)
    connecLlng Morocco Lo Suln, und muny oLhers
    huve exlsLed u for long Llme. Whlle u dedlcuLed
    cuble cun suly un Arub counLry wlLh much-
    needed lnLernuLlonul lnLerneL bundwldLh und could
    serve us u dlrecL guLewuy Lo Lhe globul lnLerneL,
    Lhls rucLlce ls noL Lhe besL sLruLeglc soluLlon for
    Lhe Arub reglon. lf Lhe reglon uslres Lo lnLegruLlng
    und lowerlng lnLerneL LrunslL cosLs, lL should oL for
    u dlerenL neLwork Loology. LlrecL cuble sysLems
    would lnLerconnecL Arub counLrles FrsL, securlng
    LhuL reglonul Lrumc ls rouLed lnLernully. Reglonul
    lXPs would Lhen secure rouLlng Lhe reglon's Lrumc
    Lo Lhe globul lnLerneL.
    As u muLLer of fucL, dlrecL cuble connecLlvlLy
    ln Lhe reglon ls llmlLed, on olnL-Lo-olnL busls
    beLween ulrs of Arub counLrles. 1uble 14
    summurlzes submurlne cuble sysLems connecLlng
    ulrs of Arub counLrles.
    lf we move one sLe hlgher ln Lerms of
    connecLlvlLy, Luble 15 shows u llsL of Lwelve globul
    submurlne cubles wlLh u lundlng olnL ln Lwo or
    more LSCWA member counLrles. 1he llbre-oLlc
    Llnk uround Lhe Clobe (lLAC) und AlcuLel LucenL
    OLlcul NeLwork (lALCON) lLAC-lALCON cuble
    sysLem (RlS ln 2006) ls Lhe cuble wlLh Lhe hlghesL
    number of lundlng olnLs ln Lhe reglon. lLAC-
    lALCON llnks eleven Arub counLrles, reresenLlng
    TABLE 14. Submarine cable systems connecting two Arab countries
    Submarine cable system Ready for service (RFS) Countries connected and landing points
    Aden-Djibouti 1995 - Yemen: Aden
    - L|lbouLl: L|lbouLl ClLy
    Aletar 1997 - LgyL: Alexundrlu
    - Syrlun Arub Reubllc: 1urLous
    Berytar 1997 - Lebunon: 1delde, Rus 8elruL, Suldu, 1rloll
    - Syrlun Arub Reubllc: 1urLous
    Qatar-UAE (DAS-Halul) (QA-U) 2004 - UnlLed Arub LmlruLes: Abu Lhubl, Lus lslund
    - OuLur: Lohu, Hulul lslund
    Saudi Arabia-Sudan-1 (SAS-1) 2003 - Suudl Arublu: 1edduh
    - 1he Sudun: PorL Sudun
    Saudi Arabia-Sudan-2 (SAS-2) 2012 - Suudl Arublu: 1edduh
    - 1he Sudun: PorL Sudun
    Source: AAC, 2012d.
    33
    u sorL of buckbone for Lhe Arub reglon on Lhe
    Lrunsmlsslon level. Culf 8rldge lnLernuLlonul (C8l)
    (RlS 2012) connecLs only seven Arub counLrles, u
    sub-grou of Lhe counLrles covered by lLAC, buL
    lL does noL cover LgyL, 1ordun, Lhe Sudun, und
    Yemen. OLher mu|or cuble sysLems llnk Lhe MLNA
    reglon Lo Aslu und Luroe, numely, SouLh-LusL
    Aslu-Mlddle LusL-WesLern Luroe (SLA-ML-WL)3
    und SLA-ML-WL4, euch connecLlng Fve Arub
    counLrles Lo Lhe resL of Lhe world.
    lurLhermore, Luble 15 hlghllghLs such recenL
    submurlne cuble sysLems deloyed ln Lhe reglon us
    Lhe Luroe lndlu CuLewuy (LlC) huvlng 5 lundlng
    olnL ln Lhe reglon. 1he sysLem becume urLly
    oeruLlonul ln eurly 2011, whlle uL Lhe end of Lhe
    sume yeur, one of Lwo lund-bused rouLes ucross
    LgyL wus comleLed, ullowlng Lhe muln shure of
    Lhe LlC sysLem Lo enLer lnLo servlce ln eurly 2012.
    35

    OLher recenL globul submurlne cubles connecLlng
    Lhe Arub reglon lnclude Lhe 1CN-CULl cuble
    sysLem (RlS 2012) wlLh Fve lundlng olnLs, 1CN-LA
    (RlS 2012) wlLh Lwo lundlng olnLs und MLNA-SCS
    (RlS 2013) wlLh Lhree lundlng olnLs.
    3. Internet Exchange Points
    An lnLerneL Lxchunge PolnL (lXP) ls u hyslcul
    lnfrusLrucLure whlch ullows lnLerneL Servlce
    Provlders (lSP) Lo exchunge Lrumc und ls meunL
    Lo reduce Lhe orLlon of un lSP's Lrumc whlch ls
    dellvered vlu usLreum LrunslL rovlders. 1hrough
    lXPs, lSPs exchunge Lhe muLuul lnLerneL Lrumc
    beLween Lhelr neLworks (uuLonomous sysLems)
    lnsLeud of rouLlng such Lrumc Lhrough exenslve
    LrunslL llnks. lXPs, Lhus, reduce Lhe uveruge er-blL
    dellvery cosL of Lhelr servlce, und lmrove rouLlng
    emclency und fuulL-Lolerunce.
    36

    lXPs reresenL un essenLlul comonenL ln Lhe
    neLwork urchlLecLure of Loduy's neLworks. LorLs
    ure exerLed by u number of luyers, lncludlng
    reglonul und lnLernuLlonul orgunlzuLlons, Lo
    romoLe Lhe conceL of lXPs ln Lhe reglon. 1uble 16
    rovldes u llsL of exlsLlng lXPs ln Lhe Arub reglon,
    TABLE 15. Submarine cables with a landing point in two or more ESCWA member countries
    Cable system Length (km) Ready for service
    Number
    of landing
    points Landing points Total capacity
    FLAG-FALCON 11,589 SeLember-2006 11 8uhruln, LgyL, lruq, 1ordun,
    KuwulL, Omun, OuLur, Suudl
    Arublu, Sudun, UAL, Yemen
    250, 250, 390,
    520 Cbs
    GBI 30,000 lebruury-2012 7 8uhruln, lruq, KuwulL, Omun,
    OuLur, Suudl Arublu, UAL
    5.18 1bs
    EIG 15,000 lebruury-2011 5 LgyL, Llbyu, Omun, Suudl
    Arublu, UAL
    4.72 1bs
    SEA-ME-WE 3 39,000 AugusL-1999 5 Omun, Suudl Arublu, LgyL,
    Morocco, UAL
    505 Cbs
    SEA-ME-WE 4 20,000 Lecember-2005 5 Algerlu, LgyL, Suudl Arublu,
    1unlslu, UAL
    4.8 1bs
    TGN-Gulf 4,469 lebruury-2012 5 8uhruln, Omun, OuLur, Suudl
    Arublu, UAL
    1.28 1bs
    FOG 1,300 Murch-1998 4 8uhruln, KuwulL, OuLur, UAL 40 Cbs
    IMEWE 12,091 Lecember-2010 4 LgyL, Lebunon, Suudl Arublu,
    UAL
    3.84 1bs
    FLAG FEA 28,000 November-1997 3 LgyL, 1ordun, UAL 440 Cbs
    MENA-SCS 9,030 Plunned for 2013 3 LgyL, Omun, Suudl Arublu 5.76 1bs
    TGN-EA 9,280 Murch-2012 2 LgyL, Suudl Arublu 1.28 1bs
    Transworld-TW1 1,274 2006 2 Omun, UAL 1.28 1bs
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA bused on AAC, 2012d.
    34 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    TABLE 16. Internet exchange points in the Arab region, June 2013
    Country Internet Exchange Point Short name Established URL
    Bahrain 8uhruln lnLerneL Lxchunge 8lx 2003 www.blx.bh
    CuLewuy Culf lnLerneL Lxchunge Culflx 2009 www.gaLewaygulf.bh
    Egypt Culro lnLerneL Lxchunge PolnL CAlx 2002 www.culx.neL.eg
    Mlddle LusL lnLerneL Lxchunge MLlx 2007 mon1.gxglobul.neL
    Lebanon 8elruL lnLerneL Lxchunge 8lX 2007 www.belruux.neL
    Saudi Arabia lnLerneL Lxchunge of Suudl Arublu lxSA 2009 www.lx.neL.sa
    Sudan Sudun lnLerneL Lxchunge PolnL SlXP 2010 www.slx.sd
    Tunisia 1unlslun lnLerneL Lxchunge PolnL 1unlXP 2011 www.uLl.Lnj1unlXP
    United Arab Emirates UAL lnLerneL Lxchunge uAL-lx 2012 www.uae-lx.neL
    LLlsuluL SmurLhub lX - 2013 www.eusalaL.ae/en/carrlers/
    servlces/smarLhub.[sp
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA.
    TABLE 17. Internet hosts in the Arab region, 2012 (By decreasing number of hosts per 10,000 inhabitants)
    Rank Country Populaon Total number of hosts
    Number of hosts
    per 10,000 inhabitants
    1 United Arab Emirates 8,105,873 337,804 416.74
    2 Bahrain 1,359,485 47,727 351.07
    3 Lebanon 4,291,719 64,926 151.28
    4 Jordan 6,457,260 69,473 107.59
    5 Palestine 4,270,791 42,435 99.36
    6 Morocco 32,598,536 277,338 85.08
    7 Saudi Arabia 28,705,133 145,941 50.84
    8 Oman 2,904,037 14,531 50.04
    9 Libya 6,469,497 17,926 27.71
    10 Egypt 83,958,369 200,430 23.87
    11 Yemen 25,569,263 33,206 12.99
    12 Kuwait 2,891,553 2,771 9.58
    13 Qatar 1,938,754 897 4.63
    14 Tunisia 10,704,948 576 0.54
    15 Syrian Arab Republic 21,117,690 416 0.20
    16 Algeria 36,485,828 676 0.19
    17 Sudan 45,722,083 99 0.02
    18 Iraq 33,703,068 26 0.01
    Total/average 320,768,059 1,256,522 39.17
    Source: hLL:jjwww.lsc.org, 1uly 2012.
    35
    Lhe FrsL of whlch wus esLubllshed ln LgyL ln 2002,
    und Lhe mosL recenL one wus esLubllshed ln 2013
    us u second lXP ln Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes. lL ls
    worLh noLlng LhuL Arub cross-border und reglonul
    communlcuLlon ure enLlrely deendenL on globul
    connecLlvlLy, so Lhe nexL sLe ln Lhe evoluLlon of
    Lhe lnLerneL lnfrusLrucLure ln Lhe reglon requlres Lhe
    lnLerconnecLlon of some of Lhe nuLlonul lXPs ln un
    eorL Lo bulld reglonul lXPs.
    4. Internet hosts
    An lnLerneL hosL (or hosL) ls u comuLer
    connecLed dlrecLly Lo Lhe lnLerneL. A hosL should noL
    be confused wlLh uny comuLer connecLed Lo Lhe
    lnLerneL wheLher Lhrough un lSP or un enLerrlse
    neLwork. An lnLerneL hosL muy serve muny cllenLs
    und cun luy Lhe role of u server undjor cllenL for
    lnLerneL ullcuLlons. 1he number of lnLerneL
    hosLs ls u good roxy of Lhe lnLerneL resence, lC1
    connecLlvlLy und lnfrusLrucLure develomenL of u
    glven counLry, urLlculurly Lhe number of lnLerneL
    hosLs er culLu us recommended by Lhe UnlLed
    NuLlons Conference on 1rude und LevelomenL
    (UNC1AL).
    37

    1uble 17 shows Lhe runks of Lhe LSCWA member
    counLrles uccordlng Lo Lhe number of hosLs er
    10,000 lnhublLunLs. As Lhe Luble below lndlcuLes,
    Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes und 8uhruln oslLlon
    Lhemselves on Lo of oLher counLrles ln Lhe reglon ln
    Lerms of lnLerneL hosL er culLu, wlLh 417 und 351
    hosts per 10,000 lnhublLunLs, resecLlvely, followed
    by Lebunon und 1ordun uL 151 und 107 hosts,
    resecLlvely. lourLeen Arub counLrles huve less
    than 100 hosts per 10,000 lnhublLunLs, ouL of whlch
    1unlslu, Syrlun Arub Reubllc, Algerlu, Lhe Sudun, und
    lruq huve below one hosL er 10,000 lnhublLunLs.
    D. Classication and ranking of ESCWA
    member countries according to maturity level
    1. Maturity level 1: Iraq, Libya, the Sudan, Syrian
    Arab Republic, and Yemen
    1hls lowesL level of muLurlLy ls churucLerlzed
    by Lhe followlng: (u) low lC1 eneLruLlon ruLes
    und unuLLrucLlve Lelecom murkeL condlLlons
    LhuL dlscouruge ersonul und buslness usuge, (b)
    scurce lnLernuLlonul connecLlvlLy Lo Lhe lnLerneL
    buckbone, und (c) oor lnLerneL lnfrusLrucLure
    und low dlssemlnuLlon, eseclully for broudbund,
    lnudequuLe nuLlonul buckbone und llmlLed number
    of lnLerneL luyers ln Lhe murkeL. As comured Lo
    2011, Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc wus downgruded Lo
    Lhls level due Lo Lhe neguLlve eecLs of Lhe ongolng
    urmed conlcL on lLs lnfrusLrucLure. Llbyu wus
    ruLed ln Lhls level us well due Lo lLs dumuged lC1
    lnfrusLrucLure us u resulL of Lhe 2011 revoluLlon.
    2. Maturity level 2: Egypt, Morocco, Palestine,
    and Tunisia
    1hls level of muLurlLy ls churucLerlzed by Lhe
    followlng: (u) uveruge lC1 eneLruLlon ruLes und
    lncreuslngly uLLrucLlve Lelecom murkeL condlLlons
    for ersonul und buslness usuge, (b) develolng
    lnLernuLlonul connecLlvlLy Lo Lhe lnLerneL buckbone,
    und (c) lmrovlng lnLerneL lnfrusLrucLure und fulr
    dlssemlnuLlon of broudbund servlces, udequuLe
    nuLlonul buckbone und ucLlve lnLerneL luyers
    murkeL. Member counLrles clusslFed ln Lhls level
    reLulned Lhelr sLuLus from 2011 whlle Lhe new
    member counLrles Morocco und 1unlslu uLLulned
    Lhls level ln 2013.
    3. Maturity level 3: Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon,
    and Oman
    1hls level of muLurlLy ls churucLerlzed by Lhe
    followlng: (u) ubove-uveruge lC1 eneLruLlon
    ruLes und uLLrucLlve Lelecom murkeL condlLlons
    romoLlng ersonul und buslness usuge, (b) solld
    lnLernuLlonul connecLlvlLy Lo Lhe lnLerneL buckbone,
    und (c) comuruLlvely good lnLerneL lnfrusLrucLure
    und sLrong broudbund lnLerneL dlssemlnuLlon,
    good nuLlonul buckbone und ucLlve lnLerneL luyers
    murkeL. Lebunon sLeed forwurd Lo Lhls level slnce
    2011 owlng Lo noLuble growLh ln lLs moblle hone
    servlces, elevuLed lnLerneL eneLruLlon growLh
    ruLes, eseclully for Fxed und moblle broudbund,
    lnLroducLlon of moblle broudbund servlces,
    und musslve growLh ln lnLernuLlonul lnLerneL
    bundwldLh.
    36 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    4. Maturity level 4: Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
    and United Arab Emirates
    1hls level of muLurlLy ls churucLerlzed by Lhe
    followlng: (u) world-cluss lC1 eneLruLlon ruLes und
    very uLLrucLlve Lelecom murkeL condlLlons romoLlng
    ersonul und buslness usuge, (b) hlghly develoed
    lnLernuLlonul connecLlvlLy Lo Lhe lnLerneL buckbone,
    und (c) very sLrong lnLerneL lnfrusLrucLure und
    elevuLed broudbund lnLerneL dlssemlnuLlon, world-
    cluss nuLlonul buckbone und recognlzed lnLerneL
    luyers. Suudl Arublu uLLulned Lhls level ln 2013
    owlng Lo lLs elevuLed eneLruLlon ruLes und usuge
    level, eseclully for broudbund lnLerneL servlces und
    u fuvouruble und comeLlLlve Lelecom secLor.
    E. Suggestions and recommendations
    (u) ConLlnue Lo seL u lndeendenL, roFclenL,
    LrunsurenL, und eecLlve Lelecom reguluLory
    commlsslonsjuuLhorlLles ln member counLrles,
    und lnLroduce new llcenslng schemes und
    reguluLory frumeworks Lo cuLer for new
    LelecommunlcuLlon Lechnologles, eseclully
    wlreless broudbund,
    (b) AcceleruLe Lhe llberullzuLlon of Lhe Lelecom
    secLor und lnsLlguLe uddlLlonul comeLlLlon ln
    Lhe subsecLors, glven lLs slgnlFcunL lmucL on
    lncreuslng uvullublllLy und uordublllLy of vurlous
    servlces,
    TABLE 18. Ranking of ESCWA member countries by maturity level in ICT Infrastructure
    Country Maturity level 1 Maturity level 2 Maturity level 3 Maturity level 4
    2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013
    Bahrain
    Egypt
    Iraq
    Jordan
    Kuwait
    Lebanon
    Libya*
    Morocco*
    Oman
    Palestine
    Qatar
    Saudi Arabia
    Sudan
    Syrian Arab Republic
    Tunisia*
    United Arab Emirates
    Yemen
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA.
    NoLe: * No ussessmenL wus rovlded for Llbyu, Morocco und 1unlslu rlor Lo 2013 slnce Lhey only |olned LSCWA ln 2012.
    37
    (c) Clve urLlculur uLLenLlon Lo Lhe romoLlon
    of broudbund servlces wheLher ln Lhelr Fxed
    or moblle vurlunLs. 1hls requlres u hollsLlc
    urouch us recommended by Lhe 8roudbund
    Commlsslon for LlglLul LevelomenL
    38
    lnvolvlng:
    (l) ollcy leudershl for lnvesLmenL, (ll) oen
    LelecommunlcuLlon murkeLs, (lll) develomenL
    of governmenL und oLher ubllc elecLronlc
    servlces, (lv) u unlversul servlce rogrumme, und
    (v) encouruge emclenL und lnnovuLlve moblle
    broudbund rucLlces for new murkeL enLrunLs und
    consumers,
    (d) Provlde reguluLory lncenLlves Lo develo
    LelecommunlcuLlons ln murglnullzed ureus,
    lncludlng uckuglng urbun ro|ecLs wlLh rurulj
    remoLe ureu ro|ecLs, ln un eorL Lo uchleve
    unlversul servlce,
    (e) LlrecL eorLs Lowurds Lhe reglonul dlmenslon
    Lo roFL from economles of scule ln Lerms of
    lnLerconnecLlvlLy, bundwldLh shurlng, reglonul
    buckbone, und reglonul munufucLurlng
    cuublllLles.
    X
    Reglonul und
    international
    cooeruLlon III
    Access
    Lo lnformuLlon
    und knowledge
    41
    III. Access to Information
    and Knowledge
    1oduy, lC1 Lools und servlces huve become
    Lhe muln englne oslLloned Lo drlve uccess Lo
    lnformuLlon und conLrlbuLe Lo knowledge-creuLlon
    und shurlng. NeverLheless, uLLulnlng lnsLunL,
    ublqulLous uccess cunnoL be uchleved wlLhouL
    Lhe exlsLence of un udequuLe und uorduble lC1
    lnfrusLrucLure und Lhe enucLmenL of leglsluLlons
    guurunLeelng Lhe rlghL of uccess Lo lnformuLlon.
    lurLhermore, wldesreud use cunnoL be uchleved
    wlLhouL Lhe uvullublllLy of ubllc-domuln lnformuLlon
    und Lhe develomenL of relevunL locul dlglLul
    conLenL uccesslble Lhrough vurlous communlcuLlon
    resources, noLubly Lhe lnLerneL.
    A. Comparative analysis
    U unLll recenLly, uccess Lo lnformuLlon und
    knowledge ln Lhe Arub reglon wus un ureu of
    Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy LhuL dld noL see much
    develomenL or rogress. 1hunks Lo Lhe Arub Srlng,
    Lhe reglon hus wlLnessed slgnlFcunL und sweelng
    ollLlcul LrunslLlons durlng Lhe erlod 2010-2013,
    whlch were overwhelmlngly fuclllLuLed Lhrough Lhe
    use of vurlous lC1-enubled communlcuLlons Lools, ln
    urLlculur lnLerneL-enubled smurLhones und soclul
    medlu ullcuLlons, und lnsLunL uccess Lo cruclul
    lnformuLlon.
    Whlle lC1 ls u key enubler, uccess Lo lnformuLlon
    ln Lhe Arub reglon ls u sLudy ln conLrusL. 1he
    dlsclosure of ubllc lnformuLlon ln Lhe reglon ls
    u buromeLer of democrucy, oenness, nuLlonul
    securlLy, ollLlcul sLublllLy, und even culLurul dlverslLy.
    CounLrles feurlng chunge, or whose ollLlcul sysLems
    ure ln LrunslLlon, huve clumed down on uccess Lo
    lnformuLlon by severlng ull or some lC1 servlces
    ln order Lo quell oLenLlul ubllc unresL. 1he llsL of
    uecLed servlces hus grown followlng Lhe sweelng
    chunge lnlLluLed by Lhe Arub Srlng. lnLerneL, volP
    und such messuglng servlces us shorL messuge
    servlce (SMS), Skye, 8luckberry Messenger
    (88M), vlber, luceLlme, und WhuLsA huve ull
    been scruLlnlzed, bunned, resLrlcLed, blocked, und
    unblocked ln severul counLrles sunnlng from NorLh
    Afrlcun 1unlslu, Algerlu und LgyL ull Lhe wuy Lo
    Lhe Culf counLrles of 8uhruln, Suudl Arublu und Lhe
    UnlLed Arub LmlruLes.
    39
    NeverLheless, Arub counLrles huve conLlnued Lhelr
    eorLs Lo lmrove uccess Lo non-senslLlve lnformuLlon
    und knowledge. Whlle rogress hus been noLed ln
    mosL counLrles, u gu ln Lhe level of lnformuLlon
    uvullublllLy und uccess remuln evldenL beLween und
    wlLhln counLrles. ModesL lnLerneL eneLruLlon ruLes,
    low broudbund eneLruLlon ruLes, unuorduble uccess
    cosLs, und Lhe deurLh of lnlLluLlves whlch romoLe
    uccess, eseclully ln rurul und remoLe ureus, und Lhe
    ubsence of udequuLe leglsluLlon, ure ull mu|or reusons
    leudlng Lo uccess dlsurlLles.
    1he lmucL sublndex, one of four sublndlces
    of Lhe 2013 NeLworked Reudlness lndlcuLor (NRl),
    lncludes u lllur coverlng soclul lmucLs. Soclul
    lmucL ls ussessed Lhrough Lhe unulysls of u survey
    lndlcuLor whlch exumlnes Lhe exLenL Lo whlch lC1s
    42 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    enuble uccess for ull clLlzens Lo buslc servlces. Lue
    Lo u luck of nuLlonul household und buslness surveys
    ln mosL Arub counLrles, Lhe duLu rovlded ln Luble 19
    comures Lhe globul NRl scores und runklngs, umong
    144 surveyed counLrles, of LhlrLeen Arub counLrles
    covered by Lhe 2013 Clobul lnformuLlon 1echnology
    ReorL (Cl1R), wlLh Lhelr lndlvlduul scores und
    runklngs on Lhe lmucL of lC1s on uccess Lo buslc
    servlces lndlcuLor.
    1he observuLlon of counLrles' lndlvlduul scores,
    und ln urLlculur Lhe globul runklngs uLLulned by Lhe
    Fve leudlng counLrles (ull CCC counLrles), on Lhe
    lmucL of lC1s on uccess Lo buslc servlces reveuls
    LhuL Lhls lndlcuLor ls Lhe forLe of Lhese counLrles,
    urLlculurly OuLur, whlch runked FrsL globully on
    Lhls lndlcuLor, und u oslLlve conLrlbuLor Lo Lhelr
    udvunced globul NRl scores und runklngs. 1he scores
    of 1ordun, Morocco und Llbyu on Lhls lndlcuLor were
    somewhuL slmllur Lo Lhelr globul NRl scores, whlle
    Lebunon, KuwulL, LgyL, Algerlu und Yemen uLLulned
    lower scores und runklngs on Lhe uccess lndlcuLor
    comured Lo Lhelr globul NRl scores, slgnulllng u
    shorLfull ln how Lhey use lC1s for lmrovlng uccess.
    lL ls worLh noLlng LhuL Arub und world uveruges on
    Lhe globul NRl scores, und ln urLlculur on Lhls lmucL
    lndlcuLor, were Lruly ldenLlcul. 1hls slgnuls LhuL Lhe
    dlsLrlbuLlon of Arub counLrles covered by Lhe Cl1R,
    umong rlch CCC, uer-mlddle, und lower-mlddle
    lncome, ls u Lrue reecLlon of Lhe world's dlverslLy.
    Anulyslng Lhe dlsurlLles ln Lhe reglon beLween
    reudlness und usuge comonenLs of Lhe NRl hels ln
    hlghllghLlng lmedlmenLs Lo uccess Lo lnformuLlon
    und knowledge for Lhree cuLegorles of sLukeholders
    lnvolved, numely lndlvlduuls, buslnesses und
    governmenLs. 1he reudlness sublndex comonenL
    of Lhe NRl, us shown ln Lhe FrsL column of Luble 20,
    shows Lhe exLenL Lo whlch counLrles ln Lhe reglon ure
    reured und wllllng Lo use lC1 ln Lhelr dully ucLlvlLles.
    1he usuge lllur comonenLs of Lhe usuge sublndex
    shown ln Lhe remulnlng Lhree columns guuge Lhe
    ucLuul usuge of lC1 by Lhe Lhree muln sLukeholders ln u
    glven counLry.
    TABLE 19. Impact of ICTs on access to basic services in selected Arab countries, 2013
    Country
    Impact of ICT on access to basic
    Services, 2013
    Network Readiness Index, 2013
    Score * Ranking (144) Score * Ranking (144)
    Qatar 6.1 1 5.10 23
    United Arab Emirates 5.9 6 5.07 25
    Bahrain 5.8 13 4.83 29
    Saudi Arabia 5.6 16 4.82 31
    Oman 5.1 31 4.48 40
    Jordan 4.7 48 4.20 47
    Kuwait 4.0 84 3.94 62
    Morocco 3.9 92 3.64 89
    Egypt 3.8 104 3.78 80
    Libya 3.2 130 2.77 132
    Lebanon 2.7 141 3.53 94
    Algeria 2.6 142 2.78 131
    Yemen 2.5 143 2.63 139
    Average (Arab/world) 4.3/4.3 3.97/3.97
    Source: WLl, 2013u.
    NoLe: * 1hls ls bused on u seven-olnL LoLul score whereby 1 = do noL enuble uccess uL ull, und 7 = enuble uccess slgnlFcunLly.
    43
    A FrsL look uL Luble 20 esLubllshes LhuL counLrles
    of Lhe CCC runked beLLer Lhun oLher Arub counLrles
    on ull sublndlces, wlLh Lhe exceLlon of 1ordun,
    whlch hus been muklng noLlceuble rogress und
    runked beLLer Lhun Omun und KuwulL on Lhe
    reudlness sublndex und even beLLer Lhun KuwulL
    on Lhe buslness und governmenL usuge lllurs. 1he
    smull ouluLlon slzes ln CCC counLrles, couled
    wlLh u hlgh CLP, us well us u hlgh sLundurd of
    llvlng equully conLrlbuLed Lo Lhls hlgher runklng.
    1he Luble furLher shows LhuL Lhe uveruge score of
    Lhe lC1 reudlness sublndex ln Lhe reglon, uL 4.51,
    cleurly ouLwelghs uny of Lhe usuge uveruge scores.
    Moreover, governmenLs ln Lhe reglon were uslng
    lC1 more eecLlvely ln Lhe dellvery of Lhelr servlces
    Lhun boLh lndlvlduuls und buslnesses, wlLh un
    uveruge score of 4.20 olnLs comured Lo 3.80 und
    3.37 olnLs, resecLlvely.
    ln Lhls regurd, Lhe conLlnuous lC1 dlffuslon
    efforLs exerLed by Lhe CovernmenLs of 8uhruln,
    OuLur, Suudl Arublu, und Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes
    huve been lmresslve ln recenL yeurs, us reflecLed
    by Lhelr elevuLed Lo-Len globul runklngs ln Lhe
    governmenL usuge sublndex. Concernlng Lhe
    oLher sLukeholders, concerLed efforLs should
    be exerLed Lo romoLe uddlLlonul use of lC1 by
    lndlvlduuls und buslnesses. 1he buslness secLor, ln
    urLlculur, needs Lo exlolL Lhe luLesL Lechnologles,
    eseclully Lhe use of Lhe lnLerneL for such
    buslness ucLlvlLles us buylng und selllng goods
    from buslness Lo buslness (828), und lnLerucLlng
    wlLh cusLomers und sullers (82C). 1he gu
    beLween reudlness und usuge by lndlvlduuls could
    be uLLrlbuLed Lo, umong oLhers, low broudbund
    dlffuslon, low eneLruLlon ruLe of households
    wlLh u comuLer or uccess Lo Lhe lnLerneL, und Lhe
    resLrlcLlons LhuL some counLrles ure sLlll lmoslng
    on free uccess Lo lnformuLlon und knowledge.
    Whlle mosL Arub counLrles huve demonsLruLed
    lncreused reudlness und usuge levels, serlous
    TABLE 20. Readiness versus usage subindex components of the NRI, 2013
    Country
    Readiness sibindex * Individual usage pillar
    Business Usage
    pillar
    Government
    usage pillar
    Ranking Score Ranking Score Ranking Score Ranking Score
    Bahrain 35 5.27 30 5.13 56 3.59 4 5.78
    Saudi Arabia 39 5.23 47 4.39 30 4.10 6 5.73
    United Arab Emirates 40 5.23 36 4.90 28 4.31 2 5.99
    Qatar 44 5.06 16 5.82 27 4.47 5 5.75
    Jordan 55 4.97 66 3.55 55 3.59 56 4.22
    Oman 56 4.92 50 4.31 52 3.62 21 5.14
    Kuwait 58 4.87 40 4.83 83 3.35 105 3.63
    Egypt 82 4.41 69 3.43 108 3.11 80 3.92
    Lebanon 86 4.29 63 3.70 116 3.02 134 2.90
    Morocco 88 4.28 67 3.54 99 3.20 81 3.92
    Algeria 96 4.00 100 2.46 144 2.15 139 2.65
    Yemen 117 3.24 135 1.57 137 2.68 141 2.56
    Libya 126 2.91 89 2.80 136 2.69 143 2.44
    Average 4.51 3.80 3.37 4.20
    Source: WLl, 2013u.
    NoLe: * 1he comoslLlon of Lhe reudlness sublndex hus chunged wlLh Lhe Cl1R 2013, lL now covers lnfrusLrucLure, uordublllLy und
    skllls us oosed Lo lndlvlduul, buslness und governmenL reudlness.
    44 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    efforLs ure sLlll requlred ln order Lo lmrove
    uccess und brldge Lhe gu beLween reudlness und
    usuge uLLerns. Prlmurlly, Lhe rlghL of uccess Lo
    lnformuLlon should be guurunLeed, lC1 uccess
    cosLs furLher reduced und Lhe uvullublllLy of
    ubllc lnformuLlon und dlglLul conLenL equully
    lncreused.
    1. Public domain information
    Reullzlng Lhe Lremendous oorLunlLles und
    usecLs of good governunce ushered by Lhe
    uvullublllLy und exchunge of ubllc lnformuLlon,
    mosL counLrles ln Lhe Arub reglon huve emburked,
    Lo u vurylng degree, on ro|ecLs und lnlLluLlves
    whlch rovlde u weulLh of omclul ubllc lnformuLlon,
    TABLE 21. Open government data initiatives/sites in the Arab region, 2013
    Country Iniave/site Description and role URL
    Bahrain Oen LuLu
    PluLform
    1he rlmury ob|ecLlve of Lhe Oen LuLu PluLform ls
    Lo ubllsh duLuseLs from mlnlsLrles und governmenL
    ugencles ln u munluluLlve formuL, und Lo muke
    Lhls duLu uvulluble Lo Lhe ubllc ln order Lo romoLe
    Lrunsurency und e-urLlcluLlon.
    hLL:jjwww.buhruln.bhj
    wsjorLuljduLu
    Morocco Les donnees ubllques
    de l'udmlnlsLruLlon
    Muroculne
    1hls slLe ls urL of Lhe e-governmenL rogrumme
    esLubllshed by Lhe MlnlsLry of lndusLry, 1rude und New
    1echnologles ln order Lo brlng LogeLher ln u slngle
    enLry olnL u seL of ubllc duLu collecLed by severul
    enLlLles ln u dlrecL und usuble formuL.
    hLL:jjduLu.gov.mu
    Oman Oen LuLu lnlLluLlve 1he nuLlonul Oen LuLu lnlLluLlve encouruges ull
    ubllc orgunlzuLlons Lo ubllsh Lhelr duLu urchlves
    Lo Lhe ubllc ln order Lo creuLe u more LrunsurenL,
    urLlcluLory und colluboruLlve governmenL.
    hLL:jjwww.omun.omj
    oenduLu
    Qatar OuLur lnformuLlon
    eXchunge (OALM)
    Oen duLu ln OuLur ls rovlded Lhrough OALM,
    un umblLlous nuLlonul ro|ecL whlch ulms uL
    rovldlng nuLlonul lnformuLlon und duLu derlved
    from governmenL mlnlsLrles und ugencles, ln
    vurlous such formuLs us PLl, Lxcel und CSv.
    hLL:jjorLul.www.gov.
    qujwsjorLuljoenduLu
    Saudi Arabia Oen CovernmenL LuLu As urL of Lhe NuLlonul e-CovernmenL PorLul,
    Oen CovernmenL LuLu rovldes u wlde urrey
    of lnformuLlon ln PLl, Lxcel und XML coverlng,
    umong oLhers, muLLers reluLed Lo weuLher,
    Lrude (lnLernul und exLernul), educuLlon und
    Lrulnlng, soclul servlces, ouluLlon und houslng,
    heulLh, energy und wuLer, LrunsorL und
    communlcuLlons, und lubour murkeLs.
    hLL:jjwww.
    suudl.gov.sujwsj
    orLuljyesserRooLj
    ubouLKlngdomj
    oenCovernmenLLuLu
    Tunisia Llberez vos donnees sur
    lu 1unlsle
    1hls lC1 rlvuLe secLor-drlven ro|ecL ls urL
    of CororuLe Soclul ResonslblllLy (CSR), un
    lnlLluLlve of Web Leslgn 1unlslu.* lL hus been
    deslgned Lo collecL und muke uvulluble u
    cuLulogue of ubllc duLu for free downloud ln u
    usuble und oen formuL.
    hLL:jjwww.oenduLu.Ln
    United Arab Emirates 8uyunuL.ue 1hls ro|ecL rovldes ubllc uccess Lo
    governmenL duLu und lnformuLlon ln u usuble
    und reusuble wuy. LocumenLs ure mude
    uvulluble ln XML, Word und PLl formuLs.
    hLL:jjwww.
    governmenL.uejenjwebj
    guesLjuue-duLu
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA.
    * See: hLL:jjwww.wdLunlslu.com.
    45
    eseclully us urL of Lhelr lmlemenLuLlon of
    e-governmenL rogrummes. As of 2011, ull member
    counLrles hud onllne governmenL orLuls whlch
    vurled ln funcLlonullLles, level of develomenL und
    Lye of servlces und lnformuLlon rovlded.
    1he evoluLlon of e-governmenL from sLrlcLly
    rovldlng e-servlces Lo clLlzens Lo u brouder
    conceL lnvolvlng Lhe develomenL of ollcles
    und reguluLlons whlch suorL Lhe rlnclles of
    Lrunsurency, urLlcluLlon, und colluboruLlon,
    hus led Lo Lhe udoLlon of oen governmenL
    sLruLegles. As u resonse, un oen duLu movemenL
    hus emerged. Oen CovernmenL LuLu (OCL) ls
    u romlnenL exumle of Lhls lnLluLlve, whereby
    governmenL ugencles ullow for u dlrecL onllne uccess
    Lo lurge duLuseLs of ubllc lnformuLlon by clLlzens,
    medlu und oLher sLukeholders.
    1uble 21 delcLs OCL lnlLluLlves ln Lhe Arub
    reglon by exumlnlng dedlcuLed webslLes rovldlng
    vurlous Lyes of governmenL duLu und Lhelr
    uvullublllLy ln mulLlle usuble formuLs, numely Lxcel
    und LxLenslble Murku Lunguuge (XML). Seven
    Arub counLrles, numely Fve CCC counLrles und Lwo
    from NorLh Afrlcu, huve udoLed OCL lnlLluLlves
    und ure muklng economlc, soclul und even
    envlronmenLul duLu uvulluble on dedlcuLed slLes ln
    euslly uccesslble formuL. 1hese slLes, whlch vury ln
    Lhelr sohlsLlcuLlon und Lhe nuLure of lnformuLlon
    Lhey rovlde, ure mosLly subsecLlons of omclul
    e-governmenL slLes, exceL for 1unlslu, whose OCL
    lnlLluLlve hus been lnlLluLed und suorLed by Lhe
    rlvuLe secLor.
    An essenLlul elemenL for Lhe growLh of Lhe
    lnformuLlon socleLy und lLs LrunsformuLlon Lo
    u knowledge socleLy ls noL only Lhe uvullublllLy
    of ubllc lnformuLlon, buL ruLher Lhe rlghL Lo
    lnformuLlon, und Lhe freedom of lLs uccesslblllLy
    wlLhouL resLrlcLlons undjor ermlsslons. ln Lhls
    regurd, Lhe unulysls of uccess Lo lnformuLlon ln Lhe
    reglon cunnoL be erformed eecLlvely wlLhouL
    uLLlng lL ln Lhe rlghL leglsluLlve conLexL. lreedom
    of lnformuLlon (lOl) ucLs wurrunL Lhe rlghLs of uccess
    Lo governmenL lnformuLlon.
    40
    AlLhough lOl ls u
    keysLone Lo oen duLu use, lL ls noL u rerequlslLe for
    OCL lnlLluLlves. lOl luws deul wlLh Lhe dlsclosure of
    governmenL-held lnformuLlon und seclfy wuys und
    lnsLunces ln whlch lnformuLlon cun be shured und
    uccessed und when Lhls lnformuLlon cun be wlLhheld
    for roLecLlng Lhe rlvucy of clLlzens or uholdlng
    nuLlonul securlLy.
    1he rlghL Lo lnformuLlon (R1l) hus been gulnlng
    lncreuslng recognlLlon und udoLlon worldwlde
    us develolng und develoed counLrles ullke huve
    enucLed lOl ucLs. Slnce 1990, Lhe llsL of counLrles
    wlLh udoLed lOl luws grew from 13 to 93, und
    lncludes Lhree Arub counLrles, numely 1ordun,
    1unlslu, und Yemen.
    41
    1he luLLer becume Lhe lusL
    counLry Lo |oln Lhls llsL ln 1une 2013.

    ln 2007, 1ordun becume Lhe FrsL counLry ln
    Lhe reglon Lo uss un lOl ucL wlLh Lhe Luw No.
    47j2007on CuurunLeelng Lhe RlghL of Access Lo
    lnformuLlon. 1he Luw, whlch conLulns 20 urLlcles
    reguluLlng uccess Lo lnformuLlon, hus hud llmlLed
    rogress und fuced shorLcomlng due Lo lLs
    vugueness, vurlous exceLlons und lLs reluLlonshl
    wlLh Lhe lurger legul frumework.
    42
    ln uddlLlon, Lhls
    Luw lucked Lhe roer ubllc uwureness. Accordlng
    Lo un olnlon survey conducLed by Lhe Al Urdun ul
    1udld Reseurch CenLer on 20lebruury 2009, 42 per
    cenL of medlu ersonnel clulmed LhuL Lhey were
    unuwure of Lhe exlsLence of such luw.
    43
    1unlslu becume Lhe second counLry ln Lhe Arub
    reglon Lo huve udoLed Lhe Lecree on Access Lo
    AdmlnlsLruLlve LocumenLs ln Muy 2011 us u dlrecL
    resulL of Lhe roucLlve dlsclosure ollcy whlch
    sweL Lhe counLry us u resulL of Lhe Arub Srlng.
    Slnce Lhen, key governmenL lnformuLlon und
    sLuLlsLlcs huve been ubllshed, lncludlng nuLlonul
    budgeL und Fnunce reorLs und duLu on lubor force
    und ouluLlon.
    44
    However, Lhe lmlemenLuLlon
    of Lhls leglsluLlon hus lucked Lhe roer suorL
    mechunlsms, ubllc uwureness ln sLlll very low,
    und Lhe broud exceLlons Lo Lhls decree cun
    undermlne lLs lmucL ln ussurlng Lrunsurency und
    uccounLublllLy.
    45
    Yemen ls Lhe Lhlrd counLry ln Lhe reglon Lo huve
    ussed un eluboruLe und comrehenslve luw on Lhe
    rlghL of uccess Lo lnformuLlon (No. 13 for Lhe yeur
    2012). 1he Luw ls one of Lhe mosL lmorLunL ubllc
    ollcles LhuL huve been leglsluLed und ussed by
    46 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    Lhe urllumenL und wus uroved und lssued by
    Lhe PresldenL of Lhe Reubllc on 1 1uly 2012.
    46
    The
    Yemenl luw wus luuded by Lhe CenLre for Luw und
    Lemocrucy (CLL) us one of Lhe besL ln Lhe reglon,
    uLLlng Yemen ln 19Lh oslLlon uccordlng Lo lLs
    globul rlghL-Lo-lnformuLlon ruLlng, uheud of 1unlslu
    (oslLlon 41) und 1ordun (oslLlon 89) ouL of 93
    counLrles.
    47

    lL ls hoed LhuL Lhe ussuge of Lhe Yemenl luw
    would Lrlgger slmllur ucLlons ln oLher Arub counLrles,
    urLlculurly ln LgyL, Lebunon und Morocco, us
    Lhese counLrles huve been worklng on Lhelr own
    luws ln Lhls Feld. Lebunon ls olsed Lo |oln Lhe
    growlng llsL of counLrles wlLh uccess-Lo-lnformuLlon
    luws us lLs drufL luw wus submlLLed Lo Lhe urllumenL
    ln Arll 2009 und uroved by Lhe urllumenL's
    leglsluLlve commlLLee ln 1uly 2013.
    48

    ln 2011, Lhe CovernmenL of Morocco hus
    romlsed Lo drufL un uccess-Lo-lnformuLlon luw
    followlng u consLlLuLlonul chunge whlch, for Lhe FrsL
    Llme, guurunLeed uccess Lo lnformuLlon, however,
    no rucLlcul luns huve been unnounced yeL.
    49

    lollowlng Lhe LgyLlun revoluLlon of 2011, the
    counLry hus been Lrylng Lo formuluLe und uss lLs
    rlghL-Lo-lnformuLlon luw ln un uLLemL Lo lmrove
    economlc condlLlons for lnvesLmenLs und esLubllsh
    u sysLem of uccounLublllLy, however, Lhe drufLlng
    rocess hus seen muny hurdles due Lo some
    reslllence und resLrlcLlons lmosed by dlerenL
    secLlons of Lhe LgyLlun CovernmenL.
    50
    As concerns
    oLher Arub counLrles, bllls on Lhe rlghL Lo lnformuLlon
    huve been debuLed ln 8uhruln, KuwulL und PulesLlne.
    2. Access to information and knowledge
    1he oorLunlLles oered by lnformuLlon und
    knowledge exchunge ure Lremendous, eseclully
    when lL ls lncluslve, encomusslng ull members
    of socleLy wlLhouL murglnullzlng ersons wlLh
    dlsublllLles or dlsudvunLuged und remoLe ureus. lC1
    luys un ever lncreuslng role ln enubllng uccess Lo
    dlglLul conLenL und overcomlng lmedlmenLs Lo
    uccess, be lL hyslcul, culLurul undjor soclul. Whlle Lhe
    reglon hus mude rogress ln develolng und shurlng
    ubllc lnformuLlon us seen ln secLlon 1 ubove, eorLs
    TABLE 22. Accessibility of digital content in selected Arab countries, 2012
    Country
    Accessibility of digital content, 2012 Networked Readiness Index, 2012
    Score
    *
    Ranking (144) Score Ranking (144)
    United Arab Emirates 6.1 23 5.07 25
    Qatar 6.0 27 5.10 23
    Bahrain 5.9 31 4.83 29
    Saudi Arabia 5.5 43 4.82 31
    Jordan 5.4 48 4.20 47
    Oman 5.3 53 4.48 40
    Kuwait 5.3 54 3.94 62
    Morocco 4.5 96 3.64 89
    Egypt 4.4 100 3.78 80
    Lebanon 4.2 110 3.53 94
    Yemen 3.8 121 2.63 139
    Libya 3.5 131 2.77 132
    Algeria 137 2.78 131
    Average (Arab/world) 4.85/4.90 3.97/3.97
    Sources: WLl, 2012u, und WLl, 2013u.
    NoLe: * 1hls ls bused on u seven-olnL LoLul score whereby 1 = noL uccesslble uL ull, und 7 = wldely uccesslble.
    47
    ure sLlll needed Lo enhunce uccesslblllLy of dlglLul
    conLenL. Access Lo lnformuLlon und knowledge
    comes ln vurlous forms. lL encomusses uccesslblllLy,
    uordublllLy us well us uvullublllLy of dlglLul conLenL.
    ConLenL cun be ln Lhe form of |ournuls, urchlves und
    llbrury servlces us well us uccess Lo sLuLlsLlcul duLu for
    develomenLul uroses.
    1he NRl cuLures uccesslblllLy of dlglLul conLenL
    ln selecLed Arub counLrles us shown ln Luble 22,
    recenL uvulluble duLu show LhuL CCC counLrles
    scored hlgher Lhun oLher Arub counLrles on Lhls
    lndlcuLor, wlLh Lhe exceLlon of 1ordun, whlch cume
    ln FfLh oslLlon. Whlle, on uveruge, Lhe score of
    Lhe Arub reglon ln uccesslblllLy wus slmllur Lo Lhe
    world uveruge, dlsurlLles were lurgely seen wlLhln
    Lhe reglon. 1he UnlLed Arub LmlruLes und KuwulL
    uLLulned beLLer runklngs on uccesslblllLy (23 und
    54, resecLlvely) comured Lo Lhelr NRl runklngs
    (25 und 62, resecLlvely). OuLur, Suudl Arublu und
    Omun, however, suw lower runklngs on uccesslblllLy
    comured Lo Lhelr NRl runklngs. LgyL und Lebunon,
    ln urLlculur, fuced vlslble shorLcomlngs whereby
    Lhelr uccesslblllLy runklngs were conslderubly lower
    Lhun Lhelr NRl runklngs (20 und 16, resecLlvely).
    1he shorLcomlngs exhlblLed by some counLrles
    cun be mosLly uLLrlbuLed Lo such fucLors us Lhe
    llmlLed uvullublllLy of dlglLul Arublc conLenL, Lhe
    scurclLy of luws LhuL roLecL rlghL-Lo-lnformuLlon
    uccess, reluLlvely low broudbund eneLruLlon ruLes
    und hlgh subscrlLlon cosLs.
    ln Lhls resecL, Lhe lC1 Prlce 8uskeL (lP8) ls u
    benchmurklng Lool devlsed und comuLed by l1U Lo
    monlLor Lhe reluLlve rlce of lC1 servlces und rovlde
    un lndlcuLlon on Lhe uordublllLy of lC1 servlces
    worldwlde. Whlle Lhe lP8 unfulrly usslgns equul
    welghLs Lo Fxed Lelehony, moblle Lelehony und
    TABLE 23. Ranking of selected Arab countries on the ICT Price Basket, 2011
    Global
    rank
    (161) Country
    Fixed-
    broadband
    penetraon,
    2011
    (Percentage)
    GNI per
    capita*
    (US$)
    Sub-baskets
    (Percentage of GNI per capita)*
    ICT Price
    Basket
    value
    Fixed Mobile Broadband
    4 Qatar 8.7 71 008 0.2 0.3 0.9 0.5
    6 United Arab Emirates 11 41 930 0.1 0.3 1.2 0.5
    15 Bahrain 13.8 25 420 0.2 0.7 1.3 0.7
    30 Oman 1.8 18 260 0.9 0.6 1.7 1.0
    41 Saudi Arabia 5.6 16 190 1.0 1.0 2.0 1.3
    64 Lebanon 4.9 8 880 1.6 3.4 2.4 2.5
    66 Tunisia 5.1 4 160 1.7 2.9 3.0 2.5
    75 Egypt 1.8 2 420 1.3 3.4 4.0 2.9
    79 Algeria 2.8 4 450 1.7 3.7 4.8 3.4
    91 Jordan 3.2 4 340 2.6 2.9 6.2 3.9
    100 Morocco 1.8 2 850 0.9 9.4 4.9 5.1
    109 Syrian Arab Republic 0.6 2 750 0.5 9.3 9.4 6.4
    119 Yemen 0.4 1 070 1.1 12.6 18.7 10.8
    121 Sudan 0.0 1 270 5.7 5.7 27.4 12.9
    141 Iraq .. 2 340 0.2 6.4 108.3 35.5
    Source: l1U, 2012.
    NoLes: * 1he CNl er culLu ls bused on Lhe ALlus meLhod by Lhe World 8unk.
    1he resL of LSCWA member counLrles were noL feuLured ln Lhe Luble due Lo duLu unuvullublllLy.
    1wo doLs (..) lndlcuLe LhuL duLu ure noL uvulluble.
    48 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    Fxed-broudbund - glven LhuL moblle Lelehony ls Lhe
    forLe of muny develolng counLrles - Lhe rlclng duLu
    rovlded for Fxed-broudbund hels ln deLermlnlng
    osslble lmedlmenLs Lo uccess.
    1uble 23 comures und runks selecLed Arub
    counLrles bused on Lhelr rlce buskeL vulues us
    u ercenLuge of Lhelr er culLu CNl.
    51
    lL ulso
    hlghllghLs Lhe broudbund sub-buskeL cosLs ln
    reluLlons Lo Fxed broudbund eneLruLlon ruLes.
    CreuL dlsurlLles ln broudbund cosLs ure noLed,
    from less Lhun 1 er cenL of monLhly CNl er
    culLu ln OuLur Lo over 100 er cenL of Lhe monLhly
    CNl er culLu ln lruq. ln uddlLlon, Lhe rlce of
    broudbund uccess ls sLlll Lhe mosL exenslve
    comonenL of Lhe lC1 rlce buskeL ln ulmosL ull
    Arub counLrles, wuy ubove Lhe cosLs of Fxed or
    moblle hone servlces.
    A furLher unulysls of Lhe duLu ln Lhe sume Luble
    suggesLs u correluLlon beLween uordublllLy of
    Fxed broudbund und eneLruLlon ruLes ln Lhe
    Arub reglon. Whlle broudbund uordublllLy und
    eneLruLlon levels ure llkely llnked Lo CLP und
    oLher humun develomenL fucLors, broudbund
    uccess cosLs ln Lhe reglon were lnversely
    roorLlonul Lo Lhelr eneLruLlon ruLes. lor
    lnsLunce, 8uhruln, OuLur und Lhe UnlLed Arub
    LmlruLes en|oyed Lhe hlghesL eneLruLlon ruLes
    of Fxed broudbund und Lhe mosL uorduble
    broudbund sub-buskeL vulues. Whlle Lhe conLrury
    slLuuLlon would be hoed for, Lhe cosL of
    broudbund uccess ln such less develoed counLrles
    us Yemen, Lhe Sudun und lruq were lnvurlubly
    hlgher Lhun slmllur cosL ln more develoed
    counLrles, by conLrusL, Lhese less develoed
    counLrles hud Lhe lowesL Fxed broudbund
    eneLruLlon ruLes globully.
    ln Lhls conLexL, lL ls worLh hlghllghLlng u
    osslble llnk beLween lowerlng Lhe cosL of
    broudbund und lLs lmucL on eneLruLlon ruLes.
    ln 2011, Lebunon slushed lLs Fxed broudbund
    subscrlLlon cosLs und lncreused cuuclLy und
    uccess seeds. Whlle Lhe Lelecom secLor ln
    Lebunon ls sLlll under u LlghL governmenL conLrol
    ln Lerms of boLh reguluLlon und rlclng, Lhe ucLlon
    Luken by Lhe MlnlsLry of 1elecommunlcuLlons
    lowered Lebunon's broudbund sub-buskeL vulue
    from 3.4 in 2010 to 2.4 in 2011, well below lLs lC1
    rlce buskeL vulue uL 2.5. As shown ln Luble 23 of
    chuLer 2 on lnfrusLrucLure, Lhe subsequenL growLh
    of Lebunon's Fxed broudbund eneLruLlon ruLes
    beLween 2011 und 2012 reuched more Lhun 138 per
    cenL.
    lC1 luys un ever lncreuslng role ln enubllng
    uccess Lo dlglLul conLenL und overcomlng
    lmedlmenLs Lo uccess. ln Lhls regurd, lcLOA1AR
    lnLroduced, ln November 2011, OuLur's FrsL
    e-uccesslblllLy ollcy, olsed Lo muke lC1 more
    uccesslble for ersons wlLh dlsublllLles und un
    lmorLunL sLe Lowurds ensurlng Lhe urLlcluLlon,
    lncluslon und equul uccess Lo Lechnology for
    ull clLlzens. 1he ollcy uddresses u runge of
    e-uccesslblllLy lssues, whlch lnclude webslLes,
    LelecommunlcuLlons servlces, moblle hundseLs,
    A1Ms, governmenL servlces, uccess Lo usslsLlve
    Lechnologles, und dlglLul conLenL.
    52
    Omun hus ulso
    udoLed un e-uccesslblllLy ollcy ln SeLember 2012,
    develoed by l1A ln colluboruLlon wlLh Lhe rlvuLe
    secLor, us urL of u lurger e-LrunsformuLlon lun.
    1he ollcy ulms Lo rovlde fulr und equul uccess Lo
    governmenL e-servlces wlLhouL murglnullzlng Lhe
    dlsubled und Lhe elderly.
    53
    As u dlrecL ouLcome of
    Lhe ollcy, ull web uges of Omun's e-governmenL
    orLul Omununu huve secluls uccesslblllLy
    feuLures whlch lnclude u heudhone lcon Lo reud
    Lhe uge conLenL, und u fonL enlurgemenL lcon Lo
    enlurge Lhe dlsluyed LexL.
    ChuLer 8 exemllFes u number of ro|ecLs
    und lnlLluLlve underLuken ln Lhe reglon reluLed
    Lo Lhe develomenL und uccess of dlglLul Arublc
    conLenL, Lhese wlll noL be dlscussed furLher ln Lhls
    chuLer. Concernlng uccess Lo sLuLlsLlcul duLu for
    develomenLul uroses, LgyL lC1 lndlcuLors
    PorLul
    54
    ls u roducL develoed by MCl1. lL serves
    us un lnsLlLuLlonul mechunlsm creuLed Lo suorL
    declslon-muklng lnslde Lhe MlnlsLry, und rovldes
    ull sLukeholders wlLh uccess Lo uduLed lnformuLlon
    und sLuLlsLlcul duLu on Lhe lC1 secLor ln Lhe counLry.
    lC1 lndlcuLors uccessed Lhrough Lhe orLul cover
    lnfrusLrucLure, economy, buslness, households,
    lndlvlduuls, und governmenL uses of lC1 Lools. ln
    49
    recognlLlon of Lhe orLul's muln source of ubllc
    lnformuLlon und duLu on Lhe lC1 secLor ln LgyL,
    MCl1 won Lhe UnlLed NuLlons Publlc Servlce Awurds
    (UNPSA) for Lhe yeur 2013, under CuLegory 3:
    losLerlng urLlcluLlon ln ubllc ollcy declslon
    muklng Lhrough lnnovuLlve mechunlsms.
    55
    3. Multi-purpose community public access points
    Reullzlng Lhe need Lo lmrove uccess und
    knowledge Lo lnformuLlon,
    56
    mosL governmenLs
    ln Lhe Arub reglon huve esLubllshed some form of
    mulLl-urose communlLy ubllc uccess olnLsj
    cenLres ln colluboruLlon wlLh nuLlonul, reglonul und
    lnLernuLlonul orgunlzuLlons us well us NCOs. 1hese
    cenLres vury ln slze, Lhe servlces Lhey rovlde,
    Lhelr sulLublllLy model, Lhe ouluLlon Lhey LurgeL,
    und ureus Lhey serve. 1he muln urose of Lhese
    cenLres remulns rovldlng uccess Lo vurlous lC1
    servlces, eseclully Lhe lnLerneL, bulldlng lC1
    cuuclLy und knowledge-shurlng.
    However, Lhe Arub reglon hus been wlLnesslng
    u susLulned rlse of lC1 eneLruLlon ruLes, couled
    wlLh lmroved uffordublllLy und usublllLy of lC1s,
    whlch rendered Lhe conceL of communlLy ubllc
    uccess olnLs noL so vluble. ln llghL of Lhls, nuLlonul
    uccess lnlLluLlves sLurLed Lo shlfL Lhelr focus
    from LrudlLlonul servlces Lo more seclflc ones,
    ln uddlLlon Lo exundlng Lhelr servlces Lo rurul
    ureus, und cuLerlng Lo lssues reluLed Lo eole wlLh
    dlsublllLles und gender. AnoLher reuson for Lhe
    wlLnessed decllne ln Lhe number of ubllc lnLerneL
    cenLres, us ls Lhe cuse ln 1unlslu, ls Lhe lncreuse ln
    Lhe number of such ubllc lnsLlLuLlons connecLed
    Lo Lhe lnLerneL us educuLlonul lnsLlLuLlons, ubllc
    llbrurles und osLul mull cenLres.
    57
    SuorLlng
    exumles from Lhe Arub reglon ure hlghllghLed
    below.
    1he growLh of l1 clubs ln LgyL hus reuched u
    suLuruLlon olnL wlLh 2,164 esLubllshed l1 clubs ln
    Lecember 2010 u from 1,807 uL Lhe end of 2008.
    1hls leud MCl1 Lo focus lLs communlLy-bused
    uccess olnL uround u new lnlLluLlve lubeled Lhe
    l1 Houses luunched ln SeLember 2011.
    58
    The
    lnlLluLlve ls urL of u brouder ro|ecL whlch ulms
    uL offerlng lnLegruLed servlces, lncludlng lC1
    cuuclLy-bulldlng courses, such e-governmenL
    servlces us lssulng nuLlonul lL curds und drlvlng
    llcences, und vurlous servlces LurgeLlng SMLs
    ln remoLe und murglnullzed ureus of LgyL,
    eseclully Lhe 8edouln und deserL ureus. Nlne
    so-culled l1 Houses were esLubllshed ln Lhe NorLh
    Slnul CovernoruLe uL Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe ro|ecL,
    whlch grew ruldly und sreud ull over LgyL Lo
    lnclude 123 l1 Houses us of Muy 2013.
    59
    AfLer luunchlng lLs flrsL lC1-bused Women's
    CommunlLy Knowledge CenLre (WCKC) ln Lhe
    Shlnus dlsLrlcL ln colluboruLlon wlLh Lhe Omunl
    Women's AssocluLlon, l1A conLlnued lLs suorL Lo
    Lhe NuLlonul l1 1rulnlng und Awureness lrumework
    (Nl11A) lnlLluLlve,
    60
    u cornersLone of lLs brouder
    eOmun lnlLluLlve.
    1he CommunlLy Knowledge CenLres (CKC),
    61

    uccesslble Lo boLh gender, seek Lo develo und
    bulld Lhe lC1 llLerucy und dlglLul skllls of ull
    segmenLs of Lhe socleLy Lhrough seclullzed
    lC1 Lrulnlng rogrummes, whlch huve been
    exunded Lo cover such emerglng Lolcs us
    uccess Lo e-governmenL servlces offered Lhrough
    Omun's offlclul eCovernmenL Servlces PorLul. As
    uL mld-2013, Lhe LoLul number of CKC reuched
    19 cenLres, nlne of whlch were dedlcuLed Lo
    women ln colluboruLlon wlLh Lhe Omunl Women
    AssocluLlon,
    62
    und lmlemenLed ln dlfferenL
    reglons ucross Lhe SulLunuLe. Slnce Lhelr luunch ln
    2009, Lhe number of Lrulnees beneflLlng from CKC
    servlces reuched 23,898, whlle WCKCs huve Lrulned
    5,637 women.
    63
    ln 1ordun, Lhe Knowledge SLuLlons conLlnue
    Lo luy un lmorLunL role ln rovldlng u vurleLy
    of lC1-bused servlces Lo u broud segmenL of Lhe
    socleLy. 8y Lhe end of 2012, Lhe LoLul number of
    sLuLlons oeruLlng ln Lhe Klngdom reuched 192,
    u from 176 in 2010, ouL of whlch 28 were servlng
    ln very oor ureus. lrom Lhelr lnceLlon ln 2001
    unLll Lhe end of 2012, Lhe number of beneflclurles
    exceeded 1.6 mllllon clLlzens. 1he number of lC1-
    bused Lrulnlng sesslons offered reuched 20,362,
    whlle Lhe LoLul number of clLlzens who comleLed
    Lhese sesslons reuched 190,000. lL ls worLh noLlng
    LhuL, on uveruge, Lhe number of femule lC1
    50 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    Lrulnees huve ouLnumbered Lhelr mule counLerurL
    by u Lhree-Lo-Lwo ruLlo.
    64
    ln OuLur, u PPP wus formed ln 1une 2010
    beLween lcLOA1AR, OLel, vodufone OuLur, OuLur
    NuLlonul 8unk (ON8), und MlcrosofL, whlch
    resulLed ln Lhe esLubllshmenL of Mudu (OuLur
    AsslsLlve 1echnology CenLre), u non-roflL
    orgunlzuLlon dedlcuLed Lo lmrovlng Lhe quullLy of
    llfe of lndlvlduuls wlLh dlsublllLles by connecLlng
    Lhem Lo Lhe world of lC1. 1he cenLre focuses on
    exLendlng lC1 uccess Lo Lhe vlsuully und heurlng
    lmulred und Lhe hyslcully dlsubled.
    65
    ln uddlLlon, lcLOA1AR und Mudu urLnered
    wlLh OuLur Soclul und CulLurul CenLre for Lhe 8llnd
    (OSCC8)
    66
    ln 1une 2012 Lo esLubllsh Lwo comuLer
    lubs dedlcuLed Lo Lhe bllnd und vlsuully lmulred,
    one of whlch wlll be dedlcuLed for women only.
    1he lubs wlll be equled wlLh Lhe luLesL usslsLlve
    Lechnology for Lhe vlsuully lmulred und be
    locuLed uL Lhe OSCC8 ln Lohu.
    67
    4. Using dierent software models
    WlLh u growlng number of sofLwure soluLlons
    und Lools bused on Lhe oen-source model, free
    und oen-source sofLwure (lOSS) ls oslLloned
    Lo lmrove uccess Lo lnformuLlon und knowledge.
    lOSS rovldes u vluble ulLernuLlve Lo rorleLury
    und commerclully-llcenced sofLwure, eseclully for
    ubllc und rlvuLe users wlLh llmlLed sendlng on
    lC1s. However, Lhe udoLlon und use of lOSS remulns
    llmlLed ln Lhe Arub reglon us unllcenced und lruLed
    commerclul sofLwure revulls. 1he reglon sLlll suers
    TABLE 24. Selected community-based entities promoting the use of FOSS in the Arab region
    Country Name Description and role URL
    Bahrain 8uhruln Llnux
    User Crou
    A grou of comuLer enLhuslusLs wlLh u
    focus on Llnux.
    hLL:jjwww.
    llnuxbuhruln.com
    Egypt 1he LgyLlun CNUjLlnux
    Users Crou
    A user grou dedlcuLed Lo Lhe romoLlon, use
    und suorL of lOSS ln generul und CNUjLlnux ln
    urLlculur ln LgyL.
    hLL:jjwww.eglug.org
    Jordan 1ordun Oen Source
    AssocluLlon
    A grou of oen-source sLudenL ucLlvlsLs from severul
    unlverslLles ln 1ordun dedlcuLed Lo romoLlng oen-
    source und uncensored lnLerneL.
    hLL:jj
    |ordunoensource.org
    Kuwait KuwulL Llnux User Crou
    (KLUC)
    LedlcuLed Lo romoLlng Llnux, 8SL, und oen source
    sofLwure ln KuwulL.
    hLL:jjwww.q8llnux.neL
    Lebanon Lebunese CNUjLlnux
    Users Crou
    LedlcuLed Lo bulldlng knowledge ln CNUjLlnux und
    oLher oen-source sofLwure.
    hLL:jjwww.leglug.org
    Libya 1rloll Llnux User Crou An onllne grou LhuL conducLs workshos, semlnurs
    und courses ln Llnux.
    hLL:jjLlug.ly
    Palestine PulesLlnlun Oen Source
    CommunlLy
    A non-roFL orgunlzuLlon LhuL ulms Lo romoLe Lhe
    beneFLs of oen source.
    hLL:jjwww.
    oensource.ps
    Sudan Nlle CenLre for
    1echnology Reseurch
    (NC1R)
    1he cenLre ls urL of Lhe NuLlonul 1elecommunlcuLlon
    CororuLlon (N1C) dedlcuLed Lo bulldlng un oen-
    source communlLy und develolng locul skllls und
    knowledge of oen source.
    hLL:jjwww.ncLr.sdj
    enjlndex.hjncLr-
    oensourcejsudu-foss.
    hLml
    United Arab
    Emirates
    Oen Source UAL A communlLy of oen-source enLhuslusLs uL Zuyed
    UnlverslLy.
    hLL:jjos-uue.org
    Yemen Yemenl lree SofLwure
    und Oen Source
    AssocluLlon (YlOSA)
    A communlLy whlch romoLes Lhe use of lOSS ln
    Yemen.
    hLL:jjwww.yfosu.org
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA.
    51
    from un elevuLed sofLwure lrucy ruLe, numely 65.9
    er cenL ln Lhe Arub reglon comured Lo u world
    uveruge of 42 er cenL, couled wlLh defuncL und
    llmlLed enforcemenL of Lrude und coyrlghL luws.
    lndlvlduuls, nuLlonul Lechnology grous und
    rlvuLe lnsLlLuLlons und ussocluLlons were fusLer Lo
    embruce lOSS Lhun Lhe ubllc secLor us lndlcuLed
    by Lhe number of reluLed lnlLluLlvesjgrous luunched
    ln Lhe reglon, und lllusLruLed ln Luble 24. SuorL
    for Lhese lnlLluLlves ls mosLly rovlded by Lhe
    rlvuLe secLor, chley reglonul und mulLlnuLlonul
    buslnesses whlch ublde by lnLernuLlonul luws
    und Lrude reguluLlons for Lhelr vlublllLy, und Lhe
    educuLlonul secLor whereby lOSS rovldes u weulLh
    of ullcuLlons suorLlng e-leurnlng, eseclully web
    servers, conLenL munugemenL sysLems (CMS) und
    leurnlng munugemenL sysLems (LMS).
    1he followlng Lwo non-governmenL lnlLluLlves
    romoLlng lOSS remuln Lhe mosL noLuble ln Lhe
    Arub reglon. 8oLh ure mulLlsecLor urLnershls, Lhe
    FrsL belng reglonul und Lhe second belng nuLlonul.
    Mu3bur
    68
    ls Lhe Arub SuorL CenLer for lree und
    Oen Source SofLwure, hosLed by Lhe UnlverslLy
    of 8ulumund ln NorLh Lebunon und suorLed by
    Lhe UNLP und UNLSCO reglonul omces ln 8elruL.
    1he second lnlLluLlve ls Lhe NuLlonul Progrumme
    for lree und Oen Source SofLwure 1echnology
    (NPlOSS1),
    69
    urLly suorLed by UNLP, und bused
    ln Klng Abduluzlz ClLy for Sclence und 1echnology
    (KACS1) ln Suudl Arublu.
    70
    8oLh lnlLluLlves ulm uL
    romLlng Lhe use of free und oen source ln Lhe
    ubllc und rlvuLe secLors whlle rovldlng cuuclLy-
    bulldlng und Lechnlcul suorL Lhrough urLnerlng
    enLlLles und communlLy user grous. 1he cornersLone
    of susLulnublllLy for Lhe Lwo lnlLluLlves ls Lhelr
    mulLlsecLor urLnershls sLrucLure und Lhe ucudemlc,
    reseurch, Lechnlcul, und loglsLlcul suorL rovlded by
    Lhe educuLlonul lnsLlLuLlons hosLlng Lhem.
    Whlle mosL governmenLs ln Lhe reglon huve
    reullzed Lhe lmorLunce of lOSS us u smurL cholce
    for reduclng cosL, lncreuslngd exlblllLy und
    lmrovlng lnLeroerublllLy, few huve Luken concreLe
    sLes Lowurds embruclng Lhls model. NoLuble
    eorLs underLuken by Omun, 1unlslu und LgyL ure
    hlghllghLed below.
    As urL of lLs ongolng NuLlonul lree und Oen
    Source lnlLluLlve Lo suorL Lhe udoLlon und use of
    free und oen-source sofLwure ln Omun, l1A currled
    ouL u serles of uwureness-rulslng und cuuclLy-
    bulldlng ucLlvlLles. 1hese lncluded u lree und Oen
    Source SofLwure Conference (lOSSC-Omun' 2013)
    71

    uL SulLun Ouboos UnlverslLy, conducLlng u serles
    of reluLed Lrulnlng workshos, luunchlng u orLul
    for downloudlng lOSS uckuges,
    72
    dlsLrlbuLlng
    more Lhun 30,000 oen-source sofLwure LvLs Lo
    governmenL emloyees, und Lrulnlng 48 ucudemlc
    sLu from Lhe Hlgher College of 1echnology ln MuscuL
    on Llnux Professlonul lnsLlLuLe CerLlFcuLlon, Level1
    (LPlC-1), und unoLher 140 Leuchers from Lhe MlnlsLry
    of LducuLlon on vurlous lOSS end-user ullcuLlons.
    73
    1unlslu wus one of Lhe FrsL counLrles ln Lhe Arub
    reglon Lo formuluLe, us eurly us 2001, u NuLlonul Oen
    Source SofLwure Plun. ln Lhls regurd, Lhe CovernmenL
    seL u u unlL dedlcuLed Lo oen-source sofLwure
    (Oen Source 1unlslu)
    74
    uL Lhe MlnlsLry of lnformuLlon
    und CommunlcuLlon 1echnologles, whlch ls ln churge
    of uslng lOSS us un ulLernuLlve Lo rorleLury
    sofLwure ln ubllc, educuLlonul und rlvuLe-secLor
    enLlLles. ln 2010, Lhe roorLlon of ubllc enLlLles
    wlLh un oen-source sofLwure lnfrusLrucLure reuched
    42 er cenL, whlle Lhe roorLlon of ubllc-secLor
    Lechnlcul sLu Lrulned on lOSS reuched 26 er cenL.
    75
    AfLer seullng u USs44 mllllon deul wlLh MlcrosofL
    ln Lecember 2012, lncludlng Lhe renewul of
    un ugreemenL for uslng deskLo sofLwure und
    servers llcences LhroughouL governmenL omces,
    Lhe CovernmenL of LgyL wus fuced wlLh un
    unrecedenLed roLesL from u grou of oen-
    source ucLlvlsLs heuded by Lhe LgyL Oen Source
    AssocluLlon.
    76
    1he udoLlon und use of lOSS
    hud ulreudy been ln Lhe lellne of Lhe LgyLlun
    CovernmenL slnce 2011, however, Lhe reucLlon Lo
    Lhe deul wlLh MlcrosofL ucceleruLed Lhe rocess. As u
    resulL, LgyL sLurLed worklng on u new oen-source
    sofLwure sLruLegy ln Murch 2013, ln un eorL Lo
    uchleve u gruduul shlfL Lowurds oen-source sofLwure
    use by Lhe governmenL.
    77
    One of Lhe muln hurdles lmedlng Lhe udoLlon
    of lOSS ln Lhe reglon hus been lLs shorLfull ln
    uddresslng Lhe urLlculurlLy of Lhe Arublc lunguuge,
    52 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    eseclully Lhe luck of nuLlve suorL for lnLerfuce
    locullzuLlon lnLo Arublc. ln Lhls regurd, 1ulul Abu-
    Chuzuleh OrgunlzuLlon (1AC-Org) hus develoed
    un Arublzed Llnux-bused, oen-source, oeruLlng
    sysLem (OS) whlch ls oslLloned Lo rovlde un
    ulLernuLlve soluLlon Lo MlcrosofL Wlndows OS.
    78
    llnully, lL ls worLh noLlng LhuL Lhe recognlLlon
    und udoLlon of lOSS wus noL much of cholce for u
    number of LSCWA member counLrles, numely Lhose
    on whlch Lhe UnlLed SLuLes hud lmosed emburgoes
    coverlng Lhe exorL und re-exorL of sofLwure undjor
    Lechnology roducLs, whlch ure urLly sLlll ln eecL
    for ollLlcul reusons. Lurlng Lhe usL decude, lruq,
    Llbyu, Syrlun Arub Reubllc, und Lhe Sudun were ull
    on u UnlLed SLuLes llsL of emburgoed counLrles,
    79
    und
    resorLlng Lo lOSS wus un evldenL cholce Lo urLly
    relleve Lhe burdens of Lhe suncLlons.
    B. Classication and ranking of ESCWA
    member countries according to maturity level
    ln order Lo runk LSCWA member counLrles
    uccordlng Lo muLurlLy level ln uccess Lo lnformuLlon
    und knowledge, u number of fucLors were
    consldered. 1hese lnclude Lhe uvullublllLy of lOl luws,
    udoLlon of OCL lnlLluLlves, broudbund eneLruLlon
    ruLes, broudbund subscrlLlon cosLs us u ercenLuge
    of lncome, uvullublllLy of dlglLul conLenL, und
    uccesslblllLy, eseclully for murglnullzed clLlzens und
    remoLe ureus.
    1. Maturity level 1: Iraq, Libya, Palestine, the
    Sudan, and Syrian Arab Republic
    1hls muLurlLy level ls churucLerlzed by low
    broudbund lnLerneL eneLruLlon ruLes, hlgh uccess
    cosLs us u ercenLuge of lncome, lnexlsLence of lOl
    luws und OCL lnlLluLlve, und llmlLed uvullublllLy of
    lC1 uccess ln rurul und remoLe ureus, wlLh llmlLed
    dlglLul ubllc-domuln lnformuLlon LhuL ls uccesslble
    Lo clLlzens. Llbyu wus lnLroduced uL Lhls muLurlLy
    level, whlle lruq und Syrlun Arub Reubllc were
    downgruded Lo Lhls level owlng Lo lower uccesslblllLy
    und resLrlcLlon on lnformuLlon us u resulL of ongolng
    lnLernul conlcLs. PulesLlne wus ulso downgruded Lo
    Lhls FrsL level due Lo deluys ln Lhe lmlemenLuLlon
    of u nuLlonul e-governmenL ro|ecL, wlLh unLlcluLed
    beneFLs on Lhe uvullublllLy und uccess Lo u wlde
    gumuL of governmenL lnformuLlon.
    2. Maturity level 2: Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco,
    Tunisia, and Yemen
    1hls muLurlLy level ls churucLerlzed by uveruge
    broudbund lnLerneL eneLruLlon ruLes, reusonuble
    uccess cosLs us u ercenLuge of lncome, us well
    us exlsLence of some uccess Lo lnformuLlon luws,
    uvullublllLy of dlglLul ubllc-domuln lnformuLlon
    ulbelL wlLh some llmlLuLlons due Lo censorshl, und
    Lhe exlsLence of few lnlLluLlves rovldlng uccess ln
    rurul ureus. Morocco und 1unlslu were lnLroduced for
    Lhe FrsL Llme uL Lhls level of muLurlLy, boLh counLrles
    huve exhlblLed fulr rogress reluLed Lo uccess
    lnlLluLlve, und huve uLLulned uccess lndlcuLor vulues
    slmllur Lo Lhose of oLher counLrles ln Lhls muLurlLy
    level. Yemen hus uLLulned Lhls muLurlLy level ln 2013
    owlng Lo lLs newly udoLed R1l luw.
    3. Maturity level 3: Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, and
    Saudi Arabia
    1hls muLurlLy level ls churucLerlzed by good
    broudbund lnLerneL eneLruLlon ruLes, wldesreud
    broudbund lnLerneL usuge couled wlLh low uccess
    cosL und uccess lnlLluLlves cuLerlng Lo Lhe needs of
    murglnullzed lndlvlduuls und Lhose llvlng ln remoLe
    or dlsudvunLuged ureus. Suudl Arublu uLLulned Lhls
    level owlng Lo hlgh broudbund eneLruLlon ruLes,
    couled wlLh low uccess cosL und wldesreud
    usuge. ln uddlLlon, Lhe Klngdom's e-governmenL
    rogrummes husveuvulled u weulLh of euslly
    uccesslble ubllc-domuln lnformuLlon.
    4. Maturity level 4: Bahrain, Qatar and the United
    Arab Emirates
    1hls muLurlLy level ls churucLerlzed by hlgh
    broudbund lnLerneL eneLruLlon ruLes wlLh uorduble
    subscrlLlon cosLs, exLenslve broudbund usuge,
    uvullublllLy of lurge ubllc-domuln dlglLul lnformuLlon
    duLubuses, und ubllc uccess lnlLluLlves cuLerlng
    Lo Lhe dlsudvunLuged. 1he UnlLed Arub LmlruLes
    uLLulned Lhls muLurlLy level ln 2013, lL en|oys hlgh
    53
    broudbund eneLruLlon ruLes, low und uorduble
    subscrlLlon cosLs, und free und oen uccess Lo u
    weulLh of ubllc-domuln lnformuLlon, eseclully
    Lhrough lLs OCL lnlLluLlve.
    C. Suggestions and recommendations
    Access Lo lnformuLlon und knowledge requlres
    un udvunced lC1 lnfrusLrucLure, ublqulLous und
    uorduble lC1 servlces, lncludlng broudbund
    servlces, reluLed luws, Lhe uvullubly of relevunL
    dlglLul conLenL, uccess lnlLluLlves, und wldesreud
    communlLyjubllc lC1 uccess olnLs. 8used on Lhe
    reglonul comuruLlve unulysls, recommenduLlons for
    LSCWA members counLrles ure us follows:
    (u) lncreuse Lhe uccesslblllLy of lnLerneL servlces by
    reduclng broudbund subscrlLlon cosLs Lo levels
    uorduble by u wlder secLlon of Lhe communlLy,
    wlLh concesslons for free und oen uccess ln
    ubllc ureus,
    (b) 8oosL Lhe demund for e-servlces und lncreuse
    lC1 usuge by rulslng uwureness und bulldlng
    cuuclLles for uLlllslng lC1 ucross ull sLukeholder
    TABLE 25. Ranking of ESCWA member countries by maturity level
    in access to information and knowledge
    Country Maturity level 1 Maturity level 2 Maturity level 3 Maturity level 4
    2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013
    Bahrain
    Egypt
    Iraq
    Jordan
    Kuwait
    Lebanon
    Libya*
    Morocco*
    Oman
    Palestine
    Qatar
    Saudi Arabia
    Sudan
    Syrian Arab Republic
    Tunisia*
    United Arab Emirates
    Yemen
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA.
    NoLe: * No ussessmenL wus rovlded for Llbyu, Morocco und 1unlslu rlor Lo 2013 slnce Lhey only |olned LSCWA ln 2012.
    54 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    grous, urLlculurly for lndlvlduuls und
    buslnesses,
    (c) AdoL uccess ollcles und lnlLluLlves LurgeLlng
    Lhe urLlcluLlon und lncluslon of ull clLlzens,
    eseclully Lhe dlsubled und Lhe ones locuLed ln
    remoLe or murglnullzed ureus,
    (d) lncreuse Lhe uvullublllLy of dlglLul Arublc conLenL
    ln order Lo encouruge usuge by lurge segmenLs of
    Lhe ouluLlon und rovlde free uccess Lo onllne
    conLenL on Lhe lnLerneL ln order Lo encouruge
    knowledge creuLlon und shurlng,
    (e) AdoL R1l und lOl leglsluLlons whlch guurunLee
    Lhe rlghL of free uccess Lo lnformuLlon, eseclully
    ubllc domuln lnformuLlon,
    (f) PromoLe Lhe use of oen-source sofLwure, whlch
    ensures oenness sLundurdlzuLlon und cosL
    reducLlon, und colluboruLe wlLh nuLlonul, reglonul
    und lnLernuLlonul orgunlzuLlons worklng ln Lhe
    Feld.
    X
    Reglonul und
    international
    cooeruLlon IV
    lC1
    cuuclLy-bulldlng
    57
    IV. ICT Capacity-Building
    8elng uwure of Lhe lmorLunce of knowledge-
    bused economy und lLs oLenLlul beneFLs Lo
    soclo economlc develomenL, Arub counLrles ure
    undergolng noLlceuble LrunsformuLlons Lowurds
    Lhls new economy model. One of Lhe muln lllurs
    of Lhls LrunsformuLlon ls bulldlng Lhe needed
    humun resources LhuL would ucLlvely urLlcluLe ln
    develomenL und lnnovuLlon.
    ln fucL, lC1 luys u mu|or role ln ull educuLlon levels.
    lL could be used us un emclenL Lool for leurnlng und
    rovldlng Lhe udequuLe exerLlse und skllls needed ln
    Lhe knowledge socleLy. Arub youLh ure fuclng severul
    chullenges hlnderlng Lhe bulldlng of u knowledge
    socleLy. 1hese chullenges lnclude, lnLer ullu, Lhe luck of
    cognlLlve skllls
    80
    und lncuuclLy of Lhe Arub educuLlon
    sysLem, ln generul, Lo roduce emloyuble youLh wlLh
    urorluLe hurd und sofL skllls.
    81
    1herefore, Lhere ls u
    need for modernlzed cuuclLy-bulldlng luns LhuL ullow
    for |ob creuLlon und oer u beLLer fuLure for youLh.
    A. Comparative analysis
    1. Basic literacy and ICT to eradicate illiteracy
    LlLerucy ls consldered Lo be one of Lhe buslc
    rerequlslLes for obLulnlng |ob oorLunlLles,
    eseclully ln un lncreuslngly knowledge-bused socleLy,
    ln whlch lL hus Lo be couled wlLh oLher seclFc skllls
    und Lrulnlng. 1he llLerucy ruLe ln Lhe Arub reglon hus
    generully lncreused ln Lhe lusL Fve yeurs. However, ln
    some counLrles, udulL femule llLerucy ls sLlll low when
    comured Lo Lhe world uveruge.
    82

    (a) Adult literacy
    ln 2010, Lhe world udulL llLerucy ruLe sLood uL 84.1
    er cenL
    83
    (88.6 er cenL for mules und 79.7 er cenL for
    femules), Lhe Arub reglon
    84
    ls slgnlFcunLly below Lhls
    globul uveruge uL only 75 er cenL, suerlor only Lo Sub-
    Suhurun Afrlcu und SouLh und WesL Aslu.
    85
    Arub counLrles
    need Lo lncreuse eorLs ln enhunclng llLerucy ruLes.
    However, when comurlng Lhe currenL ruLes Lo Lhose
    ro|ecLed for 2015, Lhe reglon wlll wlLness u neL lncreuse
    ln udulL llLerucy ruLes Lo reuch 79 er cenL.
    86
    1hls could
    be exlulned by beLLer educuLed youLh who wlll |oln
    Lhe udulL ouluLlon. 1he greuLesL chunge ls execLed
    ln Algerlu, followed by Morocco, 1unlslu und Yemen. 8y
    2015, Lhe LoLul llLerucy ruLe ls ro|ecLed, Lo exceed 90 per
    cenL ln severul Arub counLrles, numely OuLur, KuwulL,
    PulesLlne, 1ordun, Lebunon, 8uhruln, UnlLed Arub
    LmlruLes, und Llbyu. As for Lhe womun udulL llLerucy
    ruLe, ro|ecLed for 2015, Lhe ruLes ln some counLrles us
    Lhe Sudun wlll sLlll be low. 1hese lnclude Lhe Sudun (68
    er cenL), LgyL (66 er cenL), Morocco (55 er cenL) und
    Yemen (55 er cenL), us shown ln Luble 26.

    (b) Youth literacy
    1he erformunce of Arub counLrles ln youLh
    llLerucy ls conslderubly hlgher Lhun ln udulL llLerucy
    Lhunks Lo Lhe eorLs of Arub governmenLs Lo
    lmrove educuLlon enrolmenL ruLes.
    87
    1he world
    youLh llLerucy ruLe sLood uL 90 er cenL ln 2010,
    whereus Lhe uveruge of Lhe Arub reglon sLood uL
    89 er cenL.
    88
    llgure 26 shows youLh llLerucy ruLes
    ln selecLed Arub counLrles. Llbyu heuds Lhe reglon
    wlLh u youLh llLerucy ruLe of 99.6 er cenL, followed
    by PulesLlne wlLh 99.2 er cenL. Yemen hus u youLh
    58 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    llLerucy ruLe of 76.9 er cenL, cuused by u low youLh
    femule llLerucy ruLe of 60 er cenL, owlng mulnly Lo
    eurly murrluge.
    1he gender urlLy lndex (CPl) for youLh llLerucy
    ln Lhe Arub reglon rose from 0.77 (ln 1999) Lo 0.94
    (ln 2010).
    89
    1he UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, OuLur, Omun,
    Lebunon, KuwulL, PulesLlne und 1ordun euch hud
    u CPl exceedlng one.
    90
    1hese counLrles huve seen
    noLuble eorLs ln recenL yeurs Lowurds brldglng Lhe
    gender gu.
    (c) ICT initiatives to eradicate illiteracy
    Severul lC1 lnlLluLlves were emloyed wlLh
    Lhe ulm Lo lncreuse Lhe llLerucy ruLe:

    e-books und
    onllne LexLs, Lulklng books, You1ube sequences,
    Lelevlslon, vldeos, LvLs, und mulLlmedlu sofLwure
    for enhunclng reudlng skllls.
    91

    Among Lhese lnlLluLlves ln Lhe Arub reglon, Lhe
    lruql MlnlsLry of LducuLlon ls uwurdlng lncenLlves
    for volunLeers worklng ln llllLerucy erudlcuLlon, und
    un lncreuslng number of volunLeers huve |olned Lhe
    llllLerucy erudlcuLlon cumulgn.
    92
    1he cumulgn
    lncluded develolng new currlculu und esLubllshlng
    communlLy cenLres. ln LgyL, Lhe MCl1 roduced
    courses on CLs LurgeLlng 10,000 llllLeruLes unnuully.
    93

    ln Yemen, Lhe number of llLerucy cenLres hus
    lncreused ln Lhe lusL Lwo yeurs, und Lhe number of
    enrolled llllLeruLes hus been growlng uL Lhe ruLe of
    5.4 er cenL er yeur.
    94
    A un-Arub |olnL lnlLluLlve
    luunched by Lhe Arub Leugue LducuLlonul, CulLurul
    TABLE 26. Adult literacy in selected Arab countries
    Country
    2005 - 2010 Project for 2015 Change
    Total
    Literacy
    (%)
    Male
    Literacy
    (%)
    Female
    Literacy
    (%)
    Total
    Literacy
    (%)
    Male
    Literacy
    (%)
    Female
    Literacy
    (%)
    Total
    Literacy
    (%)
    Male
    Literacy
    (%)
    Female
    Literacy
    (%)
    Algeria 81 64 73 87 73 80 6 9 7
    Bahrain 93 90 92 95 92 93 2 2 1
    Egypt 80 64 72 82 66 74 2 2 2
    Iraq 86 71 78 85 79 83 -1 8 5
    Jordan 96 89 93 97 92 94 1 3 1
    Kuwait 95 92 94 95 94 96 0 2 2
    Lebanon 93 86 90 95 92 94 2 6 4
    Libya 96 83 91 97 86 91 1 3 0
    Morocco 69 44 56 74 51 62 5 7 6
    Oman 90 81 87 90 84 87 0 3 0
    Palestine 98 92 95 98 94 96 0 2 1
    Qatar 97 95 96 97 96 97 0 1 1
    Saudi Arabia 90 81 87 92 85 89 2 4 2
    Sudan 80 62 71 83 68 75 3 6 4
    Syrian Arab Republic 90 77 83 92 81 86 2 6 3
    Tunisia 86 71 78 90 77 84 4 6 6
    United Arab Emirates 91 89 90 92 95 93 1 6 3
    Yemen 81 47 64 85 55 70 4 8 6
    Regional average* 84.09 76.03 67.42
    Source: UNLSCO, 2012, uvulluble from hLL:jj unesdoc.unesco.orgjlmugesj0021j002180j218003e.df.
    NoLe: * CulculuLed by LSCWA.
    59
    und SclenLlFc OrgunlzuLlon (ALLCSO), UNLSCO
    und l1U roduces onllnejmoblle Lrulnlng muLerlul
    Lo Leuch 28 Arublc churucLers used ln losshu, Lhe
    formul lunguuge, wlLh u vlew Lo erudlcuLe womun
    llllLerucy.
    95

    2. ICT in education and training
    (a) Education expenditure and national policies on
    ICT for education
    Arub counLrles send ubouL 5 er cenL of Lhelr
    CLP on educuLlon. A shure of ubouL 20 er cenL
    of governmenL exendlLure goes Lo educuLlon.
    96

    1hls ullocuLlon ls needed ln order Lo sLrengLhen Lhe
    lnfrusLrucLure (lf only Lo coe wlLh Lhe lncreuslng
    number of sLudenLs due Lo Lhe youLh bulge), Lo
    develo currlculu und Lo lmrove Lhe cuublllLles
    of Leuchers. Whlle mosL Arub counLrles ure close
    Lo Lhe ubove-menLloned uveruge, vurluLlons exlsL:
    Lhe ercenLuge of LoLul governmenL exendlLure
    on educuLlon ls us hlgh us 31.1 er cenL ln Omun,
    25.7 er cenL ln Morocco, und 23.4 er cenL ln Lhe
    UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, uL Lhe lower end, lL sLunds uL
    11.9 er cenL ln LgyL, 11.7 er cenL ln 8uhruln und
    only 7.2 er cenL ln Lebunon.
    97
    One musL noLe LhuL
    Lhls only concerns governmenL exendlLure und
    does noL lnclude ubllc und rlvuLe exendlLure on
    educuLlon.
    98

    ln mosL Arub lC1 ollcles und nuLlonul luns,
    emhusls ls luced on lC1 cuuclLy-bulldlng. 1hese
    ollcles encouruge Lhe lnLegruLlon of lC1 uL ull
    educuLlon levels und seek Lo enuble Lhe ouluLlon,
    urLlculurly Lhe youLh, ln uccesslng Lhe knowledge
    socleLy. lurLhermore, ull Arub consLlLuLlons rovlde
    for free ubllc educuLlon und muke lL comulsory Lo
    comleLe rlmury educuLlon, ln cerLuln counLrles ulso
    secondury educuLlon.
    (b) Enrolment
    Arub counLrles huve wlLnessed noLlceuble
    rogress ln reduclng Lhe number of chlldren noL
    enrolled ln schools. ln Lhls regurd, Lhe ruLe of
    chlldren noL enrolled ln rlmury educuLlon droed
    to 28 er cenL by 2007 (ulLhough sLlll 5.8 mllllon Arub
    chlldren uL rlmury uge educuLlon do noL uLLend
    school).
    99
    1he ruLe of chlldren enrolled ln re-rlmury
    educuLlon vurles beLween Arub counLrles. ln KuwulL
    und Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes , ruLes ure close Lo
    FIGURE 2. Youth literacy rates in selected Arab countries
    o%
    zo%
    o%
    6o%
    8o%
    oo%
    zo%
    YouLh llLerucy ruLe (mule) YouLh llLerucy ruLe (femule)
    Source: UNLSCO, UlS LuLubuse, uvulluble from hLL:jjsLuLs.uls.unesco.org.
    NoLe: 1he Fgure reresenLs Lhe mosL recenL duLu uvulluble.
    60 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    80 er cenL. However, ln oLher Arub counLrles, Lhe
    ruLe ls sLlll below Lhe reglon's uveruge of 19 er cenL
    (whlch ls fur below Lhe world uveruge of 41er cenL
    und umong Lhe lowesL ln Lhe world, hlgher only Lhun
    sub-Suhurun Afrlcu), us ls Lhe cuse ln lruq, Llbyu,
    Suudl Arublu, Syrlun Arub Reubllc, und Yemen.
    100

    As Lo rlmury educuLlon, Morocco, UnlLed Arub
    LmlruLes, Yemen, Algerlu, und lruq huve mude
    slgnlFcunL rogress. 1he neL enrolmenL ruLe (NLR)
    ls ubove 95 er cenL ln 1unlslu, Syrlun Arub Reubllc,
    KuwulL, Omun, Algerlu, LgyL, Morocco, und OuLur,
    und Lhe globul NLR ln rlmury educuLlon ln Lhe
    reglon reuches 89 er cenL.
    Concernlng secondury educuLlon, Lhe uveruge
    gross enrolmenL ruLe (CLR)
    101
    ln Lhe Arub reglon
    reuched 69 er cenL. Some counLrles ure sLlll lugglng
    behlnd, lncludlng lruq, Yemen und Lhe Sudun.
    102

    ln LerLlury educuLlon, Lebunon hus u hlgh
    enrolmenL ruLe of 51.67 er cenL, followed by
    Bahrain, at 48.94 er cenL, 1ordun, uL 39.86 er cenL,
    Suudl Arublu, uL 34.94 er cenL, und 1unlslu, uL 32.65
    er cenL. 1he LerLlury educuLlon enrolmenL ruLe
    ln severul Arub counLrles ls sLlll below 30 er cenL,
    whlch ls Lrue for Algerlu, uL 29.13 er cenL, LgyL, uL
    28.81 er cenL, und UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, uL 28.78
    er cenL. ln Yemen, Lhe LerLlury enrolmenL ruLe ls us
    low us 9.18 er cenL.
    103
    llgure 3 summurlzes Lhe CLRs ln Lhe Arub reglon
    by educuLlon level und comures lL Lo oLher reglons
    ln Lhe world.
    (c) Teachers and students
    1euchers luy un lmorLunL role ln ensurlng LhuL
    ulls use lC1 eecLlvely boLh lnslde und ouLslde
    school. 1herefore, Lhey requlre Lrulnlng Lo be uble
    Lo use lC1 for Leuchlng dlerenL sub|ecLs. 1he
    Leucher-sLudenL ruLlo, ln generul, ls urorluLe,
    lL sLunds uL uroxlmuLely 20:1 for re-rlmury
    und 30:1 for rlmury educuLlon, exceL ln Lhe
    Sudun und Yemen, , where Lhls ruLlo ls greuLer Lhun
    40:1.
    104
    However, only un uveruge of 55 er cenL of
    Leuchers ln Lhe Arub reglon ure uble Lo use soclul
    medlu luLforms. 1hls ruLe ls hlgher ln UnlLed Arub
    LmlruLes, 1ordun, LgyL, und Suudl Arublu.
    105

    1ools und frumeworks Lo develo Leucher
    cuuclLles und Lo enuble Lhem Lo hel sLudenLs Lo
    FIGURE 3. Gross enrolment rate (GER) by education level, 2010
    0%
    20%
    40%
    60%
    80%
    100%
    120%
    Arab States Central and
    Eastern
    Europe
    Central Asia East Asia and
    the Pacific
    Latin America
    and the
    Caribbean
    North America
    and Western
    Europe
    South and
    West Asia
    Sub-Saharan
    Africa
    Pre-primary Primary Secondary Tertiary
    Source: UlS LuLubuse.
    NoLe: PercenLuges muy be hlgher Lhun 100 er cenL for CLRs lf chlldren or youLh older or younger Lhun Lhe level's deFned
    uge ure enrolled.
    61
    become colluboruLlve und creuLlve leurners exlsL, un
    exumle of whlch ls Lhe UNLSCO lC1 ComeLency
    lrumework for 1euchers.
    106

    1hls lnlLluLlve ls lnLended Lo lnform educuLlonul
    ollcymukers, educuLors of Leuchers, rovlders of
    rofesslonul develomenL, und worklng Leuchers
    on how Lo hel sLudenLs und Leuchers Lo uLlllze
    Lechnology eecLlvely und develo lC1 skllls. 1he
    Lrulnlng suggesLed by Lhls frumework ls bused on
    Lhree modules: Lechnology llLerucy, deeenlng of
    knowledge und creuLlon of knowledge.
    (d) Schools
    Some counLrles huve munuged Lo rovlde
    schools wlLh leurnlng resources und udvunced
    educuLlonul equlmenL, whlle oLhers ure sLlll
    below Lhe requlred level. ln order Lo ullow sLudenLs
    Lo leurn uslng comuLers, schools huve Lo be
    urorluLely equled und connecLed. CurrenLly,
    four lnsLrucLlon Lyes exlsL for lC1-usslsLed
    lnsLrucLlon:
    107
    (l) Rudlo-usslsLed lnsLrucLlon (RAl): lncludlng rudlo
    broudcusL und educuLlon Lhrough lnLerucLlve
    rudlo lnsLrucLlon,
    (ll) 1elevlslon-usslsLed lnsLrucLlon (1Al): uslng
    lnLerucLlon Lhrough vldeo lnsLeud of rudlo,
    (lll) ComuLer-usslsLed lnsLrucLlon (CAl): uslng
    comuLers Lo fuclllLuLe lnLerucLlon beLween
    Leuchers und ulls,
    (lv) lnLerneL-usslsLed lnsLrucLlon (lAl): lncludlng
    webslLes und dlsLrlbuLed leurnlng sysLems.
    ln Lhe Arub reglon, Lhe exlsLence of Lelecom
    fuclllLles ls ruLher wldesreud, 100 er cenL of
    schools ln Omun und PulesLlne ure equled wlLh
    Lelehone llnes, however, ruLes ure lower ln LgyL
    und 1ordun, wlLh 73 er cenL for rlmury schools, 81
    er cenL for lnsLlLuLlons rovldlng lower secondury
    und 89 er cenL for uer secondury educuLlon.
    108

    ln order Lo evuluuLe Lhe connecLlvlLy of schools
    ln Lhe Arub reglon, u survey wus conducLed by Lhe
    Mohummed 8ln Rushed School of CovernmenL ln
    22 Arub counLrles, yleldlng uroxlmuLely 4,000
    resondenLs. lL wus found LhuL 31.2 er cenL of
    rlvuLe schools und 19 er cenL of ubllc schools
    ure equled wlLh comuLers, 20 er cenL of rlvuLe
    schools ure connecLed Lo Lhe lnLerneL, whereus Lhls
    ls Lhe cuse for only 10.8 er cenL of ubllc schools.
    109

    ln Omun, for lnsLunce, 87 er cenL of ubllc schools
    ure connecLed Lo lnLerneL,
    110
    whereus ln Yemen, only
    60 er cenL ure.
    111
    Some schools ln Lhe Arub reglon, numely 24.1
    er cenL of rlvuLe schools und 17 er cenL of ubllc
    schools, use educuLlonul sofLwure. Cenerully, ln Lhe
    Arub reglon, 10 er cenL of sLudenLs huve uccess
    Lo soclul medlu uL school.
    112
    1hese medlu cun be
    helful ln Lhe cuse of school lnLerruLlon due Lo
    conlcL und crlses by rovldlng unlnLerruLed
    onllne schoollng. lurLhermore, 78.7 er cenL ugree
    LhuL uslng colluboruLlve web Lools ln cluss would
    be necessury, whereus only 39.2 er cenL ugree on
    uslng soclul medlu ln cluss.
    113
    (e) Curricula and skills
    ln Lhe lusL Lwo yeurs, lL becume obvlous LhuL
    u chunge ln Lhe educuLlonul sysLems ls necessury
    ln order Lo reure Lhe youLh for Lhe knowledge
    socleLy, und oer Lhem u beLLer fuLure und more
    |ob oorLunlLles. 1he skllls needed Lo enLer
    Lhe knowledge socleLy ure forelgn lunguuges,
    muLhemuLlcs, sclence, und lnformuLlon Lechnology.
    OLher skllls needed lnclude communlcuLlon,
    leudershl, resonslblllLy, self-esLeem, und loglcul
    us well us crlLlcul Lhlnklng.
    1o uchleve Lhese gouls, lC1 could be emloyed
    eecLlvely ln Leuchlng und leurnlng bused on lLs
    ublllLy Lo Lrunsform LrudlLlonul clussrooms und
    Leuchlng meLhods from lecLure-bused lnLo more
    lnLerucLlve luces where sLudenLs' lndeendenL
    Lhlnklng ls develoed. lurLhermore, soclul medlu
    und moblle luLforms, wlLh Lhelr lnLerucLlve,
    urLlcluLory und oen nuLure, could hel
    modernlzlng educuLlon,. 1hese luLforms reresenL
    u good oorLunlLy for lnLerucLlng wlLh u greuL
    number of eers for Lhe urose of leurnlng,
    dlscusslon, debuLlng, und feedbuck.
    Muny youLh ln Arub counLrles lnformully leurn
    how Lo use lC1 Lools ouLslde Lhe educuLlon sysLem.
    YeL, Lhere ls u reul need Lo revlse currlculu und
    ensure LhuL Lhe lC1 knowledge und skllls needed
    ure formully lncluded. 1he UNLSCO sLudy on lC1
    62 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    ln LducuLlon ln llve Arub CounLrles reveuls LhuL
    currlculu vury greuLly beLween Arub counLrles:
    114

    whlle 1ordun, Omun und OuLur huve lnLroduced
    l1 courses ln ull Lhree levels of rlmury, lower
    secondury und uer secondury educuLlon, seclFc
    ob|ecLlves for buslc comuLer skllls ure lucklng ln
    rlmury educuLlon currlculu ln LgyL und PulesLlne
    und ure only sLurLlng Lo be lmlemenLed ln lower
    secondury educuLlon. ln Omun, currlculu huve been
    exLended Lo lnclude Lhe use of lC1 ln ull sub|ecLs
    und ull educuLlonul levels.
    115
    1o benchmurk Lhe muLhemuLlcs und sclence
    currlculu, 14 Arub counLrles urLlcluLed ln Lhe
    1rends ln lnLernuLlonul MuLhemuLlcs und Sclence
    SLudy (1lMSS) 2011 AssessmenL. 1he reglonul
    resulLs ylelded were below lnLernuLlonul uveruge. ln
    muLhemuLlcs, 40 er cenL of grude 8 sLudenLs scored
    below Lhe lnLernuLlonul benchmurk, lubeled low.
    116

    ln unoLher lnlLluLlve, selecLed Arub counLrles were
    runked uccordlng Lo u buslness communlLy survey
    on Lhe OuullLy of MuLh und Sclence LducuLlon ln
    Lhelr resecLlve counLrles us summurlzed ln Fgure
    4. 1hls survey ls one of Lhe NRl
    117
    lndlcuLors und
    hlghllghLs how such leudlng Arub counLrles ln Lhe NRl
    us OuLur und Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes ouLerform
    Lhelr globul runklng ln Lhe OuullLy of MuLh und
    Sclence LducuLlon lndlcuLor, Lhe erformunce of
    such counLrles us 1ordun, Morocco, und urLlculurly
    Lebunon, whose scores were lower, musL be noLed.
    As Lo Lhe remulnlng Arub counLrles, neurly ull
    undererform Lhelr globul NRl runk for Lhls lndlcuLor,
    ln urLlculur 8uhruln, LgyL und Omun.
    Moreover, Arub youLh ure lucklng cognlLlve skllls,
    uccordlng Lo Lhe survey conducLed for Lhe Arub
    Knowledge ReorL 2011.
    118
    1hls survey reveuled
    urLlculurly low scores for wrlLLen communlcuLlon
    und roblem-solvlng skllls. 1hls resulL chullenges Lhe
    ucqulslLlon cuuclLy of sLudenLs und uLs uL rlsk Lhe
    urLlcluLlon of Arub youLh ln Lhe knowledge socleLy.
    1hls resulL ulso lndlcuLes Lhe need Lo reLhlnk Lhe
    leurnlng meLhods ulled ln Arub educuLlon sysLems.
    (f) ICT infrastructure for higher education and
    research
    ln order Lo enuble shurlng of resources und
    knowledge umong eer ucudemlc cenLres und
    FIGURE 4. Ranking of selected Arab countries in Quality of Math and Science Education
    indicator vs. their global NRI
    144
    139
    135
    129
    104
    86
    56
    53
    37
    28
    17
    9
    4
    139
    80
    132 131
    62
    40
    29
    89
    31
    47
    25 24
    94
    Yemen Egypt Libya Algeria Kuwait Oman Bahrain Morocco Saudi
    Arabia
    Jordan UAE Qatar Lebanon
    Ranking in Quality of Math and Science Indicator Ranking in Network Readiness Index
    Source: WLl, 2013u.
    NoLe: Runklng ls bused on Cl1R 2013 coverlng 144 counLrles. Runks ure by decreuslng vulues of scores.
    63
    BOX 1. Egypt initiative: Tahrir Academy
    1he 1uhrlr Acudemy ulms Lo bulld u llbrury of educuLlonul vldeos for courses Lo be LuughL ln Arublc. lL LurgeLs chlldren und
    youLh ln Lwo uge cuLegorles: Lhe FrsL from 3 to 18, und Lhe second from 18 to 35. 1he Acudemy wus lnlLluLed by u grou of
    volunLeers from schools, unlverslLles und youLh communlLles. lL urLners wlLh such unlverslLles us Lhe Amerlcun UnlverslLy of
    Culro (AUC) for Lhe roducLlon of seclullzed courses. 1he Acudemy uses such uvulluble soclul neLworks us You1ube Lo reuch us
    wlde un uudlence us osslble, und lL hus ulouded more Lhun 150 vldeos, wlLh Lhree mllllon vlewers und 4,000 subscrlbers. lLs
    courses cover buslc hyslcs, muLhemuLlcs und lnLerneL skllls, umong oLher necessury knowledge for Lhe LurgeLed uudlence.
    Source: See: hLL:jjwww.Luhrlrucudemy.org.
    lnsLlLuLlons, lL ls lmorLunL Lo llnk Lhese lnsLlLuLlons
    Lhrough hlgh-seed dedlcuLed reseurch und
    educuLlon neLworks (RLN). Muny Arub counLrles
    huve develoed such neLworks whose bundwldLh
    runges from 2Mbs Lo 1Cbs. 1uble 27 delcLs
    Lhe sLuLus of Lhese neLworks ln selecLed Arub
    counLrles.
    119
    3. Training programmes for capacity-building in
    the use of ICT
    (a) International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL)
    AlLhough Lhe lC1 skllls needed ln Arub counLrles
    ure fur from belng buslc, muny Arub counLrles
    sLlll demund lCLL cerLlFcuLlon us roof of buslc
    comuLer skllls us u requlremenL for emloymenL
    or romoLlon. ln 1ordun, Lhere ure 68,02 femule
    cerLlFed cundlduLes und 44,444 mule.
    120
    ln Syrlun
    Arub Reubllc, uround 54,100 lCLLs were lssued
    durlng 2010 und 2011.
    121
    ln Lhe Sudun, Lhe number
    of lCLL-cerLlFed mules ls 559 und 338 for femules.
    122

    ln PulesLlne, Lhe number of cerLlFcuLlons for mules
    is 540 und for femules 252.
    123
    ln LgyL, lCLL Lrulnlng wus luunched ln Muy
    2006,
    124
    u LoLul of 836,801 cundlduLes were cerLlFed
    by 2012.
    125
    8eLween 2003 und 2010, more Lhun
    99,438 lCLL cerLlFcuLes were uwurded ln Suudl
    Arublu.
    126

    (b) Professional ICT training
    Arub counLrles huve Lo Luckle Lhe chullenge of
    lmrovlng Lhe cuuclLy of gruduuLes Lo Lhe murkeL's
    needs us regurds lC1 skllls. 1hus, Lhe need for llfe-
    long leurnlng und Lrulnlng oorLunlLles becomes
    lmorLunL ln Lhe reglon. Reullzlng Lhe lmorLunce
    of rofesslonul Lrulnlng, Arub counLrles huve sLurLed
    lnlLluLlves und urLnershls Lo romoLe Lhls Lye of
    Lrulnlng.
    LPl hus esLubllshed Lhree umlluLed locuLlons
    ln Lhe Arub reglon Lo oer cerLlFcuLlon of Llnux
    exums.
    127
    ln LgyL, Lhe NuLlonul 1elecommunlcuLlon
    lnsLlLuLe (N1l) wus uccredlLed by Clsco ln 2006 as
    u Clsco Acudemy 1rulnlng CenLre for Lhe MLNA
    reglon.
    128
    N1l oers reglonul ucLlvlLles: lL Lrulns,
    suorLs und monlLors 29 reglonul ucudemles und
    354 locul cenLres ln numerous Arub counLrles, numely
    Algerlu, LgyL, 1ordun, Lebunon, Llbyu, Morocco,
    Omun, PulesLlne, Suudl Arublu, Syrlun Arub Reubllc,
    1unlslu, und Yemen. One of N1l's ucLlvlLles ls Lo
    lnLegruLe Lhe Clsco CerLlFed NeLwork AssocluLe
    (CCNA ) lnLo core omclul courses ln Lhe Arub
    Acudemy for Sclence und 1echnology und MurlLlme
    1runsorL (AAS1M).
    ln Omun, seclullzed l1 Lrulnlng ls uvulluble
    Lhrough l1A ro|ecLs und ugreemenLs wlLh MlcrosofL,
    Adobe, Com1lA, Clsco, und Orucle. 1he LoLul
    number of Lrulnees by Lecember 2012 wus 4,706.

    129
    AnoLher Lrulnlng rogrumme wus esLubllshed
    by Lhe Omunl Women AssocluLlon ln MuscuL
    (OWAM), MlcrosofL und Lhe lnsLlLuLe of lnLernuLlonul
    LducuLlon Lo erudlcuLe women l1 llllLerucy by
    dellverlng l1 currlculu develoed by MlcrosofL. 1hls
    rogrumme creuLed eleven cenLres, dlsersed over
    Lhe counLry, und Lrulned 4,825 women. ln PulesLlne,
    Clsco Lrulnlng courses ure rovlded uL Lhe NuLlonul
    ComuLer CenLre (NCC), whlch ls reluLed Lo MCl1. ln
    uddlLlon, u urLnershl beLween Lhe MlnlsLry und Lhe
    Koreun lnLernuLlonul CooeruLlon Agency (KOlCA)
    wlll be lnuuguruLed by Lhe end of 2013.
    130
    64 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    4. Innovation and patents
    One wuy Lo meusure lnnovuLlon ls by meuns
    of Lhe Clobul lnnovuLlon lndex (Cll) develoed
    by Cornell UnlverslLy, lNSLAL und Lhe World
    lnLellecLuul ProerLy OrgunlzuLlon (WlPO).
    131

    llgure 5 shows Lhe evoluLlon of Arub counLrles
    by comurlng Lhelr Cll runklng beLween 2012 und
    2013 us well us Lhelr lnnovuLlon Lmclency RuLlo
    (lLR).
    132
    Among Lhe 15 surveyed Arub counLrles,
    only elghL ure luced ln Lhe uer hulf of Lhe
    runklng wlLh lndex vulues sunnlng beLween 35
    und 42, whlle Lhe remulnlng seven counLrles ure
    ln Lhe lower hulf of Lhe runklng (see Luble 41 of
    chuLer 6). lL ls worLh noLlng LhuL Lhe Cll score of
    neurly ull Arub counLrles hus droed beLween
    2012 und 2013 wlLh Lhe noLuble exceLlons of
    Suudl Arublu und KuwulL, who huve lmroved
    Lhelr scores und runklng. As regurds Lhe lLR,
    whlch meusures Lhe ruLlo of lnnovuLlon ouLuLs
    Lo lnnovuLlon lnuLs, lL ls sLrlklng Lo observe LhuL
    neurly ull Arub counLrles undererform Lhelr Cll
    runks, someLlmes wlLh slgnlFcunL murglns us ls Lhe
    cuse for UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, 8uhruln, 1unlslu und
    Lebunon. One noLuble exceLlon ls KuwulL, whlch
    TABLE 27. Research and Education Networks (REN) in selected Arab countries
    Country Status Bandwidth Explanatoray Note
    Algeria Avulluble 622 MblLjs ConnecLed Lo Lhe Luroeun CLAN1
    Bahrain Under PreuruLlon NjA
    Egypt Avulluble 34 Mbs-1 Cbs
    Iraq lnlLluLed NjA
    Jordan Avulluble 1 Cbs
    Kuwait
    Under conslderuLlon NjA
    PurL of Lhe UNLSCO-HP 8ruln Culn
    lnlLluLlve
    Morocco Avulluble 2-100 Mbs Culled MARWAN
    Oman Avulluble NjA Culled OMRLN
    Palestine Avulluble 45 Mbs ConnecLed Lo LUMLLCONNLC13
    Qatar 40 Cbs (buckbone) ConnecLed Lo Lhe US lnLerneL2 RLN
    Saudi Arabia Avulluble 1 Cbs Munuged by KACS1, connecLed Lo CLAN1
    Sudan
    Avulluble 155 Mbs, 2 olnLs of resence
    ConnecLed Lo UbunLuNeL, Lhe Afrlcun
    Reseurch und LducuLlon NeLwork Lhrough
    AfrlcuConnecL
    Syrian Arab Republic Avulluble 155 Mbs (lnLernuLlonul), 30-40
    Mbs (nuLlonul)
    Tunisia Avulluble 20-100 Mbs
    United Arab Emirates Avulluble
    155.52 Mbs (lnLernuLlonul) und
    10Cbs (nuLlonul buckbone), 1Cbs
    (uccess llnk)
    Culled AnkubuL, connecLed Lo
    lnLernuLlonul reseurch neLworks, lncludlng
    Lhe US lnLerneL2 und Lhe Luroeun
    CLAN1
    Source: See: hLL:jjwww.usrenorg.neLjubouLjurLners-und-membersjnuLlonul-neLworks.hLml.
    NoLe: Lebunon, Llbyu und Yemen huve noL lnlLluLed such neLworks.
    65
    FIGURE 5. Evolution of Arab countries ranking in the Global Innovation Index (GII)
    and Innovation Emciency Ratio (IER) between 2012 and 2013
    -70
    -50
    -30
    -10
    10
    30
    50
    70
    O
    m
    a
    n

    B
    a
    h
    r
    a
    i
    n

    L
    e
    b
    a
    n
    o
    n

    A
    l
    g
    e
    r
    i
    a

    T
    u
    n
    i
    s
    i
    a

    Q
    a
    t
    a
    r

    J
    o
    r
    d
    a
    n

    E
    g
    y
    p
    t

    M
    o
    r
    o
    c
    c
    o

    Y
    e
    m
    e
    n

    S
    y
    r
    i
    a

    U
    A
    E

    S
    u
    d
    a
    n

    K
    u
    w
    a
    i
    t

    S
    a
    u
    d
    i

    A
    r
    a
    b
    i
    a

    Evolution of Ranking in GII index Evolution of Ranking in IER indicator
    Source: lNSLAL und WlPO, 2012 und 2013.
    NoLe: Runklng ls ouL of 141 counLrles covered ln 2012 und 142 counLrles covered ln 2013.
    TABLE 28. Number of patents led under the Patent
    Cooperation Treaty (PCT) per million population in
    selected Arab countries (2008-2009 average)
    Country PCT patents/million population
    United Arab Emirates 4.5
    Saudi Arabia 2.2
    Bahrain 2.1
    Qatar 1.3
    Lebanon 1.1
    Morocco 0.7
    Egypt 0.6
    Jordan 0.5
    Libya 0.5
    Oman 0.4
    Kuwait 0.4
    Algeria 0.2
    Yemen 0.0
    Source: WLl, 2012b.
    lmresslvely lmroved lLs lLR beLween 2012 und
    2013 und greuLly ouLerforms lLs Cll vulue. 1hls ls
    un lndlcuLlon, und urLlculurly Lrue for hlgh-lncome
    counLrles, LhuL lnnovuLlon lnuLs huve noL yeL
    sumclenLly muLerlullzed lnLo lnnovuLlon ouLuLs.
    Such Arub mlddle-lncome counLrles us Algerlu,
    LgyL und Lebunon mlghL need Lo develo Lhelr
    lnnovuLlon cuublllLles by meuns of u knowledge-
    bused growLh sLruLegy Lo encouruge lnnovuLlon
    und creuLlvlLy Lhrough u suorLlve ecosysLem.
    AnoLher roxy for lnnovuLlon ls Lhe number of
    uLenLs flled (see Luble 28). WlLh Lhe exceLlon
    of some CCC counLrles und Lebunon, ull Arub
    counLrles ure below Lhe Lhreshold of one uLenL
    ullcuLlon er mllllonjouluLlon. PuLenLs
    ure u roxy of u cerLuln model of economlc
    develomenL: lL ls sLrlklng Lo observe LhuL umong
    Lhe leudlng counLrles, whlch ure ull develoed,
    only 16 huve flled 100 uLenLs und ubove, wlLh 311
    uLenLs for Lhe ubsoluLe leuder Sweden, followed
    by roughly Lhe sume number of counLrles, numely
    17, wlLh beLween 10 und 100 uLenLs er mllllonj
    ouluLlon.
    133

    66 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    B. Classication and ranking of ESCWA
    member countries according to maturity level
    ln order Lo fuclllLuLe Lhe unulysls of Lhe Arub
    reglon, counLrles ure cuLegorlzed wlLhln Lhe
    followlng four muLurlLy levels of lC1 cuuclLy-
    bulldlng.
    1. Maturity level 1: Iraq, Libya, the Sudan, and
    Yemen
    1hls level lncludes counLrles LhuL luck uwureness,
    dlssemlnuLlon rogrummes, comuLers ln schools,
    und udequuLe vocuLlonul Lrulnlng, und whose
    unlverslLy level lnvolvemenL ln Lerms of currlculu
    und ouLuLs, us well us reseurch, develomenL und
    lnnovuLlon (RLl) ln lC1 ure lnsumclenL.
    CounLrles uL Lhls level sLlll need Lo dedlcuLe more
    eorLs Lo enhunce Lhe use of lC1 ln educuLlon und
    ln Lhe develomenL of currlculu. 1hey ulso need Lo
    fosLer und encouruge reseurch und develomenL
    ln generul, und ln lC1, ln urLlculur. Llbyu, ussessed
    for Lhe FrsL Llme, ls lnLroduced uL Lhls level due Lo
    Lhe conLlnulng crlsls slLuuLlon LhuL uecLs Lhe use of
    lC1 ln cuuclLy-bulldlng, Lhe ubsence of u nuLlonul
    reseurch und educuLlon neLwork (NRLN) und lLs
    low score ln Lhe quullLy of muLhemuLlcs und sclence
    educuLlon.
    2. Maturity level 2: Morocco, Palestine and Syrian
    Arab Republic
    1hls level lncludes counLrles LhuL huve lnLroduced
    uwureness und dlssemlnuLlon rogrummes.
    1hey huve comuLers resenL ln schools, rovlde
    vocuLlonul Lrulnlng, und Lhelr unlverslLles huve
    esLubllshed some forms of lC1-orlenLed currlculu und
    reluLed ouLuLs. However, RLl ln lC1 ure sLlll ln Lhe
    eurly sLuges.
    Morocco, ussessed for Lhe FrsL Llme, ls lnLroduced
    uL Lhls level rlmurlly due Lo lLs low llLerucy
    levels, urLlculurly umong women, deslLe hlgh
    ubllc exendlLure on educuLlon, well-develoed
    lC1 cuuclLy-bulldlng lnsLlLuLlons, und un lC1
    lnfrusLrucLure Lo connecL severul educuLlonul
    lnsLlLuLlons. Syrlun Arub Reubllc ls reLulned uL Lhls
    level becuuse of lLs eorLs Lo conLlnue cuuclLy-
    bulldlng ucLlvlLles deslLe Lhe ongolng crlsls LhuL
    hus desLroyed severul educuLlonul lnsLlLuLlons und
    reduced lLs RLl ln lC1 over Lhe lusL Lwo yeurs.
    3. Maturity level 3: Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan,
    Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and
    Tunisia.
    1hls level lncludes counLrles LhuL huve develoed
    uwureness und dlssemlnuLlon rogrummes, lncreused
    lnLroducLlon of comuLers ln schools, roduced
    conslsLenL vocuLlonul Lrulnlng ouLuLs ln Lerms
    of quunLlLy und quullLy, wlLh sulLublllLy Lo Lhe |ob
    murkeL, und shown rogress ln RLl ln lC1.
    Omun, due Lo lLs noLlceuble eorLs ln lnLegruLlng
    lC1 ln currlculu, connecLlng schools und Lrulnlng
    Leuchers, und Lo Lhe uvullublllLy of lC1 lnfrusLrucLure
    for connecLlng nuLlonul educuLlon lnsLlLuLlons, ls
    moved Lo Lhls muLurlLy level. 1unlslu, ussessed for Lhe
    FrsL Llme, demonsLruLes hlgh ruLes of udulL llLerucy
    und educuLlon enrolmenL ln uddlLlon Lo un equul, lf
    noL hlgher, Cll comured Lo oLher counLrles uL Lhls
    level.
    4. Maturity level 4: United Arab Emirates
    1hls level lncludes counLrles LhuL huve sLrong
    uwureness und dlssemlnuLlon sLruLegy, good
    benchmurk ruLlos for comuLers ln schools, emclenL
    vocuLlonul Lrulnlng ouLuLs, cuLerlng Lo murkeL
    demund, und eecLlve, und, for Lhe reglon, reluLlvely
    hlgh ouLuLs of RLl ln lC1.
    Only Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes ls mulnLulned uL
    Lhls level due Lo lLs erformunce ln uslng lnnovuLlve
    lC1 for educuLlon, reseurch und develomenL, hlghesL
    Cll score und hlghesL number of uLenLs ln Lhe reglon.
    1uble 29 summurlzes Lhe runklng of LSCWA
    member counLrles ln euch muLurlLy level.
    C. Suggestions and recommendations
    Severul LSCWA member counLrles huve
    wlLnessed, ln Lhe usL Lwo yeurs, lnLernul crlses
    LhuL chullenged Lhelr develomenLul efforLs,
    Lherefore, Lhe rogress uce ln cuuclLy-bulldlng
    Lolcs hus generully sLulled ln Lhe reglon. 1he
    67
    followlng recommenduLlons could be used us
    suggesLed guldellnes:
    (u) Revlew Lhe leurnlng meLhods of Lhe Arub
    educuLlon sysLem Lo ensure Lhe ucqulslLlon by
    youLh of cognlLlve und sofL skllls und Lo oer
    Lhem udequuLe Lrulnlng more uduLed Lo lubour-
    murkeL demund,
    (b) 1uke udvunLuge of Lhe uvulluble Lechnology
    oered by moblle und soclul medlu luLforms Lo
    enhunce quullLy uL ull educuLlon levels,
    (c) Levelo lnlLluLlves for beLLer use of web-enubled
    und moblle Lools Lo rulse Lhe llLerucy ruLe ln
    cerLuln Arub counLrles, eseclully umong women,
    (d) Lnhunce educuLlonul lnsLlLuLlons' connecLlvlLy Lo
    Lhe lnLerneL, lnLegruLe Lhe use of lC1 Lools und
    soclul medlu luLforms ln Lhe educuLlonul sysLem
    und Lruln LuLors und Leuchers uccordlngly,
    (e) ln some Arub counLrles, revlse educuLlonul
    currlculu Lo fosLer necessury knowledge ln
    muLhemuLlcs, sclence und lC1,
    TABLE 29. Ranking of ESCWA member countries by maturity level
    in ICT capacity-building
    Country Maturity level 1 Maturity level 2 Maturity level 3 Maturity level 4
    2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013
    Bahrain
    Egypt
    Iraq
    Jordan
    Kuwait
    Lebanon
    Libya*
    Morocco*
    Oman
    Palestine
    Qatar
    Saudi Arabia
    Sudan
    Syrian Arab Republic
    Tunisia*
    United Arab Emirates
    Yemen
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA.
    NoLe: * No ussessmenL wus rovlded for Llbyu, Morocco und 1unlslu rlor Lo 2013 slnce Lhey only |olned LSCWA ln 2012.
    68 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    (f) ln uddlLlon Lo rovldlng u heulLhy enubllng
    envlronmenL for reseurch und develomenL,
    suorL und encouruge reseurchers und
    lnnovuLors Lo ubllsh Lhe resulLs of Lhelr Fndlngs
    ln sclence und Lechnology revlews und |ournuls,
    und roLecL Lhelr rlghLs by ulylng Lo reluLed
    lnLernuLlonul uLenLs orgunlzuLlons,
    (g) Lncouruge lC1 rofesslonul Lrulnlng rogrummes,
    ln uddlLlon Lo Lhe lC1 ucudemlc quullFcuLlon, Lo
    rovlde gruduuLes wlLh Lhe necessury rucLlcul
    skllls und exerLlse Lo fulFl murkeL needs,
    (h) Lncouruge governmenLs und educuLlonul
    lnsLlLuLlons Lo muke LulLlon fees uorduble for ull
    clLlzens, Lo rovlde sLudenL Fnunclul uld schemes
    und seclul scholurshl rogrummes for lC1-
    reluLed degrees,
    (l) lnvlLe educuLlonul lnsLlLuLlons und eer reseurch
    cenLres ln Lhe world Lo develo llnks Lo reseurch
    und educuLlon neLworks ln order Lo euse
    communlcuLlon und shurlng of lnformuLlon.
    X
    Reglonul und
    international
    cooeruLlon
    8ulldlng conFdence
    und securlLy ln
    Lhe use of lC1s Lhe V
    71
    V. Building Condence
    and Security in the Use
    of ICTs
    CybersecurlLy ls un lncreuslngly comllcuLed
    Lolc ln Lhe reglon. ln keelng wlLh Lhe conslsLenL
    Lrend, u vurleLy of LhreuLs und chullenges fuce
    Lhe reglon, lncludlng such lssues us elecLronlc
    crlme, LurgeLed mulwure, cyberwurfure und duLu
    rlvucy lssues. Whlle exosure Lo e-crlme would
    be execLed Lo grow us Lhe use of lC1s lncreuses,
    uvulluble duLu suggesLs LhuL Lhe reglon us u
    whole ls fuclng greuLer LhreuLs ln Lhese ureus.
    NoLwlLhsLundlng Lhese LhreuLs, uLuke of lC1s,
    use of e-LrunsucLlons und soclul medlu ucLlvlLy
    huve conLlnued Lo lncreuse. WlLhln Lhls conLexL,
    lL ls lmorLunL Lo noLe LhuL, whlle Lhe romoLlon
    of LrusL ln lC1s ls un lmorLunL enubllng fucLor,
    lmresslve growLh cun be seen even under dlmculL
    clrcumsLunces.
    ln order Lo lncreuse LrusL und conFdence ln Lhe
    use of lC1s, severul noLuble sLes huve been Luken
    ln recenL yeurs Lowurds romoLlng cybersecurlLy
    ln Lhe Arub reglon. 1hese lnclude Lhe romoLlon of
    Lhe Arub ConvenLlon on CombuLlng lnformuLlon
    1echnology Oences by Lhe Leugue of Arub SLuLes.
    CreuLer rlorlLlzuLlon of Lhe roLecLlon of chlldren
    onllne hus leud Lo lncreuslng momenLum for Lhe
    uddlLlon of un oLlon roLocol Lo Lhls ConvenLlon.
    AL Lhe nuLlonul level, lmresslve lnlLluLlves huve
    been luunched by some member counLrles Lo
    romoLe rlvucy und Lhe roLecLlon of ersonul
    duLu. 1unlslu hus Luken lmorLunL sLes ln Lhls
    regurd, wlLh Lhe creuLlon of u NuLlonul AuLhorlLy
    for Lhe ProLecLlon of Personul LuLu. ln uddlLlon, Lhe
    CovernmenL of lruq ussed Luw 2012j78, whlch wus
    seclFcully ulmed uL romoLlng sufe und secure
    e-LrunsucLlons, lllusLruLlng Lhe currenL relevunce of
    Lhls Lolc.
    A. Comparative analysis of successes in
    building condence and security in the use of
    ICTs in the Arab region
    MosL counLrles ln Lhe Arub reglon huve some
    level of leglsluLlon coverlng e-LrunsucLlons,
    lncludlng roLecLlons uL Lhe user level. ln Lhe lusL
    Lwo yeurs, severul of Lhe remulnlng counLrles huve
    Luken lmorLunL sLes forwurd ln Lhls regurd. ln
    uddlLlon, lnsLeud of usslng leglsluLlon dedlcuLed Lo
    e-LrunsucLlons, governmenLs ln Lhe reglon muy ulso
    enhunce or uduLe exlsLlng leglsluLlon Lo uddress
    cybercrlme lssues. lurLher unulysls of e-LrunsucLlons
    und e-slgnuLure luws wlll be exumlned ln u luLer
    chuLer of Lhls reorL. SLrong rogress hus been
    seen ln Lhe enhuncemenL of cuuclLles Lo resond
    Lo emerglng cyberLhreuLs, urLlculurly ln Lhe form of
    comuLer emergency resonse Leums (CLR1). 1hls
    lmrovemenL comes uL un oorLune Llme, us Lhe
    lusL Lwo yeurs huve seen severul hlgh-roFle cuses
    of mulwure ln Lhe Arub reglon, LurgeLlng buslnesses,
    rlvuLe clLlzens und governmenLs. AddlLlonully, muny
    Arub counLrles huve deslgnuLed seclFc uuLhorlLles
    Lo be resonslble for cybersecurlLy uL Lhe nuLlonul
    level.
    134
    ln fucL, us shown ln Luble 30, 14 ouL of 17 Arub
    counLrles huve such uuLhorlLles. Arub counLrles ure
    uL dlerenL sLuges us regurds Lhe muLurlLy of Lhelr
    nuLlonul cybersecurlLy lnlLluLlves: some huve devlsed
    72 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    u comrehenslve nuLlonul cybersecurlLy sLruLegy
    und udoLed key elemenLs of lLs lmlemenLuLlon
    llke Lhe udoLlon of seclFc luws und reguluLlons Lo
    combuL cybercrlme or lmlemenL u nuLlonul CLR1,
    oLhers huve lmlemenLed CLR1s or udoLed luws
    buL wlLhouL u comrehenslve nuLlonul sLruLegy,
    some huve udoLed u sLruLegy wlLhouL us yeL uny
    roer lmlemenLuLlon und, Fnully, some huve
    nelLher u sLruLegy nor uny, or very llmlLed, level of
    lmlemenLuLlon.
    1. Use of electronic transactions and documents
    ln 2012-2013, mu|or chunges huve been observed
    ln Lhe lnLerneL usuge uLLerns ln Lhe Arub reglon.
    1he rlse of soclul medlu usuge hus recelved u lurge
    umounL of medlu uLLenLlon, whlle lncremenLul
    udvunces ln e-LrunsucLlons und e-commerce huve
    recelved less focus. Whlle cleur duLu ls scurce,
    slgnlFcunL vurlunce cun be seen beLween counLrles
    ln Lhe Arub reglon ln lC1 usuge uLLerns. lor
    exumle, u 2011 globul survey by Pew Reseurch
    CenLer found LhuL LgyLluns were slgnlFcunLly more
    llkely Lo use Lhelr moblle hones Lo Luke hoLos or
    vldeos Lhun Lebunese clLlzens.
    135
    A full unulysls of
    Lhls eecL should lnclude senslLlvlLy Lo such lssues
    us lncome, llLerucy und gender-reluLed burrlers Lo
    uccess lC1s.
    1hls duLu ulso lmlles conFrmuLlon of
    unecdoLully observed lC1 usuge chunges ln whlch
    such moblle Lechnologles us smurLhones und
    LubleLs ure Luklng on slgnlFcunLly greuLer roles ln
    Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy ln Lhe reglon. Whlle revlous
    meLrlcs for unulyslng e-LrunsucLlons Lended Lo focus
    on uslng u PC or luLo Lo underLuke such LrudlLlonul
    e-commerce ucLlvlLles us urchuslng goods onllne
    for dellvery, Lhe use of moblle devlces Lo urchuse
    dlglLul goods hus become lncreuslngly oulur.
    Lxumles of Lhls shlfL ln consumer behuvlour lnclude
    ullcuLlons, gumlng und enLerLulnmenL. Relluble
    duLu for Lhls Lrend ls dlmculL Lo obLuln becuuse mosL
    vendors do noL rovlde reglonully or nuLlonully
    dlsuggreguLed duLu. lL ls unLlcluLed LhuL lC1 usuge
    surveys wlll clurlfy Lhls lssue ln Lhe comlng yeurs. ln
    Lhls conLexL, huvlng uduLed luws on e-LrunsucLlons
    und e-commerce, whlch ure cuuble of deullng
    wlLh Lhese news luLforms, becomes even more
    lmorLunL.
    2. Online and network security and safety
    WheLher uL Lhe level of u counLry or uny
    oLher orgunlzuLlon, CLR1s ure u vuluuble urL of
    uny cybersecurlLy sLruLegy. As u cenLrul olnL of
    coordlnuLlon, Lhese Leums use seclullzed skllls Lo
    enhunce Lhe resonslve cuuclLy of luw enforcemenL
    und Lhe rlvuLe secLor, umong oLher roles. Prevlous
    unulysls ldenLlFed slx CLR1s ln 2010. 1oduy, Lhere
    ure four more CLR1s funcLlonlng ln Lhe Arub reglon,
    rulslng Lhe LoLul Lo Len. ln uddlLlon, Lebunon
    und Morocco huve esLubllshed cybersecurlLy
    frumeworks. 1hls demonsLruLes Lhe lmorLunL sLes
    forwurd whlch huve been Luken by Arub counLrles
    ln Lhe lusL Lwo yeurs. 1hese lnclude: enhunced
    cybersecurlLy sLruLegles, uduLed luws for cybercrlme,
    e-LrunsucLlon, e-slgnuLure, und e-commerce. lurLher,
    Lhe lncreused use of CLR1s enubles more eecLlve
    resonse Lo emerglng LhreuLs us Lhey unfold. ln
    uddlLlon, eorLs uL Lhe reglonul level huve shown
    greuL romlse. ln Lecember 2012, Omun slgned un
    ugreemenL wlLh l1U whereby Lhe Omun CLR1
    wlll hosL u reglonul CLR1 us urL of Lhe lnLernuLlonul
    MulLlluLerul PurLnershl AgulnsL Cyber 1hreuLs
    (lMPAC1) rogrumme.
    136
    Whlle oeruLlonul deLulls ure
    noL yeL uvulluble, Lhls lnlLluLlve endeuvours Lo rovlde
    reglonul coordlnuLlon und resonse Lo emerglng
    cybersecurlLy lssues. ln colluboruLlon wlLh l1U und
    lMPAC1, Lebunon held u worksho ln OcLober 2012 to
    ussess lLs reudlness Lo esLubllsh u NuLlonul ComuLer
    lncldenL Resonse 1eum.
    1ogeLher wlLh enhunced resonses uL Lhe nuLlonul
    level, CLR1s ure ulso well-oslLloned Lo enuble
    LrunsnuLlonul cooeruLlon ln order Lo eecLlvely
    deul wlLh Lhe globul nuLure of cybersecurlLy LhreuLs.
    Reglonul und globul cooeruLlon remulns un lmorLunL
    ureu for fuLure cuuclLy-bulldlng. An lnlLluLlve of Lhls
    nuLure would be urLlculurly Llmely glven Lhe hlgher
    rlorlLy luced ln u reglonul resonse Lo cybersecurlLy
    us wlLnessed by Lhe 2010 Arub ConvenLlon on
    CombuLlng lnformuLlon 1echnology Oenses.
    137

    Levelolng u urullel mechunlsm Lo fuclllLuLe duLu
    exchunge und coordlnuLed resonse uL Lhe Lechnlcul
    73
    TABLE 30. National entities in charge of cybersecurity and the presence of related initiatives in the Arab region, 2013
    Country
    National entity in charge of
    cybersecurity National CERT and URL
    National cybersecurity
    strategy or signicant national
    initiative*
    Algeria MlnlsLry of PosL lnformuLlon und
    CommunlcuLlons Lechnology
    No Cyberblll luunched ln 2008
    Bahrain 1elecommunlcuLlons ReguluLory
    AuLhorlLy (1RA)
    No Sufesurf.bh
    Egypt NuLlonul 1elecommunlcuLlons
    ReguluLory AuLhorlLy (N1RA)
    LgyL ComuLer Lmergency 1eum
    (LC-CLR1) hLL:jjwww.egcerL.eg
    CybersecurlLy ls urL of Lhe
    NuLlonul lC1 SLruLegy 2012-2017
    Iraq NjA No No
    Jordan MlnlsLry of lnformuLlon und
    CommunlcuLlons 1echnology (MolC1)
    No NuLlonul lnformuLlon Assurunce
    und Cyber SecurlLy SLruLegy 2012
    Kuwait KuwulL CenLrul Agency for lnformuLlon
    1echnology (CAl1)
    No Severul lnlLluLlves luunched by
    CAl1 (more lnformuLlon ls uvulluble
    from hLL:jjwww.culL.org )
    Lebanon NjA No CybersecurlLy ls urL of Lhe
    e-governmenL sLruLegy
    Libya NjA No No
    Morocco LlrecLlon Cenerule de lu SecurlLe des
    SysLemes d'lnformuLlon
    Muroc CLR1 (muCLR1)
    uj
    PurL of NuLlonul lC1 SLruLegy
    Muroc Numerlc 2013
    Oman lnformuLlon 1echnology AuLhorlLy
    (l1A)
    Omun NuLlonul ComuLer
    Lmergency Resonse CenLer
    (OCLR1) hLL:jjwww.cerL.gov.om
    CenLre for lnformuLlon SecurlLy
    lnlLluLlve
    Qatar Sureme Councll of lnformuLlon
    und CommunlcuLlon 1echnology
    (lcLOA1AR)
    OuLur ComuLer Lmergency
    Resonse 1eum (OCLR1)
    hLL:jjwww.qcerL.org
    CovernmenL lnformuLlon
    Assurunce Pollcy und oLhers
    Saudi Arabia CommunlcuLlon und lnformuLlon
    1echnology Commlsslon (Cl1C)
    ComuLer Lmergency Resonse
    1eum (CLR1-SA)
    hLL:jjwww.cerL.gov.su
    No
    Sudan NuLlonul 1elecommunlcuLlon
    CororuLlon (N1C)
    Sudun ComuLer Resonse 1eum
    (Sudun-CLR1) hLL:jjwww.cerL.sd
    No
    Syrian Arab Republic NuLlonul Agency for NeLwork Servlces
    (NANS)
    NuLlonul ComuLer Lmergency
    Resonse 1eum (SY-CLR1)
    bj
    No
    Tunisia NuLlonul Agency for ComuLer
    SecurlLy (NACS)
    1unlslun ComuLer Lmergency
    Resonse 1eum (LunCLR1)
    hLL:jjwww.unsl.Ln
    No
    United Arab Emirates 1elecommunlcuLlons ReguluLory
    AuLhorlLy (1RA)
    Arub LmlruLes ComuLer
    Lmergency Resonse 1eum
    (ueCLR1) hLL:jjwww.uecerL.ue
    No
    Yemen NuLlonul lnformuLlon CenLer (NlC) No Culdellnes for cybersecurlLy
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA bused on lnformuLlon rovlded by AAC, 2012e, und LSCWA, 2013u.
    NoLes: * lf CLR1 does noL exlsL.
    uj
    hLL:jjwww.mucerL.mu reLurns u llnk Lo Lhe Moroccun Acudemlc ComuLer Lmergency Resonse 1eum, Lo duLe (checked
    SeLember, 2013) no web resence wus found for Lhe nuLlonul Moroccun CLR1.
    bj
    1o duLe, no web resence wus found for Lhe Syrlun CLR1 ulLhough lnformuLlon ubouL lLs mlsslons und conLucL lnformuLlon
    cun be found Lhrough Lhe NANS slLe, uvulluble from hLL:jjwww.nuns.sy.
    74 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    level would be u vuluuble uddlLlon Lo Lhls convenLlon
    lnsLrumenL und should be curefully consldered by Lhe
    relevunL sLukeholders.
    A furLher munduLe for Lhls course of ucLlon
    derlves from duLu regurdlng mulwure lmucL on
    comuLers uround Lhe globe. ln u 2013 sLudy releused
    by MlcrosofL 1rusLworLhy ComuLlng, duLu on Lhe
    number of comuLers cleuned from mulwure er
    1,000 muchlnes wus unulysed.
    138
    1he uvulluble duLu
    sLrongly suggesLs LhuL mulwure ls u serlous LhreuL
    globully, lncludlng ln Lhe Arub reglon. ln urLlculur,
    develolng counLrles ueur Lo be exerlenclng u
    comuruLlvely hlgher level of mulwure lnfecLlons.
    Whlle Lhe cuuse of Lhls duLu uLLern ls unknown, lL
    ls robuble LhuL Lhe cuuclLy for deloylng FlLruLlon
    Lechnologles und sufe-comuLlng cumulgns ls
    umong Lhe fucLors whlch conLrlbuLe Lo Lhe lncreused
    ruLes of mulwure ln Lhese counLrles.
    ln un eorL Lo beLLer undersLund Lhe develomenL
    of Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy, Lhe World 8unk hus
    romoLed u vurleLy of lndlcuLors, umong whlch ls Lhe
    number of secure lnLerneL servers er one mllllon
    eole.
    139
    8ecuuse secure lnLerneL servers ure wldely
    used ln e-commerce, Lhls duLu ls lnLended Lo hel
    lllusLruLe lncreuslng muLurlLy of Lhese sysLems uL
    Lhe nuLlonul level. Whlle useful ln severul regurds,
    Lhls duLu ls ulso roblemuLlc for severul such reusons
    us Lhe cuuclLy for ersons ln u glven counLry Lo
    underLuke secure LrunsucLlons ln oLher counLrles.
    As such, Lhe reluLlonshl beLween where u erson
    llves und Lhe locuLlon of Lhe servers Lhey uccess ls
    unlquely weuk ln Lhe onllne, globullzed murkeL. AL
    resenL, Lhls meusure ls mosL ofLen used Lo lllusLruLe
    Lhe level of muLurlLy of Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy
    wlLhln u urLlculur counLry.
    3. Privacy and data protection
    Severul counLrles ln Lhe Arub reglon huve Luken
    leglsluLlve ucLlon on Lhe lssue of duLu rlvucy. 1he
    UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, 1unlslu, Omun, KuwulL,
    Morocco und Yemen huve ull uddressed Lhls lssue.
    LSCWA rovlded u deLulled unulysls of Lhese luws us
    urL of lLs cyberleglsluLlon ro|ecL, whlch ls uvulluble
    onllne.
    140
    Whlle more work on Lhls Lolc ls cleurly
    necessury, even ln Lhe comuruLlve ubsence of
    robusL rlvucy und duLu roLecLlon leglsluLlon, Lhe
    Arub reglon hus been churucLerlzed by ruld uLuke
    of soclul medlu und communlcuLlon Lechnologles.
    8ecuuse Lhere hud been fulrly low levels of soclul
    medlu usuge ln Lhe reglon rlor Lo 2010, such Lools us
    lucebook huve shown lurge ercenLuge lncreuses ln
    Lhelr use.
    141
    RecenLly, however, Lhese growLh ruLes
    huve slowed down, or even reversed. ALLemLs Lo
    esLlmuLe lucebook usuge by Lhe Lubul School of
    CovernmenL lndlcuLe LhuL usuge ruLes huve begun
    Lo decllne ln some counLrles ln Lhe Arub reglon, us
    shown ln Fgure 6.
    Whlle soclul medlu udoLlon ls urguubly one of
    Lhe mosL slgnlFcunL ureus of lC1 usuge ln Lhe Arub
    reglon over Lhe lusL Lwo yeurs, Lhere ls very llLLle
    evldence Lo suorL Lhe hyoLhesls LhuL Lhe luck of
    robusL leglsluLlon elLher hurL or heled Lhe udoLlon of
    Lhese Lechnologles. ln some cuses, lucebook use hus
    been bunned ouLrlghL, buL wlLh very llLLle observuble
    lmucL on udoLlon ruLes. 1hese Lrends would suggesL
    LhuL nelLher governmenLul ucLlon, nor lnucLlon, huve
    luyed u sLuLlsLlcully deLecLuble role ln lnuenclng
    Lhe use ruLes of soclul medlu ln Lhe reglon. lL ls much
    more llkely LhuL erceLlons of novelLy, comblned
    wlLh revlously lower levels of growLh, creuLed u
    clrcumsLunce where qulck gulns were fuclllLuLed, buL
    wlLh slower growLh ruLes und dlmlnlshlng momenLum.
    8ecuuse rellmlnury reseurch ln murkeLs wlLh hlgher
    lucebook usuge ruLes ueur Lo show decllnlng
    usuge umong younger segmenLs of Lhe ouluLlon,
    lL would be reusonuble Lo hyoLheslze LhuL Lhe soclul
    medlu Lools whlch huve been murkeL leuders ln Lhe
    lusL few yeurs ure fulllng ouL of fuvour und muy lose
    slgnlFcunce ln Lhe yeurs Lo come. lf so, Lhls Lrend
    would be conslsLenL wlLh Lhe udoLlon curve of such
    revlous soclul medlu Lools MySuce.
    ln uddlLlon Lo lnLrlgulng chunges ln usuge ruLes
    LhroughouL Lhe Arub reglon, Lhere ls some duLu Lo
    suggesL LhuL uLLlLudes Lowurds onllne rlvucy ure
    ln need of furLher sLudy. lor exumle, ln 2012, the
    olllng Frm lsos underLook u globul survey of onllne
    lnformuLlon-shurlng behuvlour umong lnLerneL
    users.
    142
    AL Lhe reglonul level, only Suudl Arublu wus
    consldered, muklng Lhe survey of llmlLed use uL Lhe
    reglonul level. However, uL Lhe globul level, lL wus
    75
    FIGURE 6. Growth in number of Facebook users between 7 January and 1 May 2013
    -16.7
    -16.1
    -11.1
    -8.7
    -6.1
    -4.0
    -1.5
    -1.1
    0.7
    3.3
    5.9
    10.0
    10.7
    12.3 12.4
    12.5
    22.8 22.8
    27.8
    -20%
    -15%
    -10%
    -5%
    0%
    5%
    10%
    15%
    20%
    25%
    30%
    Growth in number of Facebook users
    Oman Bahrain Kuwait KSA Somalia
    Lebanon
    Qatar
    UAE
    Jordan Sudan
    Morocco
    Tunisia
    Algeria
    Egypt Libya
    Palestine
    Yemen Syria Iraq
    Source: LSC, 2013b.
    deLermlned LhuL 61 er cenL of resondenLs ln Suudl
    Arublu felL comforLuble shurlng everyLhlng or mosL
    Lhlngs onllne, comured wlLh u globul uveruge of
    24 er cenL. 1hls duLu suggesLs LhuL, whlle Lhere ure
    muny oLher comonenLs whlch should be consldered
    ln fuLure reseurch on Lhls Lolc, Lhe lndlvlduuls ln
    Suudl Arublu who huve Lhe oorLunlLy Lo shure Lhelr
    lnformuLlon onllne ure very wllllng Lo do so.
    4. Countering misuse of ICTs
    1he Arub reglon hus wlLnessed slgnlFcunLly
    greuLer momenLum ln eorLs Lo formuluLe und
    udoL cybercrlme luws, or Lo umend Lhe enul
    code Lo lnclude urLlcles reluLed Lo cybercrlmes.
    Lurlng Lhe erlod of 2011-2013, Lhe Syrlun Arub
    Reubllc udoLed Luw 2012j17 on Lhe ReguluLlon
    of communlcuLlon on Lhe neL und combuLlng
    cybercrlmes, PulesLlne reured u drufL Lo umend
    Lhe enul code, und Lebunon lncluded u chuLer
    on cybercrlme ln Lhe drufL luw of e-LrunsucLlon und
    Lhe roLecLlon of ersonul duLu. 1uble 31 shows Lhe
    sLuLus of cybercrlme luws ln Lhe Arub counLrles.
    lL ls worLh noLlng LhuL, ulLhough such counLrles us
    8uhruln huve lncluded urLlcles reluLed Lo cybercrlme
    ln oLher cyberluws, mulnly e-LrunsucLlon luws, Lhese
    counLrles ure reullzlng Lhe growlng lmorLunce of
    cyberleglsluLlon ure revlewlng Lhelr cyberleglsluLlon
    uckuge Lo udoL seclFc luw for cybercrlme.
    AL Lhe reglonul level, Lhe 2010 Arub ConvenLlon
    on CombuLlng lnformuLlon 1echnology Oences,
    us romulguLed by Lhe Leugue of Arub SLuLes,
    rovldes u frumework for deullng wlLh such
    lmorLunL lssues us legul deFnlLlons of oences
    und |urlsdlcLlon. AddlLlonully, LSCWA, ln Lhe
    frumework of lLs ro|ecL Reglonul HurmonlzuLlon
    of CyberleglsluLlon Lo PromoLe Knowledge SocleLy
    ln Lhe Arub Reglon, reured u seclFc dlrecLlve
    for cybercrlme for Lhe Arub reglon. 1hese reglonul
    lnlLluLlves ulm uL hurmonlzlng Lhe undersLundlng
    of cybercrlme ln Lhe reglon und fuclllLuLlng Lhe
    colluboruLlon umong Arub counLrles for combuLlng
    cybercrlme uL Lhe reglonul level.
    lmorLunL sLes huve ulso been Luken ln Lhe
    ureu of roLecLlon of chlldren onllne uL Lhe nuLlonul
    und reglonul levels. lor lnsLunce, 1RA Lebunon
    luunched u nuLlonul lnLerneL sufeLy orLul
    143
    targeting
    urenLs, youLh und Leuchers (e-umun.com), lL ulms uL
    lncreuslng Lhe uwureness of Lebunese clLlzens ubouL
    Lhe rlsks of lnLerucLlng ln cybersuce und rovldes
    Lools, meLhodologles und besL rucLlces Lo uddress
    76 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    Lhese rlsks. AL Lhe reglonul level, Lhe Worklng Crou
    for Lhe Legul AsecLs of Chlld Onllne ProLecLlon ln
    Lhe Arub Reglon held u conference ln 2013 whlch
    underLook u deLulled lnvenLory of exlsLlng leglsluLlon,
    und ldenLlFed Lhe need for un oLlonul roLocol Lo
    Lhe Arub ConvenLlon on CombuLlng lnformuLlon
    1echnology Oences whlch would focus on Lhe
    roLecLlon of chlldren onllne. Some of Lhe ldenLlFed
    ucLlon ureus for Lhese leglsluLlve eorLs lnclude such
    lssues us legul lmmunlLy for mlnors lnvolved ln Lhe
    roducLlon of hurmful conLenL und cuses lnvolvlng
    mlnors elLher us ereLruLors or urLlclunLs ln rlsky
    onllne ucLlvlLles.
    As un exumle of Lhe lmorLunce of Lhese
    lssues, uvulluble duLu suggesLs LhuL cyberbullylng
    ls un lssue of lncreuslng relevunce Lo Lhe Arub
    reglon. As cun be seen ln Fgure 7, whlle Lhere ure
    subreglonul slmllurlLles ln Lhe LoLul umounL of
    bullylng exerlenced by chlldren uged 8-17, there
    ure very slgnlFcunL dlerences ln Lhe umounL of such
    behuvlour onllne. 1hls reseurch suggesLs LhuL Lhere
    ls u greuL need for counLry-level reseurch ln Lhe Arub
    reglon Lo guLher duLu on Lhe nuLure of rlsk fuced by
    chlldren onllne. lurLher, when comurlng LgyL und
    Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, whlch demonsLruLe slmllur
    LoLul levels of bullylng, lL cun be seen LhuL levels of
    bullylng onllne ure noL slmllur. OLher such reseurch
    eorLs ln oLher reglons huve ulso demonsLruLed
    u hlgh degree of vurlunce umong und beLween
    counLrles, even uL Lhe reglonul level.
    B. Classication and ranking of ESCWA
    member countries according to maturity level
    Muny LSCWA member counLrles demonsLruLed
    rogress ln bulldlng conFdence und securlLy ln Lhe
    use of lC1s, urLlculurly ln Lhe ureu of leglsluLlon. 1he
    TABLE 31. Adoption of cybercrime laws in selected Arab countries
    Country Specic law for cybercrime Year
    Bahrain Luw 28 on e-1runsucLlon lncludes urLlcles reluLed Lo cybercrlme 2002
    Egypt MlnlsLerlul Lecree No. 13507 on Lhe esLubllshmenL of u Cybercrlme und LuLu NeLwork UnlL 2002
    Jordan Luw 30 on lnformuLlon SysLem Crlme 2010
    Kuwait LrufL Luw on combuLlng lnLerneL crlme
    Lebanon Clrculur No. 4 on Lhe roLecLlon of sofLwure rogrummes und Lhe FghL ugulnsL lrucy 2006
    Morocco Luw No. 53-05 on LlecLronlc Lxchunge of Legul LuLu lncludes urLlcles reluLed Lo cybercrlme 2007
    Oman Royul Lecree 27 Lo umend Lhe Penul Code und uddlng ArLlcle 276 on ComuLer Crlme 2001
    Palestine LrufL umendmenL of Penul Code Lo lnclude urLlcles on cybercrlme
    Saudi Arabia Luw No. 79 on CombuLlng lnformuLlon 1echnology Crlme Luw 2007
    Sudan Luw No. 14 on lnformuLlon 1echnology Crlme 2007
    Syrian Arab Republic Luw No. 17 on ReguluLlng communlcuLlon on Lhe neL und combuLLlng cybercrlme luw 2012
    Tunisia e-1runsucLlon und e-ommerce luw lncludes urLlcles reluLed Lo cybercrlme 2007
    United Arab Emirates lederul Luw No. 2, CombuLlng cybercrlme 2006
    Yemen LrufL luw on combuLlng elecLronlc crlme
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA, see: hLL:jjcyberleglsluLlon.escwu.org.lbjslLesjdefuulLjFlesjdownloudjLlr-5-Cybercrlmes.df.
    77
    esLubllshmenL of CLR1s ln more LSCWA member
    counLrles ls ulso u slgnlFcunL lmrovemenL, boLh
    uL Lhe nuLlonul und reglonul levels. However, none
    of Lhe LSCWA member counLrles huve uchleved
    muLurlLy level 4 yeL.
    1. Maturity level 1: Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon,
    Libya, Palestine, the Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic,
    and Yemen
    1he mu|orlLy of counLrles runked uL Lhls muLurlLy
    level luck nuLlonul und leglsluLlve frumeworks ln
    reluLlon Lo securlLy, rlvucy und roLecLlon from
    lC1 mlsuse. LeslLe much rogress mude by some
    counLrles, numely 1ordun, Syrlun Arub Reubllc
    und Lhe Sudun, Lhe ubsence of lmlemenLlng
    und udoLlng muny of Lhese lnlLluLlves deems
    Lhese counLrles uL Lhe sume muLurlLy level us
    revlous yeurs. Muny counLrles uL Lhls sLuge huve
    conceLuullzed such lmorLunL lnlLluLlves us
    e-LrunsucLlon und e-slgnuLure luws, Lhe munugemenL
    of ubllc-key lnfrusLrucLures (PKls) und legul und
    rucLlcul conslderuLlon for u secure und uccounLuble
    lC1 envlronmenL. However, concreLe lmlemenLuLlon
    of Lhese conceLs ls sLlll requlred ln order Lo rogress
    Lo u more develoed und muLure envlronmenL. Llbyu
    ls ussessed for Lhe FrsL Llme uL muLurlLy level 1, due
    Lo Lhe lmucL of underdevelomenL, conlcL und
    lnsecurlLy on Lhe counLry.
    2. Maturity level 2: Bahrain, Egypt, Oman, and
    Morocco
    CounLrles uL Lhls level huve buslc luws ln luce
    Lo counLer Lhe mlsuse of lC1s und ensure u secure
    envlronmenL for e-LrunsucLlons. 1he chullenge for
    LSCWA member counLrles ln Lhls muLurlLy level
    sLlll remulns ln udoLlng beLLer mechunlsms LhuL
    ure uble Lo roerly deLecL, reorL und combuL
    cybercrlmes. Such counLrles cun use Lhelr reluLlvely
    develoed lC1 envlronmenLs us un exumle Lo
    oLher member counLrles wlshlng Lo udoL slmllur
    lnlLluLlves by shurlng besL rucLlces, lessons leurned
    und bulldlng on Lhls oLenLlul oslLlon. ln order Lo
    rogress Lo Lhe nexL level of muLurlLy, ull member
    counLrles uL Lhls level musL show greuLer lnLeresL ln
    lmrovlng rlvucy luws for users, duLu roLecLlon
    us well us sLrengLhenlng overull ollcles currenLly ln
    luce. 8uhruln hus LrunslLloned from level 1 Lo level
    2 due Lo Lhe susLulned lnvesLmenL ln Lhe legul und
    lnfrusLrucLurul comonenLs necessury Lo enhunce
    LrusL ln cybersecurlLy. Omun hus ulso uchleved Lhls
    FIGURE 7. Percentage of children who have been bullied online and omine in selected countries
    37%
    47%
    28%
    27%
    7%
    72%
    69%
    68% 63%
    81%
    0%
    20%
    40%
    60%
    80%
    100%
    120%
    140%
    World Average Turkey Qatar Egypt UAE
    Bullied online Bullied offline
    Source: MlcrosofL CororuLlon, 2012.
    78 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    level of muLurlLy, bused on lLs nuLlonul CLR1 und sufe
    comuLlng rogrummes. As u new member counLry
    ln LSCWA, Morocco ls lnlLlully ussessed uL level 2 in
    Lhls exerclse.
    3. Maturity level 3: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia,
    and United Arab Emirates
    CounLrles uL Lhls level huve comlemenLed
    u sumclenL leglsluLlve envlronmenL wlLh un
    esLubllshed CLR1 und huve demonsLruLed Lhe
    cuuclLy Lo resond Lo emergenL cybersecurlLy
    LhreuLs. Progrummes Lo romoLe sufe comuLlng
    und uddress roLecLlon of chlldren onllne ure ln
    luce. CounLrles uL Lhls muLurlLy level musL sLlll
    focus on bl-luLerul, reglonul und globul cooeruLlon
    und muy sLruggle Lo fend o emerglng LhreuLs Lo
    clvlllun und governmenLul lnfrusLrucLure. Meusures
    of comuLer securlLy, lncludlng vlrul lnfecLlons,
    should be lmroved. Luch of Lhese counLrles whlch
    rogressed Lo Lhls muLurlLy level dld so slnce Lhe
    lusL revlew, und for slmllur reusons. ConslsLenL
    lnvesLmenL und rlorlLlzuLlon of cybersecurlLy und
    lnfrusLrucLure rogrummes enubled Lhese counLrles
    Lo lmlemenL lmorLunL leglsluLlve modernlzuLlon,
    CLR1s und Lechnlcul cuuclLy-bulldlng, und
    demonsLruLed cuuclLy Lo resond Lo LhreuLs
    onllne.
    4. Maturity level 4: None
    C. Suggestions and recommendations
    (u) Levelo u nuLlonul cybersecurlLy sLruLegy wlLh u
    cleur lun of ucLlon lncludlng Lhe esLubllshmenL
    of udequuLe nuLlonul sLrucLures or lnsLlLuLlons
    resonslble for lmlemenLuLlon,
    (b) ProucLlvely ldenLlfy vulnerublllLles ln crlLlcul
    resources, lnfrusLrucLures und key rlorlLles
    us urL of u cybersecurlLy lun lnvolvlng ull
    sLukeholders,
    (c) 1hrough u rogrumme of mulLlluLerul cooeruLlon
    uL Lhe leglsluLlve level, lmlemenL comrehenslve
    cyberleglsluLlon ln llne wlLh lnLernuLlonul LreuLles
    und convenLlons uL Lhe globul und reglonul
    levels Lo cover ull Lolcs reluLed Lo cybersuce,
    ln urLlculur Lhose reluLed Lo cybercrlme, rlvucy
    und conFdenLlullLy of ersonul lnformuLlon,
    (d) Pursue cuuclLy-bulldlng rogrummes Lo enhunce
    Lhe oeruLlonul ublllLy of luw enforcemenL,
    |udges, luwyers, und reguluLory bodles Lo
    eecLlvely hundle emerglng forms of cybercrlme,
    (e) OuLllne sLundurds und udoL novel und lnnovuLlve
    meLhodologles on how Lo develo sufe und
    relluble e-servlces und ullcuLlons reslllenL Lo
    exLernul rlsks und LhreuLs, lncludlng necessury
    mechunlsms Lo mulnLuln Lhe rlvucy und
    conFdenLlullLy of ersonul lnformuLlon,
    (f) Shure besL rucLlces from exlsLlng CLR1s umong
    LSCWA member counLrles for romoLlng Lhe
    esLubllshmenL of un lncldenL munugemenL
    cuublllLy wlLh nuLlonul resonslblllLles, und
    suorL Lhelr ucLlvlLles by rovldlng Lhem
    wlLh Lhe luLesL Lechnologlcul soluLlons und
    sLundurds ln Lhe Feld of securlLy und roLecLlon
    of cybersuce. 1hese cenLres should become Lhe
    nuLlonul olnLs of reference ln ull muLLers reluLed
    Lo Lechnlcul lssues ulmed uL Lhe roLecLlon of
    lC1s, und should be deslgned Lo cooeruLe uL Lhe
    blluLerul, reglonul und globul levels,
    (g) Lncouruge cooeruLlon beLween Lhe ubllc
    und Lhe rlvuLe secLors ln order Lo mulnLuln
    Lhe roLecLlon und securlLy of neLworks und
    lnformuLlon sysLems und Lhe roLecLlon of
    nuLlonul cybersuce, lncludlng Lhe ullcuLlon of
    Lhe securlLy meusures, reslllence und recovery for
    locul neLworks und comuLer sysLems,
    (h) ConLrlbuLe Lo Lhe bulldlng of u nuLlonul culLure
    of cybersecurlLy Lhrough roer uwureness und
    educuLlon cumulgns regurdlng onllne rlsks,
    urLlculurly Lhose uecLlng chlldren.
    79
    TABLE 32. Ranking of ESCWA member countries by maturity level in building
    condence and security in the use of ICTs
    Country Maturity level 1 Maturity level 2 Maturity level 3 Maturity level 4
    2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013
    Bahrain
    Egypt
    Iraq
    Jordan
    Kuwait
    Lebanon
    Libya*
    Morocco*
    Oman
    Palestine
    Qatar
    Saudi Arabia
    Sudan
    Syrian Arab Republic
    Tunisia*
    United Arab Emirates
    Yemen
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA.
    NoLe: * No ussessmenL wus rovlded for Llbyu, Morocco und 1unlslu rlor Lo 2013 slnce Lhey only |olned LSCWA ln 2012.
    X
    Reglonul und
    international
    cooeruLlon VI
    Lnubllng
    envlronmenL
    83
    VI. Enabling Environment
    A. Comparative analysis
    1he Arub reglon ls one of Lhe mosL dlverslFed
    reglons ln Lerms of enubllng envlronmenL. Accordlng
    Lo Lhe new deFnlLlon of Lhe NRl of Lhe WLl, lLs
    envlronmenL sublndex ls now comosed of Lwo
    lllurs: ollLlcul und reguluLory frumework und
    buslness und lnnovuLlve envlronmenL.
    144
    ln Lhls
    reglon, Lhe CCC ure qulLe udvunced whlle oLher such
    counLrles us Yemen, Algerlu und Llbyu ure runked
    umong Lhe less develoed counLrles.
    OuLur ls leudlng Lhe Arub world ln Lhe envlronmenL
    sublndex
    145
    us lL ls runked on luce 14 umong Lhe 144
    counLrles. OLher CCC counLrles, numely UnlLed Arub
    LmlruLes, Suudl Arublu, 8uhruln, und Omun ure ulso
    qulLe ln udvunced oslLlons ln 2013. lL should be noLed
    LhuL Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes rlses nlne luces ln Lhe
    TABLE 33. Scores and rankings of selected Arab countries on the environment
    subindex component of NRI, 2013
    Country
    Environment subindex*
    Political and regulatory
    environment
    Business and innovative
    environment
    Ranking (144) Score Ranking (144) Score Ranking (144) Score
    Qatar 14 5.19 18 5.10 12 5.29
    United Arab Emirates 19 5.05 26 4.84 17 5.25
    Saudi Arabia 25 4.87 29 4.68 25 5.07
    Bahrain 28 4.83 40 4.39 14 5.27
    Oman 37 4.61 34 4.47 33 4.75
    Jordan 42 4.35 48 4.05 40 4.65
    Kuwait 69 3.90 71 3.67 71 4.13
    Morocco 74 3.85 73 3.66 79 4.04
    Lebanon 86 3.74 133 2.76 35 4.73
    Egypt 99 3.62 96 3.39 98 3.85
    Libya 130 3.18 130 2.83 120 3.54
    Yemen 138 2.91 140 2.51 133 3.30
    Algeria 143 2.60 141 2.46 143 2.74
    Arab average 4.05 3.75 4.35
    Source: WLl, 2013u.
    NoLe: * LnvlronmenL sublndex = ( x PollLlcul und reguluLory envlronmenL x 8uslness und lnnovuLlon envlronmenL).
    84 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    envlronmenL sublndex runklng us comured Lo lusL
    yeur, whlle Suudl Arublu dros elghL oslLlons und
    8uhruln und Omun ulmosL remuln uL Lhe sume levels
    (see Luble 34). KuwulL hus been Lhe less udvunced CCC
    counLry ln Lhe envlronmenL sublndex slnce 2009, und lL
    droed 13 oslLlons from 2012 to 2013.
    ln Lhe LevunL reglon, 1ordun hus been Lhe besL-
    oslLloned counLry for muny yeurs. 1hls ls mulnly due
    Lo eorLs by Lhe governmenL und buslness secLor Lo
    lmrove Lhe reguluLory frumework und encouruge
    lnnovuLlon. ln 2013, boLh 1ordun und Lebunon go u slx
    oslLlons us comured Lo 2012, whlle Lhe survey of Lhe
    WLl dld noL cover Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc und 1unlslu
    due Lo ollLlcul lnsLublllLy.
    ln NorLh Afrlcun counLrles, 1unlslu, occuylng luce
    55 (ouL of 142) ln 2012, ls Lhe besL oslLloned ln Lerms
    of legul und reguluLory frumework for Lhe lnformuLlon
    socleLy. ln 2013, LgyL droed 14 oslLlons us comured
    to 2012, und Algerlu ulso droed seven oslLlons.
    lL ls qulLe lnLeresLlng Lo menLlon LhuL mosL Arub
    counLrles huve beLLer runklng ln Lhe buslness und
    lnnovuLlon envlronmenL lllur Lhun ln Lhe ollLlcul und
    reguluLory frumework lllur. 1hls ls cleurly observed
    ln Lhe cuse of 8uhruln und Lebunon. ln fucL, whlle
    Lebunon ls runked ln oslLlon 35 ln buslness und
    lnnovuLlon, lL ls runked on luce 133 ln Lhe ollLlcul
    und reguluLory frumework.
    1. Legal and regulatory environment
    (a) National intellectual property laws, regulations
    and international agreements
    lnnovuLlon und creuLlon of sofLwure und conLenL
    ure essenLlul for esLubllshlng knowledge-bused
    TABLE 34. Scores and ranking of selected Arab countries on the environment
    subindex component of NRI, 2010-2013
    Country
    2009-2010* 2010-2011* 2012 2013
    Rank (133) Score Rank (138) Score Rank (142) Score Rank (144) Score
    Qatar 29 4.61 26 4.73 15 5.10 14 5.19
    United Arab Emirates 24 4.68 25 4.77 28 4.83 19 5.05
    Saudi Arabia 38 4.34 32 4.53 17 5.00 25 4.87
    Bahrain 33 4.45 30 4.59 27 4.84 28 4.83
    Oman 52 3.98 43 4.17 36 4.63 37 4.61
    Jordan 41 4.18 49 4.04 48 4.16 42 4.35
    Tunisia 57 4.02 45 4.15 55 4.02 .. ..
    Kuwait 60 3.78 52 3.99 56 3.99 69 3.90
    Morocco 75 3.64 72 3.79 72 3.79 74 3.85
    Lebanon .. .. 81 3.62 92 3.64 86 3.74
    Egypt 70 3.71 71 3.79 85 3.68 99 3.62
    Syrian Arab Republic 113 3.10 121 3.09 115 3.33 .. ..
    Libya 110 3.13 133 2.88 133 2.88 130 3.18
    Yemen .. .. .. .. 134 2.86 138 2.91
    Algeria 120 3.01 125 3.05 136 2.83 143 2.60
    Average 3.89 3.94 3.97 4.05
    Sources: LuLu comlled from four WLl reorLs, numely, WLl, 2013a, 2012a, 2011, und 2010.
    NoLes: * As oosed Lo revlous edlLlons of Lhe NRl, Lhe comoslLlon of Lhe envlronmenL sublndex hus chunged sLurLlng ln 2012, lL
    currenLly does noL lnclude u lllur on lnfrusLrucLure envlronmenL.
    1wo doLs (..) lndlcuLe LhuL duLu ure noL uvulluble.
    85
    economy (K8L) und sLrengLhenlng Lhe lC1 secLor. As
    uLenL und Lrudemurk ure essenLlul for romoLlng
    reseurch und lnnovuLlon, Lhe lmorLunce of udoLlng
    und enforclng uLenL lnLernuLlonul LreuLles, roLocols
    und ugreemenLs Lo Luke urL ln Lhe knowledge-bused
    economy uL Lhe globul level becume uurenL.
    Arub counLrles |olned muny LreuLles reluLed
    Lo coyrlghL roLecLlon und uLenL. 1uble 35
    summurlzes Lhe sLuLus of elghL lnLernuLlonul LreuLles
    in 18 Arub counLrles. 8ecuuse of Lhe seclul sLuLus
    of PulesLlne us un observer sLuLe of Lhe UnlLed
    NuLlons, Lhey were noL uble Lo |oln uny of Lhe World
    1rude OrgunlzuLlon (W1O) ugreemenLs. 1en of Lhe
    18 consldered Arub counLrles ure members of W1O,
    und, us uL 2013, seven ure observers.
    146
    Muny Arub
    counLrles |olned W1O ln 1995, whlle Omun |olned
    W1O ln 2000, und Suudl Arublu ln 2005.
    Among Lhe vurlous lnLernuLlonul LreuLles, Lhe
    Purls ConvenLlon for Lhe ProLecLlon of lndusLrlul
    ProerLy ls Lhe mosL udoLed ln Lhe Arub counLrles.
    Only KuwulL, ln uddlLlon Lo PulesLlne, hus noL yeL
    |olned Lhls ConvenLlon. 1unlslu wus Lhe FrsL Arub
    TABLE 35. Status of selected Arab countries in international intellectual
    property rights treaties
    Country WTO Paris
    Convention
    PCT WCT Madrid
    Agreement
    Hague
    Agreement
    PLT TRIPS
    Algeria O8 1966 2000 O8
    Bahrain 1995 1997 2007 2005 2005
    roLocol
    2005 1995
    Egypt 1995 1951 2003 1952
    AgreemenL
    1952 1995
    Iraq O8 1976 O8
    Jordan 2000 1972 2004 2000
    Kuwait 1995 1995
    Lebanon O8 1924 O8
    Libya O8 1976 2005 O8
    Morocco 1995 1917 1999 2011 1917
    AgreemenL
    1930 1995
    Oman 2000 1999 2001 2005 2007
    roLocol
    2009 2007 2000
    Palestine
    Qatar 1996 2000 2011 2005 1996
    Saudi Arabia 2005 2004 2013 2005
    Sudan O8 1984 1984 1984
    AgreemenL
    O8
    Syrian Arab Republic O8 1924 2003 2004
    roLocol
    AgreemenL
    2008 O8
    Tunisia 1995 1884 2001 1930 1995
    United Arab Emirates 1996 1996 1999 2004 1996
    Yemen O8 2007 O8
    Source: WlPO, uvulluble from www.wlo.lnL.
    NoLes: denoLes member counLry, denoLes non-member counLry und O8 denoLes observer sLuLus. 1he duLes shown lndlcuLe Lhe
    yeurs of |olnlng u LreuLy.
    1RlPS ls shorL for 1rude-reluLed AsecLs of lnLellecLuul ProerLy RlghLs.
    86 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    counLry by fur Lo |oln lL ln 1884, whlle Yemen enucLed
    lL only ln 2007. 1he PC1 ls comuruLlvely well
    udoLed ln Lhe Arub reglon us umong Lhe selecLed
    elghLeen counLrles sLudled, eleven enucLed lL, us
    shown ln Luble 35. 1he WlPO CoyrlghL 1reuLy (WC1),
    Lhe Mudrld AgreemenL Concernlng Lhe lnLernuLlonul
    ReglsLruLlon of Murks, Lhe Hugue AgreemenL
    Concernlng Lhe lnLernuLlonul ReglsLruLlon of
    lndusLrlul Leslgns, und Lhe PuLenL Luw 1reuLy (PL1)
    ure slgned by few counLrles ln Lhe Arub reglon.
    1he overull sLuLus of Lhe lnLellecLuul roerLy
    luws ln Lhe Arub reglon hus noL urLlculurly evolved
    durlng Lhe lusL Lwo yeurs, Lhe only exceLlon belng
    LhuL Suudl Arublu |olned PL1 ln 2013. Omun, 8uhruln
    und Morocco ure Lhe counLrles mosL ullgned wlLh Lhe
    lnLernuLlonul LreuLles, LgyL, OuLur, 1unlslu, und Lhe
    UnlLed Arub LmlruLes ure uL un udvunced level, wlLh
    Lhe udoLlon of uL leusL Fve LreuLles ouL of Lhe elghL.
    (b) Software piracy
    1he lrucy of PC sofLwure ls u crlLlcul lssue for
    Lhe enubllng envlronmenL for bulldlng knowledge
    socleLy glven lLs neguLlve lmucL on Lhe economy.
    Accordlng Lo Lhe 8uslness SofLwure Alllunce SLudy
    ubllshed ln 2012, Lhe globul PC lrucy ruLe hovers
    at 42 er cenL, und Lhe commerclul vulue of Lhe
    lruLed sofLwure |umed from USs58.8 bllllon ln
    2010 Lo USs63.4 bllllon ln 2011.
    147
    Moreover, uL Lhe
    globul level, only 38 er cenL of eole declured LhuL
    Lhey huve never ucqulred lruLed sofLwure, 9 per
    cenL udmlLLed LhuL Lhey ure uslng lruLed sofLwure
    mosL of Lhe Llme, 26 er cenL uslng lL rurely und 17
    er cenL occuslonully.
    ln Lhe Arub reglon, Lhe uveruge of Lhe lrucy
    ruLe lncreused by 0.3 er cenL ln 2011 ln comurlson
    wlLh lLs vulue ln 2010 reuchlng 66 er cenL, whlch
    ls hlgher Lhun Lhe world uveruge uL 42 er cenL,
    TABLE 36. Software piracy rates and commercial value of unlicensed
    software in selected Arab countries
    Country
    Software piracy rates
    (Percentage)
    Commercial value of unlicensed software
    (Millions of USs)
    2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011
    United Arab Emirates 36 36 37 155 173 208
    Qatar 51 49 50 50 52 62
    Saudi Arabia 51 52 51 304 414 449
    Bahrain 54 54 54 21 22 23
    Jordan 57 57 58 26 28 31
    Kuwait 60 60 59 62 68 72
    Oman 63 62 61 39 33 36
    Egypt 59 60 61 146 196 172
    Morocco 66 65 66 64 75 91
    Lebanon 72 72 71 46 49 52
    Tunisia 72 72 74 44 52 51
    Algeria 84 83 84 55 69 83
    Iraq 85 85 86 129 147 172
    Yemen 90 90 89 10 12 15
    Libya 88 88 90 25 74 60
    Arab (average / total) 65.9 65.7 66.0 1,176 1,464 1,577
    World (average / total) 43 42 42 51,443 58,754 63,456
    Source: 8SA, 2012.
    87
    us shown ln Luble 36. ln four Arub counLrles, Lhe
    lrucy ruLe lncreused by 1 er cenL ln 2011, whlle lL
    lncreused by 2 er cenL ln Llbyu und 1unlslu, whlch
    mlghL be due Lo Lhe ollLlcul lnsLublllLy ln Lhese
    counLrles. 1he lrucy ruLe, however, decreused by 1
    er cenL ln slx counLrles, numely KuwulL, Lebunon,
    Omun, Suudl Arublu, UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, und
    Yemen. Only 8uhruln hus remulned uL Lhe sume
    lrucy ruLe slnce 2009.
    1he commerclul vulue of Lhe unllcensed
    sofLwure lncreused ln mosL of Lhe counLrles, wlLh
    Lhe exceLlon of 1unlslu und Llbyu. 1hls lncreuse
    ls mulnly due Lo Lhe exunslon of Lhe sofLwure
    murkeL ln Lhese counLrles, us lL ls shown ln Lhe cuse
    of UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, where Lhe commerclul
    vulue of sofLwure lrucy ls esLlmuLed uL USs208
    mllllon, whlle lL ls u reluLlvely smull counLry wlLh
    u lrucy ruLe of only 35 er cenL. Moreover, whlle
    Suudl Arublu occules Lhe Lhlrd oslLlon ln Lhe Arub
    reglon ln Lerms of lrucy ruLe wlLh 51 er cenL, lL hus
    Lhe lurgesL commerclul vulue of sofLwure lrucy ln
    Lhe reglon becuuse of lLs huge sofLwure murkeL. lL
    ls lnLeresLlng Lo noLe LhuL Lhe commerclul vulue of
    unllcensed sofLwure ln Lhe FfLeen Arub counLrles
    consLlLuLes only 2.48 er cenL of Lhe comuruble
    globul murkeL.
    As dlscussed ln Lhe revlous edlLlon of Lhls
    roFle, sofLwure lrucy hus u neguLlve economlc
    lmucL ln Lerms of |ob creuLlon, losL CLP und Lux
    revenues. 1hls ls becuuse sofLwure dlsLrlbuLlon
    und servlces ure essenLlully locul counLry-seclFc
    ucLlvlLles.
    (c) Cyberlegislation
    CyberleglsluLlon ls cruclul for bulldlng
    lnformuLlon socleLy und knowledge-bused economy
    ln Lhe Arub reglon.
    148
    CyberleglsluLlon covers vurlous
    ureus us sLuLed ln Lhe LSCWA Cyber LeglsluLlon
    LlrecLlves.
    149
    Some of Lhese ureus, numely
    e-LrunsucLlon und e-commerce, ure for reguluLlng
    Lhe udmlnlsLruLlve und commerclul lnLerucLlons
    beLween omclul ubllc und rlvuLe lnsLlLuLes und
    beLween clLlzens und lnsLlLuLes. OLher ureus cover
    Lhe roLecLlon of lndlvlduuls und lnsLlLuLlons from
    Lhe mlsuse of Lhe cybersuce und Lhe roLecLlon of
    ersonul duLu und humun rlghLs on Lhe cybersuce.
    ln uddlLlon Lo Lhe menLloned ureus, lL ls worLh
    noLlng LhuL Yemen ls Lhe only Arub counLry LhuL
    udoLed u luw on Lhe rlghL of uccess Lo lnformuLlon,
    numely Luw 13, in 2012. 1hls luw fuclllLuLes Lhe
    uccess Lo lnformuLlon, exunds Lhe freedom of
    exresslon und enhunces Lrunsurency.
    (i) E-transaction and e-commerce laws
    Slnce 2011, Arub counLrles huve mude
    rogress ln Lhls Feld. lruq udoLed un
    e-LrunsucLlon luw ln 2011, und, durlng 2011-
    2013, muny Arub counLrles, numely Algerlu,
    KuwulL, Lebunon, und PulesLlne, huve reured
    very udvunced drufL luws coverlng e-slgnuLure,
    e-LrunsucLlon und e-commerce. Among Lhe
    slx cyberleglsluLlon ureus, e-LrunsucLlon und
    e-commerce ure Lhe mosL udvunced ureu ln
    Lhe Arub reglon. ln fucL, muny Arub counLrles,
    lncludlng LgyL und Syrlun Arub Reubllc,
    udoLed luws reluLed Lo e-slgnuLure only,
    oLhers udoLed luws coverlng e-slgnuLure und
    e-LrunsucLlon, lncludlng 1ordun und Suudl Arublu,
    whlle seven oLher Arub counLrles udoLed
    luws coverlng Lhe Lhree ureus, e-slgnuLure,
    e-LrunsucLlon und e-commerce, numely 8uhruln,
    lruq, Morocco, OuLur, Lhe Sudun, 1unlslu, und
    UnlLed Arub LmlruLes. lL ls worLh noLlng LhuL
    Yemen ls Lhe only counLry LhuL udoLed u
    seclFc e-uymenL luw ln 2006, whlle some
    oLher counLrles, lncludlng 1ordun und 1unlslu,
    huve lncluded urLlcles reluLed Lo e-uymenL ln
    Lhelr e-LrunsucLlon luws. 1he CenLrul 8unk of
    Lebunon hus ulso udoLed reguluLlons reluLed
    Lo e-uymenL. 1uble 37 shows Lhe sLuLus of
    e-slgnuLure, e-LrunsucLlon und e-commerce luws
    ln selecLed Arub counLrles.
    (ii) Personal data protection and cybercrime
    Personul duLu roLecLlon luws ure sLlll lucklng
    ln Lhe Arub reglon ln generul, only u few counLrles
    huve u seclFc luw for roLecLlng ersonul duLu,
    150

    numely 1unlslu (Luw 63j2004), Morocco (Luw 09-
    08j2009) und UnlLed Arub LmlruLes (Luw 1j2007
    on ersonul duLu roLecLlon). lew oLher counLrles
    lncluded chuLers und urLlcles on Lhe roLecLlon
    of ersonul duLu ln oLher cyberluws. Omun, for
    88 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    lnsLunce, lncluded urLlcles ln lLs e-1runsucLlon Luw
    69j2008, und Yemen ln lLs lnformuLlon luw LhuL
    wus udoLed ln 2009 us well us Luw 13j2012 that
    lncludes urLlcles on rlvucy. 1he drufL Lebunese
    luw on lnformuLlon Lechnology ulso lncludes u
    seclFc chuLer on ersonul duLu roLecLlon,
    und ln KuwulL, Lhe drufL of un e-LrunsucLlon luw
    conLulns numerous urLlcles coverlng ersonul duLu
    roLecLlon usecLs. A number of Arub counLrles
    huve drufL luws on ersonul duLu roLecLlon,
    lncludlng Syrlun Arub Reubllc, whlch hus un
    udvunced drufL. Algerlu und 1ordun ure ulso
    currenLly reurlng ersonul duLu roLecLlon luws.
    Arub governmenLs ure uwure of Lhe lmorLunce
    of combuLlng cybercrlme und Lhe need for seclul
    luws on Lhls sub|ecL ln order Lo mlLlguLe Lhe
    dungers of cybersuce. ln 2013, slx Arub counLrles
    huve seclFc luws on cybercrlme, numely 1ordun,
    Omun, Suudl Arublu, Lhe Sudun, Syrlun Arub
    Reubllc, und UnlLed Arub LmlruLes. Omun und
    TABLE 37. Status of e-signature, e-transaction and e-commerce laws
    in selected Arab countries
    Country / Law e-Signature e-Transaction e-Commerce
    Algeria LrufL luw LrufL luw LrufL luw
    Bahrain Yes, Luw 28j2002 Yes, Luw 28j2002 Yes, Luw 28j2002
    Egypt Yes, Luw 15j2004 LrufL luw LrufL luw
    Iraq Yes, 2011 Yes, 2011 Yes, 2011
    Jordan Yes, Luw 85j2001 Yes, Luw 85j2001 ..
    Kuwait AdoLed drufL luw* LrufL luw ..
    Lebanon LrufL luw LrufL luw LrufL luw
    Libya .. .. ..
    Morocco Yes, Luw 53-05j2007 Yes, Luw 53-05j2007 Yes, Luw 53-05j2007
    Oman Yes, Luw 69j2008 Yes, Luw 69j2008 ..
    Palestine LrufL luw LrufL luw ..
    Qatar Yes, Luw 16j2010 Yes, Luw 16j2010 Yes, Luw 16j2010
    Saudi Arabia Yes, Luw 18 j2007 Yes, Luw 18 j2007 ..
    Sudan Yes, 2007 Yes, 2007 Yes, 2007
    Syrian Arab Republic Yes, Luw 4j2009 LrufL luw LrufL luw
    Tunisia Yes, Luw 83j2000 Yes, Luw 83j2000 Yes, Luw 83j2000
    United Arab Emirates Yes, Luw 1j2006 Yes, Luw 1j2006 Yes, Luw 1j2006
    Yemen PurLly, e-PuymenL Luw 40j2006 PurLly, e-PuymenL Luw 40j2006 ..
    Source: ReorLs of Lhe LSCWA ro|ecL on cyberleglsluLlon, uvulluble from http:jjlser.escwu.un.orgjlocusAreusj
    CyberLeglsluLlonjPro|ecLsjLubldj161jlunguugejen-USjLefuulL.usx.
    NoLe: * 1he NuLlonul Assembly of KuwulL udoLed u drufL luw on e-LrunsucLlon on 4 1une 2013.
    See: hLL:jjwww.kunu.neL.kwjArLlcleLeLulls.usx?ld=23149888lunguuge=en.
    89
    Syrlun Arub Reubllc udoLed Lhelr luws durlng
    Lhe lusL Lwo yeurs. 1hree Arub counLrles, numely
    8uhruln, KuwulL und Yemen, huve drufL cybercrlme
    luws LhuL wlll be udoLed ln 2013 or 2014. PulesLlne
    chose Lo udd u chuLer on cybercrlme Lo lLs enul
    code, whlle ln 8uhruln, Morocco und 1unlslu, Lhe
    e-LrunsucLlon luw conLulns urLlcles ussocluLed Lo
    cybercrlme (see Luble 32 for more deLulls).
    ln Omun, u cybercrlme luw wus romulguLed
    under Royul Lecree No. 12j2011 us Lhe FrsL
    lnLegruLed luw curblng l1 crlme. lL wus declured Lo
    comlemenL und crown Lhe greuL eorLs exerLed
    by Lhe SulLunuLe ln ull lLs unlLs und ugencles Lo
    uddress l1 crlme. 1he romulguLlon of Lhls luw wus
    Lhe resulL of u greuL eorL of reseurch und sLudy of
    lnLernuLlonul exerlences whlch lusLed more Lhun
    Lwo yeurs.
    ln Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc, Luw No. 17j2012
    becume eecLlve on 8 lebruury 2012, und lL covers
    vurlous usecLs of cybercrlme, lncludlng hucklng,
    mlmlcklng webslLes, lnLerceLlng lnformuLlon,
    deslgnlng und uslng mullclous sofLwure,
    sendlng sum, onllne fruud, lllegul onllne use of
    uymenL curds, und rlvucy vloluLlon. PenulLles,
    lncludlng lmrlsonmenL und Fnes, ure lndlcuLed
    for euch cluss of e-crlme. 1he Luw rovldes for
    Lhe esLubllshmenL of u luw enforcemenL enLlLy
    seclullzed ln cybercrlme uslng dlglLul evldence
    Lhrough elecLronlc lnvesLlguLlon us well us seurch
    und selzure of lC1 equlmenL und sofLwure.
    2. Domain name management
    1he counLry code Lo-level domuln (cc1LL) ls
    munuged by Lelecom reguluLory uuLhorlLles ln slx
    Arub counLrles, numely 8uhruln, lruq, Morocco,
    Omun, Suudl Arublu, und Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes,
    or by nuLlonul uuLhorlLles us ls Lhe cuse ln 1ordun
    und Syrlun Arub Reubllc (see Luble 38). ln KuwulL,
    PulesLlne und OuLur, Lhe governmenL ls resonslble
    for cc1LL. Only Algerlu und Lebunon ure sLlll keelng
    Lhe overull resonslblllLy of Lhe cc1LL uL reseurch
    und educuLlonul cenLres. Omun wus Lhe mosL recenL
    counLry Lo move Lhe munugemenL of cc1LL from
    Lhe oeruLor (OmunLel) Lo Lhe 1RA us sLluluLed ln
    Lhe 1elecom AcL. ln order for 1RA Lo fully ursue
    Lhls funcLlon, Lhe cc1LL lnfrusLrucLure (reglsLry und
    domuln numes sysLem) wus deloyed wlLhln Lhe 1RA
    in 2011.
    1he use of Lhe Arublc scrlL ln domuln numes
    uddresslng hus Lhe oLenLlul Lo lncreuse Lhe number
    of lnLerneL users ln Lhe Arub counLrles und enuble
    greuLer uccess of Lhe lnLerneL. 1he number of Arub
    counLrles deloylng Arublc domuln nume sysLems
    hus lncreused from seven ln 2011 Lo eleven ln 2013.
    CurrenLly, Lhe followlng counLrles huve ulreudy u
    reglsLered Arublc cc1LL: Algerlu, LgyL, 1ordun,
    Omun, PulesLlne, OuLur, Suudl Arublu, Lhe Sudun,
    Syrlun Arub Reubllc, 1unlslu, und Lhe UnlLed Arub
    LmlruLes.
    ln Lebunon, Lhe number of reglsLered domulns
    lncreused from 2,812 in 2008 to 3,413 in 2012, whlle
    ln Syrlun Arub Reubllc, Lhe number of cc1LL
    reglsLered ln Lhe NuLlonul Agency for NeLwork
    Servlces reuched 1,345 uL Lhe end of 2012, whlle
    Lhe number of reglsLruLlons under Arublc cc1LL
    is 102 uL Lhe sume duLe. ln Yemen, Lhe number of
    cc1LL reglsLruLlons wus only 50 by Lhe end of 2010,
    und lL uLLulned 84 by Lhe end of 2012. ln Lhe Sudun,
    Lhe number of domulns reglsLered beLween 2008
    und 2012 reuched 7,154. ln 1unlslu, Lhe number of
    reglsLered domulns lncreused from 4,466 in 2008 to
    14,199 in 2012.
    151
    AL Lhe globul level, lL ls worLh noLlng LhuL, whlle Lhe
    ercenLuge of Lhe cc1LL domuln nume reglsLruLlon
    ls lncreuslng, Lhe generlc Lo-level domuln (g1LL),
    und eseclully .com domuln nume reglsLruLlons, sLlll
    domlnuLe Lhe domuln nume lndusLry murkeL.
    152
    8y
    Lhe end of 2012, domuln nume reglsLruLlons ucross
    ull Lhe 1LLs reuched 252 mllllon, whlle Lhe cc1LL
    reglsLruLlons for ull counLrles reuched 110.2 mllllon.
    1he .com und .neL 1LLs reuched u comblned LoLul of
    uroxlmuLely 121.1 mllllon.
    3. Standardization in ICT
    LorLs leudlng Lo sLundurdlzuLlon ln lC1 uL Lhe
    nuLlonul level vury umong Arub counLrles. Whlle some
    focus on Lhe lnLeroerublllLy of e-governmenL servlces,
    oLhers focus on Lhe develomenL of sofLwure und lC1
    equlmenL, und uguln oLhers focus on bulldlng cuuclLy
    und uwureness on Lhe lmorLunce of lC1 sLundurds.
    90 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    8y 2013, Lwo sLundurdlzuLlon ro|ecLs
    were underwuy ln Lebunon: Lhe FrsL on Lhe
    lnLeroerublllLy beLween Lwo mlnlsLrles, numely
    Lhe MlnlsLry of Publlc HeulLh und Lhe MlnlsLry of
    LducuLlon und Hlgher LducuLlon, und Lhe second
    ulmlng uL deFnlng Lhe Lebunese CovernmenL
    lnLeroerublllLy lrumework. 1hls lrumework wlll
    be bullL on Lhe Fve-luyer model of lnLeroerublllLy
    recommended ln Lhe Luroeun lnLeroerublllLy
    lrumework (Lll) for Luroeun Publlc Servlces.
    1hese Fve luyers ure ollLlcul, legul, orgunlzuLlonul,
    semunLlc, und Lechnlcul.
    153
    ln LgyL, Lhe SofLwure Lnglneerlng ComeLence
    CenLre (SLCC) LhuL romoLes und suorLs Lhe
    develomenL of l1 lndusLry Lhrough Lhe udoLlon
    of lnLernuLlonul sLundurds hus Lrulned over 14,000
    Lrulnees und reglsLered more Lhun 150 rocess
    lmrovemenL consulLuLlons Llll 2013. lL ls worLh
    olnLlng ouL LhuL, so fur, SLCC hus recelved 49
    CuublllLy MuLurlLy Model lnLegruLlon (CMMl)
    urulsuls worldwlde.
    ln Omun, Lhe Omun e-CovernmenL ArchlLecLure
    lrumework (OeCAl) serves us u gulde for Lhe
    develomenL, deloymenL und oeruLlons of
    TABLE 38. Entities in charge of managing ccTLD in the Arab region
    Country / Law ccTLD Entity in charge of managing ccTLD Entity type
    Algeria .dz CLRlS1, Reseurch CenLre of SclenLlFc und 1echnlcul
    lnformuLlon (CLRlS1), MlnlsLry of Hlgh LducuLlon und
    SclenLlFc Reseurch
    Reseurch cenLre
    Bahrain .bh 1elecommunlcuLlon ReguluLory AuLhorlLy ReguluLory uuLhorlLy
    Egypt .eg LgyLlun UnlverslLles NeLwork (LUN) LducuLlonul
    Iraq .lq CommunlcuLlons und Medlu Commlsslon (CMC) ReguluLory uuLhorlLy
    Jordan .|o NuLlonul lnformuLlon 1echnology CenLre NuLlonul uuLhorlLy
    Kuwait .kw MlnlsLry of CommunlcuLlons CovernmenL
    Lebanon .lb Amerlcun UnlverslLyof 8elruL ComuLlng Servlces LducuLlonul
    Morocco .mu NuLlonul Agency of 1elecommunlcuLlons ReguluLlon
    (ANR1)
    ReguluLory uuLhorlLy
    Oman .om 1elecommunlcuLlons ReguluLory AuLhorlLy ReguluLory uuLhorlLy
    Palestine .ps MlnlsLry of 1elecommunlcuLlon und lnformuLlon
    1echnology, CovernmenL ComuLer CenLre
    CovernmenL
    Qatar .qu Sureme Councll of lC1 (lC1 OuLur) CovernmenL
    Saudi Arabia .sa CommunlcuLlons und l1 Commlsslon (Cl1C) ReguluLory uuLhorlLy
    Sudan .sd Sudun lnLerneL SocleLy PrlvuLe secLor
    Syrian Arab Republic .sy NuLlonul Agency for NeLwork Servlces NuLlonul uuLhorlLy
    Tunisia .tn 1unlslun lnLerneL Agency lSP
    United Arab Emirates .ae 1elecom ReguluLory AuLhorlLy ReguluLory uuLhorlLy
    Yemen .ye 1eleYemen 1elecom oeruLor
    Source: 1he lnLerneL Asslgned Numbers AuLhorlLy (lANA) us of 1uly 2013. See: hLL:jjwww.lunu.org.
    91
    lnformuLlon sysLems of Lhe vurlous enLlLles wlLhln Lhe
    CovernmenL of Omun. OeCAl conslsLs of four muln
    Lyes of urchlLecLure: buslness urchlLecLure, soluLlon
    urchlLecLure, lnformuLlon urchlLecLure, und Lechnlcul
    urchlLecLure. ln Lecember 2011, Lhe e-KlL for OeCAl
    wus mude uccesslble Lo ull governmenL lnsLlLuLlons
    Lhrough Lhe lnLerneL und Lhe governmenL neLwork.
    ln 2012, Lhe NuLlonul lnformuLlon CenLre ln Lhe
    Sudun currled ouL u serles of cuuclLy-bulldlng
    workshos on Lhe sLundurds for lC1 lnfrusLrucLure,
    sofLwure, und e-governmenL webslLes.
    4. ICT investments and government-supported
    facilitation measures
    (a) Venture capital and foreign direct investment
    1he uvullublllLy of venLure culLul (vC) ls essenLlul
    for romoLlng lnnovuLlon und enLrereneurshl.
    AlLhough u number of Arub counLrles huve esLubllshed
    vC uL Lhe nuLlonul level, Lhe overull lcLure ln Lhe
    reglon ls noL romlslng us mosL counLrles ure sLlll
    lucklng Lhe uvullublllLy of such fuclllLles. LxceL for
    KuwulL, Lhe CCC counLrles ure leuders ln Lhe Arub
    reglon uccordlng Lo Lhe survey of Lhe WLl for 2011-
    2012 (see Luble 39). 1unlslu, 1ordun, LgyL, Morocco
    und Lebunon follow Lhe CCC counLrles ln Lhe
    uvullublllLy of vC, followed by KuwulL. 1he grou of
    counLrles wlLh Lhe lowesL uvullublllLy of vC comrlses
    Llbyu, Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc, Yemen, und Algerlu.
    ln comurlson wlLh Lhe yeurs 2011-2012, few Arub
    counLrles, lncludlng Omun, 1ordun und Algerlu, huve
    mude sllghL rogress ln Lhe scorlng us well us ln Lhe
    runklng of vC uvullublllLy, whlle oLher counLrles,
    lncudlng 8uhruln, Suudl Arublu, Morocco, und Yemen
    wlLnessed u decreuse ln vC uvullublllLy.
    1he quesLlon of Lhe WLl reluLed Lo lLl ln lLs survey
    wus 1o whuL exLenL does lLl brlng Lechnology lnLo
    your counLry? 1uble 40 shows Lhe score und runklng
    of Lhe Arub counLrles for Lhe 2011-2012 und 2010-2011
    TABLE 39. Perception of venture capital availability in selected Arab countries
    Country
    2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013
    Score Ranking (142) Score Ranking (144) Score Ranking (148)
    Qatar 5.4 1 4.7 1 4.5 2
    United Arab Emirates 4.0 13 4.1 8 4.1 10
    Oman 3.9 16 3.8 14 3.9 14
    Bahrain 4.2 8 4.3 7 3.8 15
    Saudi Arabia 4.2 7 3.7 18 3.4 25
    Tunisia 3.1 35 .. .. 3.0 44
    Jordan 2.7 62 2.9 48 3.0 45
    Egypt 3.0 41 3.0 40 2.9 51
    Morocco 3.3 30 3.0 38 2.8 56
    Lebanon 2.7 60 2.7 63 2.7 62
    Kuwait 3.4 25 3.0 41 2.6 71
    Algeria 2.1 110 1.8 138 2.0 123
    Libya .. .. 2.3 93 2.0 128
    Yemen 2.6 67 2.3 98 1.9 134
    Syrian Arab Republic 2.1 107 .. .. .. ..
    Arab (average / total) 3.3 3.2 3.0
    World (average / total) 2.7 2.7 2.7
    Source: WLl, 2010b, 2011b und 2012b.
    NoLe: 1wo doLs (..) lndlcuLe LhuL duLu ure noL uvulluble.
    92 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    surveys. lL ls cleur from Lhls Luble LhuL Lhe uvullublllLy
    of lLl ln Arub counLrles hus Lhe sume roFle us Lhe vC.
    UnlLed Arub LmlruLes und 1ordun huve slgnlFcunLly
    lmroved Lhelr runklng ln comurlson wlLh 2011-2012,
    whereus Lhe runklngs of Omun, LgyL, Lebunon, und
    Llbyu huve conslderubly decreused.
    As un exumle of lLl ro|ecLs reluLed Lo sofLwure
    und l1 servlces ln Lhe Arub reglon, whlle few duLu
    ure uvulluble on Lhe number of Lhese ro|ecLs, lL ls
    reorLedLhuL, umong Lhe 7,553 lLl ro|ecLs lnlLluLed
    beLween 2007 und 2011, only 254 (3.4 er cenL) were
    desLlned for four Arub counLrles und dlsLrlbuLed us
    follows: 172 ro|ecLs for Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, 29
    for LgyL, 27 for Morocco, und 26 for 1unlslu.
    (b) Entrepreneurship, innovation and incubators
    1he Cll, us deflned by lNSLAL und WlPO,
    154

    ls one of Lhe mosL relluble meusuremenL of Lhe
    lnnovuLlon und enLrereneurshl ecosysLem uL
    nuLlonul level, us lL delcLs Lhe lmlemenLuLlon of
    Lhe counLry's ollcy for Lhe romoLlon of creuLlon
    und lnnovuLlon und descrlbes Lhe lmucL of such
    ollcles. ln fucL, lL ls comosed of Lwo sublndlces:
    Lhe flrsL meusures Lhe lnnovuLlon lnuL, numely
    lnsLlLuLlons, humun culLul, lnfrusLrucLure, murkeL,
    und buslness sohlsLlcuLlon, und Lhe second
    sublndex meusures Lhe lnnovuLlon ouLuLs,
    numely knowledge und Lechnology ouLuLs und
    creuLlve ouLuLs.
    Accordlng Lo Lhe 2013 Cll, only four CCC
    counLrles occuy runklngs umong Lhe Lo flfLy
    worldwlde, und none of Lhem ls ln Lhe Lo LhlrLy,
    whlch meuns LhuL, ulLhough some CCC esLubllshed
    venLure culLul funds huve succeeded Lo uLLrucL
    lnvesLmenL ln Lechnology, Lhe ecosysLem for
    lnnovuLlon und enLrereneurshl sLlll requlres
    TABLE 40. Scores and rankings of selected Arab countries on FDI and technology transfer
    Country
    2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013
    Score* Ranking (142) Score* Ranking (144) Score* Ranking (148)
    United Arab Emirates 5.5 10 5.7 6 5.9 2
    Qatar 6.1 2 6.1 2 5.8 4
    Saudi Arabia 5.5 8 5.5 8 5.5 8
    Bahrain 5.3 18 5.5 11 5.3 10
    Jordan 4.9 51 5.0 39 5.1 28
    Oman 4.9 46 4.9 45 4.9 48
    Morocco 4.9 54 4.9 46 4.7 61
    Tunisia 5.2 25 .. .. 4.6 70
    Egypt 4.7 67 4.6 75 4.2 100
    Algeria 3.8 123 3.4 140 3.6 128
    Lebanon 4.0 112 3.9 117 3.6 129
    Yemen 2.7 142 3.2 144 3.5 140
    Kuwait 3.4 135 3.3 142 3.2 144
    Libya .. .. 3.6 136 3.0 148
    Arab (average / total) 4.6 4.7 4.5
    World (average / total) 4.6 4.6 4.5
    Sources: WLl, 2010b, 2011b und 2012b.
    NoLes:
    *
    1hls ls bused on u seven-olnL LoLul score for Lhe survey quesLlon: 1o whuL exLenL does forelgn dlrecL lnvesLmenL (lLl) brlng
    new Lechnology lnLo your counLry?, whereby 1 = noL uL ull, und 7 = lLl ls u key source of new Lechnology.
    1wo doLs (..) lndlcuLe LhuL duLu ure noL uvulluble.
    93
    seclul uLLenLlon from governmenL, lnvesLors
    und rlvuLe secLor declslon-mukers. AddlLlonully,
    ulLhough CCC counLrles ueured ull LogeLher ln u
    block, Lhe reglonul runklngs ure more dlsersed.
    155

    As shown ln Luble 41, mosL Arub counLrles, wlLh
    Lhe exceLlon of KuwulL, 1unlslu und Yemen, huve
    beLLer runklngs ln Lhe lnnovuLlon lnuL sublndex us
    comured Lo Lhe Lhelr lnnovuLlon ouLuL sublndex,
    suld oLherwlse, Lhelr lnnovuLlon OuLuL RuLlo
    (lOR) ls slgnlflcunLly below 1, Lhe only exceLlon
    for 2013 ls KuwulL wlLh un lOR vulue of 1.03.
    1hls flndlng lmlles LhuL Arub counLrles huve Lo
    revlew Lhelr ollcles und sLruLegles Lo encouruge
    lnnovuLlon, knowledge lmucL und knowledge
    dlffuslon us well us Lo romoLe creuLlvlLy ln goods
    und servlces und onllne conLenL. One should ulso
    noLe LhuL only Lwo counLrles, numely Suudl Arublu
    (6) und KuwulL (5),obLulned beLLer runklngs ln
    2013 comured Lo 2012, ull oLher Arub counLrles
    huve droed, ofLen by slgnlflcunL umounLs (more
    Lhun Len runks) wheLher umong such hlgh-lncome
    CCC counLrles us Omun (-33), 8uhruln (-16) und
    OuLur (-10) or such uer-mlddle-lncome counLrles
    us Lebunon (-14), Algerlu (-14) und 1unlslu (-11).
    lL ls noLuble LhuL Lhe Cll exllclLly ldenLlfled
    mosL Arub counLrles us undererformers
    comured Lo counLrles wlLh slmllur CLP
    levels. However, Lhere ls no one-slze flLs ull
    exlunuLlon. lor hlgh-lncome CCC counLrles,
    wlLh Lhe noLuble exceLlon of Suudl Arublu, Lhe
    roblem essenLlully lles wlLh whuL Lhe reorL
    dubs us Lhe urudox of lenLy where resource-
    exLrucLlng ucLlvlLles crowd ouL lnvesLmenL ln
    oLher roducLlve secLors und hlnder lnnovuLlon,
    sLlll Lhe reorL ls oslLlve wlLh u vlew Lo Lhese
    counLrles und execLs LhuL Lhey would llkely
    do beLLer ln Lhe yeurs Lo come becuuse of
    Lhelr nuLurul endowmenLs us muny of Lhem
    huve been dlverslfylng Lowurds lnnovuLlon-rlch
    secLors ulreudy. Such mlddle-lncome counLrles
    TABLE 41. Global Innovation Index, its input and output subindex
    in selected Arab countries
    Country
    Global Innovation
    Index 2013
    Innovation Input
    Subindex 2013
    Innovation Output
    Subindex 2013
    Global Innovation
    Index 2012
    Score Rank (142) Score Rank (142) Score Rank (142) Score Rank (141)
    United Arab Emirates 41.87 38 53.99 26 29.76 81 44.40 37
    Saudi Arabia 41.21 42 45.89 44 36.52 44 39.30 48
    Qatar 41.00 43 47.84 38 34.17 52 45.51 33
    Kuwait 40.02 50 39.48 74 40.56 36 37.19 55
    Jordan 37.30 61 42.06 61 32.54 63 37.13 56
    Bahrain 36.13 67 44.53 47 27.74 90 41.12 41
    Tunisia 35.82 70 38.12 80 33.51 59 36.51 59
    Lebanon 35.47 75 42.71 56 28.23 88 36.21 61
    Oman 33.25 80 43.28 53 23.22 111 39.50 4
    Morocco 30.89 92 35.34 90 26.45 99 30.65 88
    Egypt 28.48 108 33.81 101 23.15 112 27.88 103
    Syrian Arab Republic 23.73 134 32.84 105 14.63 140 23.12 132
    Algeria 23.11 138 31.62 112 14.61 141 24.38 124
    Sudan 19.81 141 26.51 136 13.11 142 16.81 141
    Yemen 19.32 142 23.86 141 14.79 139 19.14 139
    Arab average 32.49 38.79 26.20 33.26
    Source: lNSLAL und WlPO, 2012 und 2013.
    94 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    us Algerlu, Lebunon und LgyL mlghL need Lo
    develo Lhelr lnnovuLlon cuublllLles Lhrough u
    knowledge-bused growLh sLruLegy Lo encouruge
    lnnovuLlon und creuLlvlLy Lhrough u suorLlve
    ecosysLem.
    156
    1echnology und lC1 lncubuLors ure sreudlng
    ln Lhe Arub counLrles, und Lhey consLlLuLe Loduy
    un lmorLunL comonenL of Lhe lnnovuLlon
    und enLrereneurshl ecosysLem. ln Omun,
    Lhe governmenL esLubllshed, ln uddlLlon Lo Lhe
    Knowledge Ousls MuscuL, Lwo cenLres Lo romoLe
    lnnovuLlon ln Lhe lC1 secLor, numely Lhe CenLre
    for lndusLrlul lnnovuLlon und Lhe Self-emloymenL
    und NuLlonul AuLonomous LevelomenL (SANAL)
    rogrumme. 1he flrsL ulms Lo creuLe u culLure
    of lnnovuLlon und reseurch und ucLlvuLe lL ln Lhe
    lndusLrlul secLors of Omun, us well us Lo bulld
    cuuclLy Lhrough Lhe lnLegruLlon of new sclenLlflc
    und Lechnologlcul skllls. 1he SANAL rogrumme
    ulms uL Lhe creuLlon of gulnful emloymenL und
    buslness oorLunlLy for Lhe counLry's youLh by
    elecLronlcully dellverlng lC1-enubled servlces from
    governmenL und cororuLes Lo Lhe ubllc.
    ln Lebunon, 8eryLech
    157
    ls Lhe flrsL fuclllLy Lo
    offer enLrereneurlul exerlence, Lechnologlcul
    lnnovuLlon, menLorlng und buslness muLchlng,
    und reseurch und develomenL. ln 2013, 8eryLech,
    ln urLnershl wlLh lnLel, luunched Arub lnLerns,
    whlch ls un lnnovuLlve luLform deslgned Lo
    connecL college sLudenLs und fresh gruduuLes wlLh
    growlng comunles ln Lhe Culf und MLNA reglons
    Lhrough lnLernshls. Lurlng Lhe yeur 2012, the
    LoLul vulue of Lhe lnvesLmenL ro|ecLs flnunced
    by Lhe lnvesLmenL LevelomenL AuLhorlLy
    of Lebunon (lLAL), whlch ls u governmenL
    lnvesLmenL fund, wus worLh uroxlmuLely
    USs248 mllllon. 1hls umounL wus rovlded
    for Lhe romoLlon of lnvesLmenLs ln Lebunon
    und suorLed und rovlded lncenLlves und
    fuclllLles Lhrough Lhe uuLhorlLy's one-sLo sho
    for llcenslng. ln uddlLlon, 8elruL LlglLul LlsLrlcL
    (8LL)
    158
    wus lnuuguruLed ln 2012, whlch ulms uL
    creuLlng un ecosysLem of l1 lnfrusLrucLure couled
    wlLh servlces where lC1 comunles cun lncreuse
    Lhelr roducLlvlLy und comeLlLlveness.
    B. Classication and ranking of ESCWA
    member countries according to maturity level
    1. Maturity level 1: Iraq, Libya, Palestine, the
    Sudan, and Yemen
    Arub counLrles uL Lhls muLurlLy level do noL huve
    Lhe necessury legul und reguluLory frumeworks
    needed Lo suorL Lhe lC1 secLor und roLecL
    consumers, exhlblL oor enforcemenL of exlsLlng
    luws, suer from very hlgh sofLwure lrucy ruLes,
    und luck lnlLluLlves for lC1 sLundurdlzuLlon. ln
    uddlLlon, lnvesLmenL funds und enLrereneurshl
    ure sLlll oor.
    Whlle Lhe Sudun hus slgned u number of
    lnLernuLlonul LreuLles und hus udoLed u fulr
    cyberleglsluLlon frumework whlch could euslly
    quullfy lL uL Lhe second level of muLurlLy, lL wus
    downgruded Lo Lhls muLurlLy level owlng Lo u luck
    of duLu from nuLlonul und lnLernuLlonul sources
    on Lhe counLry, revenLlng u fulr ussessmenL und
    comurlson wlLh oLher counLrles.
    2. Maturity level 2: Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon,
    Morocco, and Syrian Arab Republic
    CounLrles uL Lhls muLurlLy level huve u
    moderuLe level ln ollLlcul und reguluLory
    frumework und ln buslness lnnovuLlon
    envlronmenL. 1hey huve slgned u fulr number of
    lnLernuLlonul ugreemenLs or LreuLles reluLed Lo lPR
    und uLenLs, und Lhey huve few luws reguluLlng
    cybersuce, wlLh modesL rogress uchleved ln
    Lhe enforcemenL of cyberluws. 1he suorLlng
    meusures for Lhe romoLlon of lnvesLmenL ln Lhe
    lC1 secLor ure sLlll moderuLe, und Lhe sume ulles
    for Lhelr lnnovuLlon ecosysLem.
    LgyL moved down Lo Lhls level from level
    three in 2011 becuuse of Lhe dro ln Lhe enubllng
    envlronmenL sublndex, lLl und lnnovuLlon lndex
    und Lhe lncreuse of Lhe lrucy ruLe.
    3. Maturity level 3: Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Saudi
    Arabia, and Tunisia
    1hese counLrles huve u good ollLlcul und
    buslness lnnovuLlon envlronmenL und huve slgned
    95
    u reluLlvely good number of lnLernuLlonul
    ugreemenLs und LreuLles on lPR und uLenLs,
    Lhey huve ulso udoLed cyberluws coverlng
    e-LrunsucLlon, e-commerce und cybercrlme.
    AddlLlonully, Lhe lC1 secLor ln Lhese counLrles
    beneflLs from Lhe uvullublllLy of lLl und vC.
    1unlslu und Morocco ure new LSCWA member
    counLrles, und Lhey boLh huve u good legul und
    reguluLory frumework for Lhe develomenL of Lhe
    lnformuLlon socleLy us well us good lnvesLmenL
    envlronmenL for Lhe develomenL of Lhe lC1
    secLor.
    4. Maturity level 4: Qatar and United Arab
    Emirates
    1hls level lndlcuLes un udvunced level ln
    enubllng envlronmenL (umong Lhe 20 besL counLrles
    worldwlde uccordlng Lo Lhe enubllng envlronmenL
    sublndex of Lhe NRl), lncludlng legul frumework
    und lC1 lnvesLmenL cllmuLe. CounLrles uL Lhls level
    urLlcluLe ln mosL lnLernuLlonul ugreemenLs und
    LreuLles on lPR und uLenLs, huve medlum lrucy
    ruLes ln sofLwure, und huve cyberluws coverlng
    e-slgnuLure, e-LrunsucLlon und cybercrlme. 1hey
    ulso huve un udvunced munugemenL level of
    cc1LL und lmlemenLed u number of meusures for
    lmrovlng Lhe lnvesLmenL ln Lhe lC1 secLor ln Lhelr
    counLrles.
    C. Suggestions and recommendations
    1he followlng recommenduLlons uddress Lhe
    llmlLuLlons ln Lhe Arub reglon LhuL revenL Lhe
    esLubllshmenL of u muLure enubllng envlronmenL
    ln Lhe lurge mu|orlLy of lLs counLrles:
    (u) Pursue efforLs Lo develo, uduLe und comleLe
    un lnLegruLed uckuge of cyberleglsluLlon
    coverlng ull Lolcs reluLed Lo Lhe use of
    cybersuce und lLs ullcuLlons, und ullowlng Lo
    bulld confldence und LrusL ln cybersuce. Arub
    governmenLs should druw seclul uLLenLlon Lo
    cyberluws reluLed Lo ersonul duLu roLecLlon,
    consumer roLecLlon und e-uymenL,
    (b) Hurmonlze Lhe cyberleglsluLlon for romoLlng
    Lhe Arub reglonul knowledge socleLy,
    fuclllLuLlng Lhe cross-border use of e-servlces,
    und combuLlng cybercrlme ln Lhe reglon.
    CovernmenLs should ulso comly wlLh
    lnLernuLlonul convenLlons reluLed Lo lPR und
    cyberleglsluLlon und ruLlfy und |oln Lhose LhuL FL
    Lhe nuLlonul luws,
    (c) 8ulld cuuclLy of leglsluLors, |udges und luwyers
    on cyberleglsluLlon und orgunlze uwureness
    workshos on Lhe vurlous usecLs of Lhese
    luws. CovernmenLs should ulso uL ln luce
    rocedures und mechunlsms for enforclng und
    ulylng cyberleglsluLlon uL Lhe nuLlonul level,
    (d) PuL ln luce rocedures for uslng roerly
    llcensed sofLwure und for FghLlng Lhe uLlllzuLlon
    of lruLed sofLwure und romoLlng develomenL
    of sofLwure locully und reglonully,
    (e) Pursue eorLs for deFnlng nuLlonul lC1
    sLundurds ln llne wlLh Lhe lnLernuLlonul ones
    Lo guurunLee Lhe roducLlon of lnfrusLrucLures
    und sofLwure uccordlng Lo Lhe lnLernuLlonul
    sLundurds und Lo ensure lnLeroerublllLy
    beLween dlerenL lC1 ullcuLlons und
    e-governmenL servlces uL nuLlonul, subreglonul
    und reglonul levels,
    (f) Lncouruge ull nuLlonul sLukeholders Lo reglsLer
    Lhelr orLuls und webslLes under Lhe cc1LL und
    romoLe Lhe use of Arublc cc1LL,
    (g) Levelo Lhe slrlL of lnnovuLlon und
    enLrereneurshl ln Lhe lC1 secLor Lhrough
    Lhe creuLlon of lncubuLors und sclence und
    Lechnology urks und Lhrough esLubllshlng
    urorluLe llnkuge beLween reseurch und
    develomenL lnsLlLuLlons, lndusLry und
    lncubuLors,
    (h) Lncouruge lnvesLmenL ln lC1, esLubllshmenL
    of venLure culLul und funds Lo romoLe Lhe
    creuLlon of sLurL-us worklng ln Lhe Feld of lC1.
    96 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    TABLE 42. Ranking of ESCWA member countries by maturity level
    in establishing an enabling environment
    Country Maturity level 1 Maturity level 2 Maturity level 3 Maturity level 4
    2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013
    Bahrain
    Egypt
    Iraq
    Jordan
    Kuwait
    Lebanon
    Libya*
    Morocco*
    Oman
    Palestine
    Qatar
    Saudi Arabia
    Sudan
    Syrian Arab Republic
    Tunisia*
    United Arab Emirates
    Yemen
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA.
    NoLe: * No ussessmenL wus rovlded for Llbyu, Morocco und 1unlslu rlor Lo 2013 slnce Lhey only |olned LSCWA ln 2012.
    X
    Reglonul und
    international
    cooeruLlon VII
    lC1
    ullcuLlons
    99
    VII. ICT Applications
    A. Comparative analysis of ICT applications in
    governments
    Progress ln lmrovlng e-governmenL servlces
    ln Lhe Arub reglon conLlnued ln mosL counLrles
    in 2012 und 2013. However, counLrles fuclng
    ollLlcul lnsLublllLy ln Lhe lusL Lwo yeurs suered
    seLbucks und, ln some cuses, fullure of servlces
    us well us luck of duLu collecLlon for monlLorlng
    Lhe erformunce of e-servlces. 1hls secLlon relles
    exLenslvely ln lLs Fndlngs und concluslons on Lhe
    UnlLed NuLlons e-CovernmenL Survey 2012 und
    lLs e-CovernmenL LevelomenL lndex (LCLl).
    159

    1he overull concluslon LhuL emerges from Lhe 2012
    Survey, ullcuble Lo Lhe Arub reglon ln Loduy's
    unsLuble und, ln muny wuys, unsusLulnuble cllmuLe,
    ls LhuL, whlle lL ls lmorLunL Lo conLlnue wlLh
    servlce dellvery, governmenLs musL lncreuslngly
    begln Lo reLhlnk Lhelr ollcles ln Lerms of luclng
    greuLer emhusls on lnsLlLuLlonul llnkuges beLween
    und umong Lhe Llered governmenL sLrucLures ln
    order Lo creuLe synergles for lncluslve susLulnuble
    develomenL. An lmorLunL usecL of Lhls urouch
    ls Lo wlden Lhe scoe of e-governmenL for u
    LrunsformuLlve role of Lhe governmenL Lowurds
    coheslve, coordlnuLed und lnLegruLed rocesses
    und lnsLlLuLlons Lhrough whlch such susLulnuble
    develomenL should Luke luce. CovernmenLs
    should re-englneer Lhe enubllng envlronmenL for
    e-governunce Lo enuble lnsLlLuLlonul lnLerllnkuges
    wlLhln Lhe governmenL und romoLe coordlnuLlon
    und connecLlvlLy beLween ecosysLems und
    develomenL ouLcomes.
    ln Lhe ubsence of u more reglon-seclFc meLrlc
    for meusurlng e-governmenL erformunce, Lhe
    reorL uses Lhe LCLl, whlch ls u welghLed uveruge
    of Lhree normullzed scores of equul welghLs on
    Lhe mosL lmorLunL dlmenslons of e-governmenL,
    numely scoe und quullLy of onllne servlces,
    develomenL sLuLus of LelecommunlcuLlon
    lnfrusLrucLure, und lnherenL humun culLul. 1he
    orlglnul conLrlbuLlon of Lhe LCLl lles ln Lhe FrsL
    comonenL regurdlng Lhe scoe und quullLy of
    onllne servlces, Lhe oLher Lwo ure essenLlully bused
    on lndlcuLors borrowed from l1U on lnfrusLrucLure
    und UNLSCO on udulL llLerucy und educuLlon
    enrolmenL.
    1he FrsL lllur of Lhe LCLl meusures Lhe
    ercenLuge of lmlemenLuLlon of onllne governmenL
    servlces bused on Lhe four sLuges deFned by
    LLSA: emerglng (sLuge 1), enhunced (sLuge 2),
    LrunsucLlonul (sLuge 3), und connecLed (sLuge 4).
    160

    1hls lllur reecLs governmenL eorLs ln enhunclng
    onllne governmenL servlces, Lhus lmrovlng Lhelr
    overull LCLl score. 1uble 43 shows Lhe ercenLuges
    of Lhe onllne servlces lllur ln Lhe LSCWA member
    counLrles. 1here ls u slgnlFcunL lncreuse ln Lhe LoLuls
    uchleved by Lhe member counLrles ln Lerms of
    onllne governmenL servlces, whlch ls un lndlcuLlon
    of lncreused und more focused eorLs for Lhe
    rovlslon of more clLlzen-cenLrlc servlces LhuL cuLer
    for Lhe vurlous needs of lndlvlduuls. However, Lhe
    chunge ls ulso Lhe resulL of Lhe modlFed welghLs
    glven Lo Lhe dlerenL sLuges. 1he mosL noLuble
    chunge wus observed by Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes,
    100 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    whlch moved from u score of 20 er cenL ln 2010
    to 75 er cenL ln 2012, Lhus |olnlng 8uhruln ln Lhe
    FrsL runk umong Lhe member counLrles. 1he UnlLed
    Arub LmlruLes ls consldered un exumle of u besL
    rucLlce, urLlculurly LhuL Lhey huve worked for
    lnLegruLlng e-servlces, lnformuLlon und feuLures lnLo
    one e-governmenL orLul.
    ln 2012, mosL of Lhe LSCWA member counLrles
    runked hlgh ln sLuge 1, wlLh mosL uchlevlng u full
    score of 100 er cenL. Muny counLrles huve ulso
    scored well ln rovldlng enhunced lnformuLlon
    servlces uL sLuge 2. 1he CCC counLrles leud Lhe
    reglon ln Lerms of LrunsucLlonul lnformuLlon
    servlces uL sLuge 3, wlLh u noLuble lncreuse for
    Suudl Arublu from 13 er cenL ln 2010 to 77 per
    cenL ln 2012 us u resulL of lLs focused eorLs on
    oerlng lnLegruLed onllne governmenL servlces
    und lnLroduclng dlglLul verlFcuLlon of Lhe clLlzens'
    ldenLlLy.
    1uble 44 resenLs Lhe lndexes und runklngs of
    counLrles ln Lhe Arub reglon whlch ure groued lnLo
    CCC und non-CCC counLrles.
    161
    AL Lhe counLry level,
    Lhe blggesL lmrovemenL ln LCLl wus uchleved by
    Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes (37.3 er cenL), movlng
    u ln runklng from 49 to 28, OuLur (30 er cenL),
    movlng u from 62 to 48, Omun (29.9 er cenL),
    movlng from 82 to 64, und Suudl Arublu (29.5 per
    cenL), movlng ln runklng from 58 to 41. Chunges ure
    urLly due Lo chunges of urumeLers und welghLs
    whlch wenL lnLo Lhe LCLl comuLuLlon. ln uddlLlon,
    Lhe CCC subreglon ls conslderubly rlcher Lhun Lhe
    oLher subreglon wlLh ouluLlons conslderubly
    less Lhun even Lhe smullesL counLry ln Lhe resL of
    Lhe reglon. Slze und economlcs were mu|or fucLors
    lnuenclng Lhe resulLs obLulned by counLrles ln Lhls
    subreglon. PollLlcul sLublllLy ls un uddlLlonul fucLor.
    CounLrles LhuL suered u dro ln lndex und runklng
    lncluded 1ordun und 8uhruln, und counLrles whlch
    droed ln runklng lncluded KuwulL, Yemen und lruq
    Table 43. Ranking of selected Arab countries by total percentage of
    implementation of online government services, 2012 (Percentage)
    Country
    Stage 1:
    emerging
    Stage 2:
    enhanced
    Stage 3:
    transactional
    Stage 4:
    connected
    Total
    implementation*
    Bahrain 100 76 81 67 75
    United Arab Emirates 100 74 83 67 75
    Saudi Arabia 92 60 77 67 70
    Qatar 83 64 62 64 65
    Oman 92 64 48 57 58
    Egypt 100 64 27 57 53
    Kuwait 100 62 48 38 51
    Morocco 100 62 29 43 47
    Lebanon 100 62 17 38 42
    Tunisia 92 45 29 41 42
    Jordan 83 48 31 20 34
    Iraq 75 33 6 26 25
    Algeria 75 48 8 9 22
    Sudan 67 31 10 19 22
    Syrian Arab Republic 58 31 4 19 20
    Yemen 33 7 8 23 15
    Source: LLSA, 2012.
    NoLe: * 1he LoLul ercenLuge wus culculuLed by usslgnlng dlerenL welghLs Lo euch sLuge. SLuge 1 wus mulLllled by 0.07, stage 2 by
    0.24, stage 3 by 0.3, und sLuge 4 by 0.39.
    101
    us well us ull Arub counLrles ln NorLh Afrlcu. 1hls
    ls urLly due Lo ollLlcul lnsLublllLy, luck or llmlLed
    uvullublllLy of humun skllls, und modesL Fnunclul
    ullocuLlon Lo governmenL lnsLlLuLlons undergolng
    develomenL of comuLer-bused ullcuLlons
    for Lhelr servlces. 1he uveruge lndex of Lhe CCC
    subreglon (0.6543) for 2012 wus |usL over 20 er cenL
    hlgher Lhun LhuL of 2010, und 34 er cenL beLLer
    Lhun Lhe world uveruge.
    1he non-CCC uveruge lndex for 2012 (0.3948)
    wus 8.4 er cenL hlgher Lhun 2010 buL 19.1 er cenL
    below world uveruge. Lebunon comes FrsL when
    comured Lo counLrles ln Lhe LevunL reglon wlLh
    LCLl of 0.5139 und runklng of 87. 1unlslu, wlLh un
    LCLl of 0.4833, remulns Lhe leuder umong Arub
    counLrles ln NorLh Afrlcu, urLlculurly ln llghL of Lhe
    mu|or reglme chunges observed ln Lhree counLrles
    of LhuL reglon beLween 2011 und 2013.
    1he Arub reglon, us u whole, exhlblLed un
    lmrovemenL of Lhe lndex by 15 er cenL, mulnly
    drlven by Lhe lmresslve lmrovemenL of CCC
    counLrles, whlch hus led Lhe enLlre reglon Lo
    lmrove lLs globul lndex uveruge (u 0.8 er cenL of
    Lhe world uveruge from below 2.9 er cenL ln 2010)
    noLwlLhsLundlng Lhe reluLlve worsenlng of scores
    obLulned by non-CCC counLrles.
    TABLE 44. EGDI scores and rankings of the Arab region, 2010-2012
    Rank Country
    EGDI score EGDI ranking
    2012 2010
    Percentage
    change 2012 2010 Net change
    1 United Arab Emirates 0.7344 0.5349 37.3% 28 49 21 ^
    2 Bahrain 0.6946 0.7363 -5.7% 36 13 -23 j
    3 Saudi Arabia 0.6658 0.5142 29.5% 41 58 17 ^
    4 Qatar 0.6405 0.4928 30.0% 48 62 14 ^
    5 Kuwait 0.5960 0.5290 12.7% 63 50 -13 j
    6 Oman 0.5944 0.4576 29.9% 64 82 18 ^
    GCC average 0.6543 0.5441 20.2%
    7 Lebanon 0.5139 0.4388 17.1% 87 93 6 ^
    8 Jordan 0.4884 0.5278 -7.5% 98 51 -47 j
    9 Tunisia 0.4833 0.4826 0.1% 103 66 -37 j
    10 Egypt 0.4611 0.4518 2.1% 107 86 -21 j
    11 Morocco 0.4209 0.3287 28.0% 120 12 -108 j
    12 Syrian Arab Republic 0.3705 0.3103 19.4% 128 133 5 ^
    13 Algeria 0.3608 0.3181 13.4% 132 131 -1 j
    14 Iraq 0.3409 0.2996 13.8% 137 136 -1 j
    15 Sudan 0.2610 0.2542 2.7% 165 154 -11 j
    16 Yemen 0.2472 0.2154 14.8% 167 164 -3 j
    17 Libya NjA 0.3799 NjA NjA 114 NjA
    Non-GCC average 0.3948 0.3643 8.4%
    Arab region average 0.4921 0.4278 15%
    World average 0.4882 0.4406 10.8%
    Source: See: hLL:jjwww.un.orgjenjdevelomenLjdesujubllcuLlonsjconnecLlng-governmenLs-Lo-clLlzens.hLml.
    NoLe: NjA lndlcuLes LhuL duLu ure noL uvulluble.
    102 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    llgure 8 shows Lhe reluLlonshl beLween Lhe
    e-governmenL lndex for 2012 und Lhe CLP er
    culLu. As execLed, Lhe CCC counLrles ueured
    uL Lhe hlgher end of Lhe churL. 1he remulnlng
    counLrles clusLered close Lo euch oLher on Lhe lefL
    slde wlLh such counLrles us Lebunon, 1ordun und
    1unlslu ueurlng ln Lhe leud umongsL Lhe non-CCC
    counLrles.
    B. Comparative analysis of ICT applications in
    business and commerce
    1he lC1 lundscue ln Lhe Arub reglon ls evolvlng
    ln llghL of Lhe growlng number of lnLerneL users,
    lmroved uccess Lo lnLernuLlonul broudbund, Lhe ruld
    uLuke of smurL hones und moblle devlce, und Lhe
    sreud of soclul medlu rovldlng more ublqulLous
    chunnels for lnLerucLlon. CovernmenLs und buslness
    enLerrlses ure becomlng euger Lo rovlde servlces
    ullowlng for onllne LrunsucLlons, und cloud comuLlng
    ls beglnnlng Lo rulse new oorLunlLles us well us
    rlsks.
    162
    1he reglon ls noL homogenous ln lLs sLuLe of
    e-buslness wlLh dlsLlncL levels of lmlemenLuLlon
    beLween Lhe CCC counLrles und Lhe resL of Lhe reglon,
    exceL for 1ordun und Lebunon.
    1he Arub reglon, wlLh Lhe exceLlon of Lhe CCC
    counLrles, hus been slow ln ucceLlng e-commerce.
    1hls ls mulnly due Lo Lhe reluLlvely low sLundurd
    of llvlng und hlgh level of unemloymenL ln Lhe
    reglon. ln uddlLlon, Lhe reglon ls churucLerlzed by u
    generul culLure of sceLlclsm Lowurds dolng buslness
    onllne urLlculurly regurdlng loglsLlcs, Lhe securlLy
    of LrunsucLlons, Lechnology seed, rellublllLy of
    elecLronlc uymenL sysLems, brundlngjrecognlLlon,
    Lrucklng, monlLorlng und Luxlng LrunsucLlons, llmlLed
    legul frumeworks Lo bulld LrusL, rlsk of blus und unfulr
    comeLlLlon, clrcumvenLlon of such Lrude burrlers us
    llcenslng, resLrlcLlons und buns, und bunks belng rlsk-
    uverse due Lo Lhe hlgh ruLe of fruud. One key ureu LhuL
    should fuclllLuLe how buslness ls conducLed Lhrough
    e-commerce should be lmroved lC1 lnfrusLrucLure
    und Lhe growLh of broudbund. A growlng number
    of eole ln Lhe reglon buy Lhelr LlckeLs und book
    Lhelr hoLels onllne, Lhey uy Lhelr bllls Lhe sume wuy,
    FIGURE 8. EGDI vs. GDP per capita, 2012
    0.00
    0.10
    0.20
    0.30
    0.40
    0.50
    0.60
    0.70
    0.80
    0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 90,000
    E
    G
    O
    I

    Qatar
    Kuwait
    Bahrain
    Saudi Arabia
    Oman Lebanon

    Jordan
    Egypt
    Morocco
    Algeria
    Syria
    Iraq
    Sudan
    Yemen
    Libya
    GOP per Capita in U5s
    UAE
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA. CLP er culLu (currenL PPP lnLernuLlonul) ure for 2012, exceL for Omun und KuwulL, whlch ure for
    2011. 1hey were obLulned from Lhe World 8unk webslLe, uvulluble from
    hLL:jjduLu.worldbunk.orgjlndlcuLorjNY.CLP.PCAP.PP.CL.
    103
    und Lhey do lL from locul comunles us well us from
    Amuzon und e8uy.
    163
    NeverLheless, meusurlng e-commerce ls
    rovlng dlmculL us Lhere ure llLLle omclul sLuLlsLlcs
    on e-commerce from member counLrles. 1he Core
    lC1 lndlcuLors of Lhe PurLnershl on Meusurlng
    lC1 for LevelomenL for orders recelved or luced
    by enLerrlses (UNC1AL) und orders luced by
    lndlvlduuls ln u household (l1U) over Lhe lnLerneL, do
    noL meusure Lhe vulue of LrunsucLlons nor cuLure
    domesLlc versus lnLernuLlonul dlmenslon, und do
    noL conslder Lhe lmucLs of e-commerce. PrlvuLe
    duLu sources ure vurylng, wlLh uncleur or undlsclosed
    meLhodologles ln uddlLlon Lo llmlLed geogruhlcul
    coveruge und u focus on develoed counLrles. 1hey
    ure ulso exenslve Lo use. 1he ercenLuge shure of
    B2C e-commerce ln Lhe Mlddle LusL und Afrlcu, whlch
    Lhe Arub reglon ls u subseL of, ls consldered modesL
    (see Fgure 9).
    A recenL reorL by vlsu lncororuLed concluded
    LhuL Lhe Mlddle LusL und NorLh Afrlcu ls Lhe fusLesL
    growlng reglon ln Lhe world for e-commerce, u
    concluslon LhuL ls noL shured by muny observers ln Lhe
    reglon und whlch mlghL be consldered us u murkeLlng
    romoLlon for such servlce. 1he reorL's 2012 duLu
    show LhuL Lhe reglon grew by un esLlmuLe of 45 per
    cenL yeur-on-yeur Lo USs15 blllon ln sules.
    164

    UndoubLedly, e-commerce ls one of Lhe key drlvers
    for Lhe economy ln Loduy's closely connecLed globul
    envlronmenL und ls ruldly exundlng, urLlculurly
    ln Lhe CCC reglon. 8oLh lndlvlduuls und buslness
    orgunlzuLlons wlll huve concern ubouL Lhe securlLy of
    onllne LrunsucLlons. NuLlonul roFles und uvulluble
    reorLs und sLuLlsLlcs do noL rovlde much quullLuLlve
    und quunLlLuLlve duLu ubouL e-commerce ln Lhe Arub
    reglon uurL from Lhe CCC und oLher few counLrles llke
    1ordun, Lebunon und someLlmes LgyL. An exumle
    of such llmlLed duLu cun be found ln box 2.
    CreuLlng un enubllng envlronmenL for e-
    commerce ulso fuces chullenges, lncludlng Lhe
    followlng: brund recognlLlon, e-uymenL soluLlons und
    dellvery lssues, llmlLed undersLundlng on legul lssues
    reluLed Lo e-commerce, shorLuge of skllls und Lrulned
    exerLs ln esLubllshlng und lmlemenLlng e-commerce
    FIGURE 9. B2C e-commerce percentage sale by region, 2011 and 2016
    1.6%
    3.1%
    27.9%
    3.6%
    28.0%
    35.8%
    2.3%
    3.5%
    39.7%
    3.7%
    22.6%
    28.2%
    Middle East & Africa Latin America Asia Pacific Eastern Europe Western Europe North America
    2011 2016
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA bused on duLu obLulned from eMurkeLer, uvulluble from hLL:jjwww.emurkeLer.comjArLlclej82C-
    Lcommerce-Cllmbs-Worldwlde-Lmerglng-MurkeLs-Lrlve-Sules-Hlgherj1010004.
    104 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    luws, dlerences umong counLrles us regurds
    leglsluLlon, cuuclLy und resources, exlsLlng reglonul
    ugreemenLs und need for globul lnLeroerublllLy, und
    use of such lnLernuLlonul models us Lhe UnlLed NuLlons
    ConvenLlon on
    e-ConLrucLlng).
    Looklng uL buck-end oeruLlons of buslnesses,
    lC1s ulso huve u mu|or role ln munuglng rocesses
    und knowledge. 1here ure severul ullcuLlons LhuL
    huve u reluLlvely lurge lnsLulluLlon buse ln Lhe reglon
    Lhough wlLh llLLle or no lnformuLlon und sLuLlsLlcs
    ubouL Lhelr cusLomer buse und rovlders. Muny of
    Lhese ullcuLlons ure elLher develoed or cusLomlzed
    locully, und Lhey consLlLuLe qulLe u subsLunLlul core
    of Lhe sofLwure develomenL lndusLry of Lhe reglon.
    AllcuLlons lnclude, buL ure noL llmlLed Lo: enLerrlse
    resource lunnlng (LRP) und LRP-llke ullcuLlons,
    hoslLullLy und roerLy munugemenL sysLems, olnL
    of sule sofLwure, und urchlvlng und workow sofLwure.
    ln recenL yeurs, Lhe reglon hus wlLnessed un
    lncreuslng lnLeresL ln Lhe lmlemenLuLlon of LRP
    sysLems, urLlculurly ln such lurge orgunlzuLlons us
    oll comunles of Lhe Culf sLuLes. ln Suudl Arublu, LRP
    sysLems huve been lmlemenLed by u lurge number
    of rlvuLe und ubllc-secLor orgunlzuLlons, lncludlng
    governmenL ugencles, bunks, Lrudlng comunles,
    und munufucLurlng lndusLrles, umong oLhers. More
    than 700 Suudl orgunlzuLlons hud lmlemenLed LRP
    sysLems by Lhe end of 2011. Some sLuLlsLlcs rovlded
    by leudlng LRP vendors cleurly lndlcuLe LhuL LRP
    udoLlon of Suudl orgunlzuLlons ls hlgher Lhun Lhose
    of oLher Culf sLuLes. LRP lmlemenLuLlons cun ulso
    be found ln LgyL, 1ordun und 1unlslu buL Lhey ure
    noL us muny us Lhe lmlemenLuLlons found ln Lhe
    CCC counLrles. 1hls ls urLly due Lo Lhe hlgh cosL of
    lnLernuLlonully recognlzed LRP sysLems comured
    wlLh locully develoed, und ruLher frugmenLed,
    soluLlons LhuL seem Lo meeL modesL gouls of smull
    und medlum-slzed orgunlzuLlons.
    AcLlve LRP vendors ln Lhe reglon lnclude Orucle
    und SAP. 1hese comunles, und oLhers, huve
    develoed Arublc lnLerfuces und locullzed soluLlons.
    lor lnsLunce, Orucle Puyroll oers deducLlons Lo Lhe
    Cenerul OrgunlzuLlon for Soclul lnsurunce und end-of-
    servlce beneFLs formulus for Suudl und UnlLed Arub
    LmlruLes orgunlzuLlons.
    165
    C. Comparative analysis of ICT applications in
    education
    ln LrudlLlonul educuLlon, sLudenLs ure Lrulned
    rlmurlly ln hyslcul clussrooms. 1hls does noL
    BOX 2. Regional trends and gures on e-commerce in the Middle East
    L-commerce encomusses numerous Lyes of lnLerucLlons: beLween buslnesses (828), from buslnesses Lo Lhelr consumers
    (82C), from buslness Lo governmenL (82C), und LrunsucLlons beLween consumers. 1here ure very few omclul sLuLlsLlcs on
    e-commerce from develolng counLrles ln generul, und LSCWA member counLrles ure no exceLlon. Omclul sLuLlsLlcs,
    essenLlully from develoed counLrles, und some murkeLlng sLudles currled ouL by rlvuLe enLlLles und Fnunclul lnsLlLuLlons shed
    some llghL on Lhe volumes of e-commerce ln generul und cover selecLed counLrles from Lhe reglon.
    Accordlng Lo Co-Culf.com, whlch ubllshed ln Muy 2013 u serles of lnfogruhlcs coverlng Lrends und sLuLlcs on e-commerce
    ln Lhe Mlddle LusL, Lhe esLlmuLed sules Fgure of 82C ln Lhe Mlddle LusL hus reuched USs9 bllllon ln 2012 und ls execLed Lo
    reuch USs16 bllllon ln 2015. SusLulned by lncreuslng lnLerneL users eneLruLlon ruLes und u wlde udoLlon of smurLhones, Lhe
    vulue of moblle commerce (m-commerce) ls execLed Lo reuch USs4.9 bllllon ln 2015. 1he Fgures furLher show LhuL 70 er cenL
    of onllne urchuses of hyslcul goods ln Lhe reglon ure uld Lhrough cush-on-dellvery, und 30 er cenL ure uld onllne. As for
    e-commerce consumer demogruhlcs, 68 er cenL of onllne shoers were mules und 32 er cenL femule belonglng Lo dlerenL
    uge grous, whlle 53 er cenL of ull onllne shoers ure 26 yeurs of uge or older. 1he mosL oulur onllne sholng cuLegorles
    were found Lo be onllne gumes, followed by comuLer sofLwure und elecLronlcs.
    Source: hLL:jjwww.go-gulf.comjblogjecommerce-mlddle-eusLj.
    105
    suLlsfy Lhe need for new exerLlse LhuL kees eole
    comeLlLlve ln u knowledge-bused economy.
    Lruwbucks of LrudlLlonul educuLlon meLhods lnclude
    lnudequucles ln Leuchlng resources, consLrulnLs
    on Llme und locuLlons, reeLlLlon of eorL, luck
    of conslderuLlon for lndlvlduul leurnlng modes,
    osslblllLy of ouL-of-duLe knowledge, und un lnublllLy
    Lo meeL requlremenLs for collecLlve or o-Lhe-|ob
    Lrulnlng. 1he mu|orlLy of counLrles ln Lhe reglon huve
    noL yeL undergone uny urudlgm LrunsformuLlonul
    move Lowurds Lhe new Lrends ln educuLlon und
    leurnlng. Such comrehenslve Lechnologles us
    cloud comuLlng, cooeruLlve communlcuLlons
    und vldeoconferenclng could Lurn smull clussrooms
    scuLLered uround Lhe world lnLo one lurge vlrLuul
    clussroom. Schools ln remoLe locuLlons cun shure
    resources, und numerous sLudenLs cun uccess
    lessons LuughL by well esLubllshed Leuchers.
    166

    As schools educuLe Lhe nexL generuLlon, moblle
    Lechnology ls rovldlng sLudenLs wlLh u more
    emclenL und convenlenL wuy Lo enguge wlLh Lhelr
    leurnlng muLerluls und euch oLher. Moblle devlces
    rovlde unrecedenLed uccess Lo leurnlng resources,
    eers und udvlsors, boLh lnslde und ouLslde Lhe
    clussroom, regurdless of Lhelr locuLlon uL school,
    on Lhe bus or uL home.
    167
    Moblle educuLlon or
    m-educuLlon ls ulso u Lool Lo suorL Lhe fulFlmenL
    of Lhe educuLlon-for-ull Mlllennlum LevelomenL
    Coul. lL cun enuble llLerucy develomenL,
    romoLe sLudenL moLlvuLlon, enhunce uccess Lo
    Leucher develomenL oorLunlLles, und lmrove
    communlcuLlon beLween urenLs, Leuchers und
    rlncluls. Moblle broudbund cun ucL us u sLe
    chunge ln Lhe wuy educuLlon ls belng rovlded ln Lhe
    reglon.
    Severul governmenLs huve mude slzuble
    lnvesLmenLs ln educuLlon Lechnology,
    168
    lncludlng
    smurL clussroom equlmenL, dlglLul leurnlng
    muLerluls und enhunced connecLlvlLy Lhrough
    broudbund. However, Lhese lnvesLmenLs huve noL
    ylelded Lhe deslred lmrovemenLs. 1euchers ln
    muny schools luck Lhe buslc edugoglcul reudlness
    Lo eecLlvely leud u clussroom, und Lhey do noL
    huve Lhe seclFc Lechnologlcul skllls Lo use Lhese
    new Lools Lo enhunce Lhe leurnlng rocess. This
    concluslon hus ulso been sLressed by severul
    sLudles ubouL Lhe reglon, lncludlng Lhe UNLP Arub
    Knowledge ReorL.
    169

    1he mu|orlLy of Lhe CCC counLrles huve
    emburked on umblLlous l1-for-schools ro|ecLs.
    MosL schools ure fully connecLed Lo Lhe lnLerneL us
    well us rovlded wlLh comuLers wlLh hlgh PC-Lo-
    sLudenL ruLlos, u Fgure whlch ls no longer consldered
    us un lndlcuLlve meusure due Lo Lhe develomenL of
    uorduble luLos, LubleLs und smurLhones. 1ordun
    und Lebunon huve slmllur ro|ecLs ulso, buL wlLh
    Lhe fusL chunglng Lechnologles ln Lermlnul devlces,
    muny of Lhese ro|ecLs hud Lo undergo subsLunLlul
    revlslons und ugrudes.
    LeslLe ruld lmrovemenLs ln dlglLul reudlness
    ln Arub counLrles, whlch huve u ouluLlon of ubouL
    350 mllllon, of whlch 70 mllllon eole ure beLween
    Lhe uges of 15 to 24, representing 19 er cenL of
    Lhe ouluLlon, udoLlon of e-books ls sLlll uL un
    eurly sLuge ln unlverslLles und schools.
    170
    1hls ls due
    Lo severul chullenglng fucLors, lncludlng llmlLed
    lnLerneL eneLruLlon, chullenges of lrucy, lssues
    reluLed Lo Lhe rule of luw und censorshl, und vusL
    dlsurlLles ln urchuslng ower. AnoLher chullenge
    fuclng Lhe Luke-u of e-books und e-leurnlng ln
    Lhe Arub world ure Lechnlcul lssues reluLed Lo euse
    und exlblllLy of hundllng Lhe Arublc lunguuge.
    171

    WlLhln Lhls conLexL, u NorLh Afrlcun lnlLluLlve culled
    Lhe Oen 8ook Pro|ecL wus luunched Lo rovlde
    unlverslLles wlLh oen uccess Lo hlgh-quullLy
    educuLlonul muLerluls ln Arublc, wlLh u focus on
    sclence und Lechnology.
    172

    1he OuLur NuLlonul e-Leurnlng PorLul, for
    exumle, ls un lnnovuLlve luLform dedlcuLed Lo
    shurlng knowledge Lo educuLe eole und sLrengLhen
    Lhe economy. 1he orLul rovldes uccess Lo onllne
    courses coverlng Lolcs ln lnformuLlon Lechnology
    und buslness. lree onllne rofesslonul develomenL
    courses ure uvulluble Lo lndlvlduuls und buslnesses
    LhroughouL OuLur. 1he PorLul ulso rovldes vocuLlonul
    106 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    Lrulnlng Lo Lhose worklng ln Lhe lC1 secLor.
    173
    ln 2011,
    u Lhree-yeur ro|ecL wus lnlLluLed by u urLnershl
    conslsLlng of OuLur UnlverslLy, ALhubuscu UnlverslLy
    of Cunudu und OuLur PeLroleum enLlLled Uslng
    Moblle 1echnology for Lngllsh 1rulnlng ln Lhe OuLur
    Workluce. 1he ro|ecL ls funded Lhrough Lhe
    OuLur NuLlonul Reseurch lund und ls execLed Lo be
    comleLed by 2015.
    174
    1he mosL frequenL users of e-leurnlng courses
    ln Lhe reglon for rofesslonul Lrulnlng ure Lhe blg oll
    comunles. 1he usuul rucLlce ls Lo use o-Lhe-shelf
    courses from lnLernuLlonul comunles LhuL seclullze
    ln rovldlng l1, buslness, ro|ecLs, und generul
    munugemenL courses Lhrough un lnLernuLlonul
    comuny orLul or ln-house. Such comunles us
    ARAMCO of Suudl Arublu, ALNOC of UnlLed Arub
    LmlruLes und OP of OuLur ure Lhe usuul cusLomers
    for such lnLernuLlonul comunles us SklllSofL und
    LduLech, whlch huve lurge courses cuLulogues
    uvulluble for llcenslng ln u vurleLy of wuys Lo sulL
    Lhe leurnlng communlLy of Lhe cusLomer. ln OuLur,
    lcLOA1AR rovldes o-Lhe-shelf courses Lo nuLlonul
    orgunlzuLlons Lhrough lLs NuLlonul Leurnlng PorLul,
    whlch llnks Lo Lhe globul SklllSofL orLul. L-leurnlng
    hus become essenLlul Lo Lhese blg comunles us lL
    munuged Lo cuL u subsLunLlul orLlon of Lhe Lrulnlng
    budgeL, Lhus suvlng on Lruvel exenses und losL Llme
    ouLslde Lhe workluce. 1hey huve ulso lncororuLed
    lL ln Lhe comeLency models for sLu ussessmenL und
    romoLlons.
    OLher counLrles ouLslde Lhe CCC huve uLLemLed
    Lo rovlde leurners wlLh locully roduced conLenL
    for unlverslLles und udulL educuLlon lnsLlLuLlons.
    Lxumles lnclude Lhe Syrlun vlrLuul UnlverslLy und
    Lhe Arub Oen UnlverslLy ln KuwulL, us well us severul
    oLher convenLlonul unlverslLles ln Lebunon, 1ordun,
    1unlslu und oLher counLrles LhuL rovlde blended
    courses Lo Lhelr sLudenLs ln cerLuln sub|ecLs. 1he
    number of reglonul comunles cuuble of deslgnlng
    e-leurnlng courses und conLenL ls low.
    ln 1ordun, e-leurnlng ls suorLed uL Lhe
    governmenL level und hus severul luyers lnvolved,
    lncludlng Lhe ro|ecL by Lhe MlnlsLry of LducuLlon,
    eleurnlng.|o, Oueen Runlu Al-Abdulluh CenLre for
    1echnology ln LducuLlon und Lhe 1ordun LducuLlon
    lnlLluLlve. 1he 1ordun LducuLlon lnlLluLlve und Lhe
    e-leurnlng luLform LduWuve huve mude u sLrong
    conLrlbuLlon Lo 1ordun's lC1 growLh. 1he luw ln
    1ordun now requlres ull ubllc schools Lo oer
    Lngllsh lessons sLurLlng from Lhe FrsL grude und
    comuLer sLudles from Lhe second grude ull Lhrough
    hlgh school. All secondury schools ln 1ordun now
    huve fully-equled comuLer luboruLorles. ALSL
    connecLlvlLy hus reuched more Lhun 600 of 1ordun's
    3,000 governmenL schools. 1he number of sLudenLs
    er comuLer ruLlo now sLunds uL 51 comured Lo
    120 in 1999.
    175
    D. Comparative analysis of ICT applications in
    health care
    1he World HeulLh OrgunlzuLlon (WHO) deFnes
    e-heulLh us Lhe cosL-eecLlve und secure use of
    lnformuLlon und communlcuLlons Lechnologles
    ln suorL of heulLh und heulLh-reluLed Felds,
    lncludlng heulLh-cure servlces, heulLh survelllunce,
    heulLh llLeruLure, und heulLh educuLlon, knowledge
    und reseurch.
    176
    ln Loduy's world, Lhere ls no more
    suce for uerwork wlLh counLrles Lrylng Lo move
    comleLely Lo Lhe dlglLul sysLems where Lhey cun
    shure lnformuLlon und uLlenLs' duLu onllne umong
    hyslcluns und medlcul lnsLlLuLlons, us well us
    recordlng und uduLlng uLlenLs' heulLh hlsLory,
    reorLs, unulysls, und X-ruys.
    177
    ln Lhe CCC, heulLh-cure lnformuLlon Lechnology
    soluLlons ure on Lhe rlse due Lo Lhe heulLh lndusLry
    und governmenL eorLs ln lmrovlng exlsLlng
    heulLh-cure servlces, esLubllshlng new hoslLuls und
    suorLlng lnlLluLlves llke Lhe nuLlonul e-heulLh ollcy
    und such ro|ecLs us WARLLL, Lhe lurgesL heulLh
    lnformuLlon sysLem ro|ecL by Lhe MlnlsLry of HeulLh
    ln Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes.
    178
    New lnformuLlon
    unulysls from lrosL 8 Sulllvun esLlmuLed Lhe LoLul
    heulLh-cure l1 exendlLure ln Lhe CCC counLrles
    in 2011 Lo be USs444 mllllon und execLed LhuL lL
    107
    would reuch USs551 mllllon by 2015. 1he murkeL,
    eseclully ln Suudl Arublu, ls held buck due Lo luck of
    skllled munower. MosL of Lhe ersonnel Lrulned und
    quullFed for l1 heulLh-cure sysLems ure exuLrluLes.
    179

    1he lmlemenLuLlon of nuLlonul e-heulLh sysLems
    rovldes greuLer emclency ln heulLh cure und
    workforce roducLlvlLy und beLLer munugemenL
    of resources. 1o LhuL end, l1U und WHO |olnLly
    commlssloned u NuLlonul e-HeulLh SLruLegy 1oolklL
    180

    LhuL rovldes u comrehenslve frumework for
    governmenLs Lo develo Lhelr own vlslon, ucLlon lun
    und monlLorlng rucLlces for e-heulLh. 1he 1oolklL
    resonds Lo Lhe need Lo rovlde lmroved cure Lo
    more eole und fuclllLuLes Lhe synergy beLween
    lC1s und Lhe heulLh secLor. 1he oorLunlLles und
    chullenges of u nuLlonul e-heulLh sLruLegy ure furLher
    relnforced ln u whlLeuer enLlLled Mlddle LusL
    Publlc SecLor - NuLlonul necesslLles: eHeulLh, lssued
    by LelolLLe Mlddle LusL. 1he reorL cuuLlons LhuL
    Lhe one-slze-FLs-ull urouch wlll noL work ln Lhe
    lmlemenLuLlon und Lhe needs of Lhe dlerenL end
    users should be consldered once un e-heulLh sysLem
    ls ln luce.
    1he rlmury beneFL of un e-heulLh sysLem ls
    lmroved uLlenL heulLh buL Lhere ure ulso dlrecL
    und lndlrecL beneFLs Lo Lhe heulLh sysLem ln generul,
    numely u decreuse ln hoslLul reudmlsslons, reduced
    wulLlng Llmes due Lo beLLer coordlnuLlon of lnformuLlon
    und lmroved heulLh-sysLem lunnlng.
    181
    Chullenges
    und key recommenduLlons for lmlemenLlng Lhe
    sysLem lnclude lnvesLmenL ln comuLlng lnfrusLrucLure
    und nuLlonul broudbund servlces, lunnlng und
    consulLuLlon, lnformuLlon roLecLlon, rlvucy
    und securlLy, execuLlon und requlslLe skllls, und
    lmlemenLuLlon of beLLer luns ullowlng breukdown
    lnLo smuller, munugeuble comonenLs.
    182
    Needless Lo suy LhuL moblle-heulLh or m-heulLh
    soluLlons should come us un lnLegrul urL of un
    e-heulLh sysLem by rovldlng moblle devlces Lo
    rucLlLloners ln remoLe ureus us well us develolng
    m-heulLh ullcuLlons for use by docLors, uLlenLs
    und medlcul communlcuLlon. A WHO revlew of
    m-heulLh rogrummes found LhuL Lhe Arub sLuLes
    huve u number of esLubllshed rogrummes ln
    severul cuLegorles, runglng from emergency Loll-
    free Lelehone servlce, uolnLmenL remlnders
    und uLlenL records. YeL, Lhe urenu seems qulLe
    emLy when lL comes Lo Lhe uvullublllLy of m-heulLh
    ullcuLlons ln Lhe Arub reglon, un lndlcuLor of
    oorLunlLles for Lhe buslness secLor.
    lcLOA1AR ls suorLlng Lhe Sureme Councll of
    HeulLh's eorLs Lo hel LrunsluLe Lhe ubove chullenges
    und recommenduLlons lnLo ucLlons. And every yeur,
    more hyslcluns, nurses und LherulsLs ure Lrulned ln
    how Lo use Lhe elecLronlc sysLem. ln OuLur, four ouL
    of Lwelve hoslLuls huve ulreudy fully lnLegruLed Lhe
    dlglLul sysLem und ure now Lhe sLundurd for ull new
    hoslLuls counLrywlde. A dlglLul ro|ecL of LhuL slze
    needs budgeLs, Lech-suvvy cudres, Lrulnlng ulong
    Lhe wuy ln order Lo feed ull medlcul und heulLh-cure
    cenLres und lC1 lnfrusLrucLure ln order Lo creuLe un
    lnLegruLed, connecLed und orgunlzed e-heulLh-cure
    sysLem coverlng Lhe enLlre nuLlon.
    183
    E. Comparative analysis of ICT applications in
    employment
    A sLudy on emloymenL conducLed by Lhe World
    8unk, coverlng LgyL, 1ordun, Lebunon, Morocco,
    1unlslu, Syrlun Arub Reubllc, und Yemen, concluded
    LhuL Lheses counLrles fuce chullenges of hlgh
    unemloymenL und llmlLed creuLlon of quullLy |obs.
    184

    LmloymenL servlces could consLlLuLe u relevunL
    ollcy lnsLrumenL Lo uddress lubour murkeL frlcLlons,
    Lo fuclllLuLe lndlvlduuls ln Fndlng uvulluble |obs, und
    Lo enhunce Lhe muLch, Lhrough skllls bulldlng, for
    lnsLunce, beLween suly und demund of lubour.
    One of Lhe muln chullenges ln Lhe osL-Arub Srlng
    counLrles wlll be uddresslng Lhe lurge und lncreuslng
    sLock of unemloyed lndlvlduuls, urLlculurly
    umong youLh. 8used on Lhe luLesL uvulluble duLu,
    unemloymenL ln non-CCC counLrles of Lhe reglon
    ls esLlmuLed Lo be 12.9 er cenL, whlch ls lurger Lhun
    Lhe esLlmuLe for CCC counLrles (3.4 er cenL) und Lhe
    world (10 er cenL).
    185
    108 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    LsLlmuLed ouluLlon growLh ln Lhe Arub reglon ln
    Lhe erlod 2010-2015 (uL 2.1 er cenL) ls much hlgher
    Lhun Lhe world uveruge (uL 1.18 er cenL). 1he youLh
    bulge ln Lhe Arub reglon, whlch ls Lhe ouluLlon uged
    15-24, uccounLs for ubouL 20 er cenL of Lhe overull
    ouluLlon, comured Lo 18 er cenL worldwlde.
    186
    lL
    hus ulso been shown LhuL Lhe youLh unemloymenL
    ruLe ln Lhe Arub reglon ls conslderubly hlgher Lhun
    Lhe world unemloymenL ruLe. llgure 10 shows Lhe
    ruLes of LoLul, youLh und femule unemloymenL ln Lhe
    reglon comured Lo world ruLes.
    Publlc emloymenL servlces (PLS) generully
    dellver servlces free of churge Lo |obseekers,
    boLh unemloyed und |ob chungers, us well us Lo
    emloyers. Accordlng Lo Lhe reorL, mosL Arub
    counLrles huve PLS ln some form or unoLher.
    However, Lhere hus noL been u comrehenslve
    evuluuLlon Lo ussess Lhelr lnsLlLuLlonul seL-u us well
    us Lhelr budgeLjcuuclLy consLrulnLs, rogrummes,
    und monlLorlng rucLlces.
    187
    An ulurmlng concluslon
    on Lhe sLuLe of PLS ln Lhe Arub reglon lndlcuLes
    LhuL, ln slLe of Lhe vurylng ruLlo of reglsLered |ob
    seekers er one vucuncy, |ob lucemenL ruLes ure
    noL sumclenL for ubsorblng Lhe growlng number
    of unemloyed lndlvlduuls. lor exumle, ln LgyL,
    less than 5 er cenL of reglsLered |ob seekers ure
    emloyed every monLh, ln 1ordun, less Lhun 3 per
    cenL, und ln Morocco, ubouL 1 er cenL. PLS ln Lhe
    Arub reglon need Lo be more roucLlve und enhunce
    Lhelr role ln lubour murkeL lnLermedluLlon. 1hls would
    requlre focused uLLenLlon by counLrles of Lhe reglon
    on Lhe ullcuLlon of such eecLlve und clLlzen-
    frlendly soluLlons us Lubour MurkeL lnformuLlon
    SysLems (LMlS).
    188
    8oLh Lhe lLO und Lhe World 8unk huve rovlded
    udvlsory servlces und lmlemenLed ro|ecLs ln Lhe
    Arub reglon for LMlS ln such counLrles us LgyL,
    1ordun und Yemen. WlLh Lhe sreud of uccess of Lhe
    lnLerneL, severul rlvuLe comunles sLurLed oerlng
    servlces for emloymenL servlces Lo emloyers us
    well us rlvuLe lndlvlduuls. AL Lhe reglonul level, buyL.
    com und ukhLubooL.com ure noLuble exumles.
    1here ure ulso counLry-seclFc orLuls ln severul
    counLrles ln Lhe reglon. A comrehenslve LreuLmenL
    of Lhese orLuls ls glven ln Lhe 2011 Reglonul
    ProFle.
    189
    FIGURE 10. Total and youth unemployment rates in selected Arab countries, 2012 estimates
    o%
    o%
    zo%
    o%
    o%
    o%
    6o%
    1oLul UnemloymenL RuLe YouLh UnemloymenL RuLe lemule UnemloymenL RuLe
    Source: lLO, KlLM duLubuse.
    NoLe: 1he vulues ure esLlmuLes from 2012 or Lhe luLesL yeur uvulluble.
    109
    F. Classication and ranking of ESCWA
    member countries according to maturity level
    1. Maturity level 1: Iraq, Libya, Palestine, the
    Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, and Yemen
    1hls level ls churucLerlzed by Lhe ubsence of cleurly
    formuluLed sLruLegles or luns for lC1 ullcuLlons
    ln ubllc servlces und lnsumclenL lmlemenLuLlon
    und use of lC1 ullcuLlons ln ull ureus, wheLher ln
    Lhe ubllc or rlvuLe secLor. Llbyu wus ruLed ln Lhls
    muLurlLy level ln llghL of Lhe llmlLed uvullublllLy of lC1
    ullcuLlons und e-servlces, ln generul, und Lhe luck of
    onllne e-governmenL servlces, ln urLlculur.
    2. Maturity level 2: Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and
    Tunisia
    AL Lhls level, counLrles huve eluboruLed sLruLegles
    for Lhe dlglLlzuLlon of some ubllc servlces buL
    lmlemenLuLlon or luns of ucLlon Lo use lC1 ullcuLlons
    huve noL been roerly followed, however, uveruge
    rogress ln lC1 ullcuLlons use ln mosL ureus, wheLher
    ln Lhe ubllc or rlvuLe secLor, cun be wlLnessed. Whlle
    Lhe use of lC1 ln educuLlon ls erceLlble, comuLers
    und lnLerneL uccess ln schools ls llmlLed, usuge of lC1 ln
    heulLh cure und ln Lhe emloymenL secLor ls moderuLe.
    Morocco und 1unlslu, belng ussessed ln Lhls reorL for
    Lhe FrsL Llme, |oln Lhe runks of oLher counLrles exhlblLlng
    uveruge rogress ln lC1 ullcuLlons.
    3. Maturity level 3: Jordan, Kuwait and Oman
    As fur us sLruLegles ure concerned, Lhls level ls
    churucLerlzed by more udvunced lmlemenLuLlon
    buL, essenLlully, udvunced levels of lC1 ullcuLlons
    lmlemenLuLlon und use cun be wlLnessed ln muny
    ureus dlscussed ln Lhls chuLer, wheLher ln Lhe ubllc or
    rlvuLe secLor. 1ordun hus seen noLuble lmrovemenL
    ln e-commerce wlLh Lhe emergence of reglonul
    e-commerce-bused comunles und hus ulso uchleved
    vuluuble resulLs ln e-leurnlng.
    4. Maturity level 4: Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
    and United Arab Emirates
    AL Lhls level, governmenLs huve eluboruLed
    und successfully lmlemenLed comrehenslve
    sLruLegles ln muny lC1 ullcuLlon domulns, ln
    uddlLlon, un udvunced degree of uuLomuLlon und
    dlglLlzuLlon of lnformuLlon, und hlgh quullLy of
    servlces rovlded ln muny lC1 ullcuLlon domulns
    cun be wlLnessed, wheLher ln Lhe ubllc or rlvuLe
    secLor. Suudl Arublu |olns Lhls level ln vlew of lLs
    focused eorLs on enhunclng lLs e-governmenL
    servlces. OuLur und Suudl Arublu udvunced Lo
    Lhls fourLh level of muLurlLy ln 2013 owlng Lo Lhe
    conslderuble lmrovemenL ln Lhelr e-governmenL
    lmlemenLuLlon, und good rogress ln e-leurnlng.
    1he runklng of LSCWA member counLrles by
    muLurlLy level ln lC1 ullcuLlon for 2013 ls shown ln
    Luble 45.
    G. Suggestions and recommendations
    1. ICT applications in government
    (u) Moblllze Lhe roer resources Lhrough concerLed
    nuLlonul eorLs Lo lmlemenL e-governmenL
    lnlLluLlves, bused on relnvenLed und reenglneerlng
    governmenL rocedures und rocesses, Lhus
    uvoldlng oLenLlul losses lncurred from develolng
    mulLlle sysLems Lo solve Lhe sume roblems,
    (b) LeslgnuLe u nuLlonul coordlnuLlng uuLhorlLy, wlLh
    reul uuLhorlLy ucross deurLmenLul und mlnlsLerlul
    boundurles, Lo fuclllLuLe e-governmenL lunnlng,
    lmlemenLuLlon und monlLorlng, Lhls wlll uvold
    dullcuLlon of eorLs when dlerenL mlnlsLrles
    work on e-governmenL ro|ecLs seuruLely,
    (c) Rulse uwureness umong sLu und clLlzens on
    Lhe lmorLunce of e-governmenL, ull us urL of
    u chunge munugemenL scheme Lo cuLer for und
    ullevluLe reslsLunce Lo chunge,
    (d) lmrove governmenL servlces Lhrough ud|usLlng
    Lo Lhe new conceLs of oenness und lnLerucLlon,
    rovldlng clLlzen-cenLrlc und lnLerucLlve e-servlces,
    urglng users Lo urLlcluLlon uslng Web 2.0 und
    soclul neLworklng Lools, und rovldlng mulLl-
    chunnel servlce dellvery, urLlculurly Lhrough
    moblle devlces,
    190
    110 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    (e) PromoLe colluboruLlon umong LSCWA member
    counLrles for shurlng exerlences und besL
    rucLlces und develo ullcuLlons LhuL uly
    Lo more Lhun one counLry ln Lhe reglon, LSCWA
    could rovlde Lhe luLform for such colluboruLlon.
    2. ICT applications in business and commerce
    (u) Lncouruge Lhe use of such elecLronlc uymenL
    meuns us credlL curds und e-bunklng, whlch
    wlll requlre Lhe uvullublllLy of urorluLe
    lnfrusLrucLure for hundllng LrunsucLlons
    elecLronlcully us well us Lhe suorL of cenLrul
    bunks Lo esLubllsh nuLlonul e-uymenL
    guLewuys und Lo rovlde flnunclul und legul
    coordlnuLlon beLween lnvolved bunks und
    comunles,
    (b) lmrove meusuremenL Lhrough relluble sLuLlsLlcul
    surveys us regurds e-commerce und lC1 use by
    buslnesses Lo lnLerucL wlLh Lhelr cusLomers (82C)
    or eers (828),
    (c) lormuluLe und lmlemenL nuLlonul luns Lo
    lncreuse Lhe urLlcluLlon of clLlzens und Lo bulld
    Lhelr LrusL ln uslng e-buslness und e-commerce
    ullcuLlons, lncludlng lmroved onllne
    securlLy und Lhe enucLmenL of e-LrunsucLlons,
    e-commerce und e-slgnuLure luws,
    TABLE 45. Ranking of ESCWA member countries by maturity level in ICT applications
    Country Maturity level 1 Maturity level 2 Maturity level 3 Maturity level 4
    2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013
    Bahrain
    Egypt
    Iraq
    Jordan
    Kuwait
    Lebanon
    Libya*
    Morocco*
    Oman
    Palestine
    Qatar
    Saudi Arabia
    Sudan
    Syrian Arab Republic
    Tunisia*
    United Arab Emirates
    Yemen
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA.
    NoLe: * No ussessmenL wus rovlded for Llbyu, Morocco und 1unlslu rlor Lo 2013 slnce Lhey only |olned LSCWA ln 2012.
    111
    (d) Lncouruge und suorL sLudles, duLu collecLlon
    und unulyLlcul reseurch on Lhe lmucL of such
    buslness ullcuLlons us enLerrlse resource
    lunnlng (LRP) und cusLomer reluLlonshl
    munugemenL (CRM).
    3. ICT applications in education and learning
    (u) lnLegruLe lC1s lnLo Lhe nuLlonul sLruLegy, wlLh
    seclul focus on moblle Lechnologles und
    m-leurnlng, for school educuLlon, wheLher for
    dlglLlzlng currlculu, suorLlng Lhe clussroom
    Leuchlng rocess or rovldlng urorluLe
    Leucher Lrulnlng, u selecLed number of lloL
    schools could serve us u sLurLlng olnL,
    (b) Lncouruge Lhe uvullublllLy of uorduble und
    relevunL devlces, conLenL und connecLlvlLy,
    lncludlng smurL hones, noLeuds, LubleLs, und
    lnLegruLed dlglLul LexLbooks,
    (c) lmrove uvullublllLy und uccess of quullLy
    llfelong und rofesslonul e-leurnlng rogrummes
    Lo meeL Lhe needs of Lhe consLunLly chunglng
    |ob murkeL,
    (d) Levelo un ecosysLem for Lhe sufe use of moblle
    Lechnologles for educuLlon by Leuchlng dlglLul
    clLlzenshl und resonslble use Lo leurners,
    (e) Lncouruge reseurch und develomenL ln Lhe
    ureu of e-leurnlng und m-leurnlng.
    4. ICT applications in health care
    (u) AdoL nuLlonul e-heulLh sLruLegles und focus on
    lnLegruLlng lC1s, lncludlng moblle Lechnologles,
    Lo suorL Lhe rlorlLles of Lhe heulLh secLor.
    A nuLlonul e-heulLh sLruLegy wlll resulL ln un
    ecosysLem for ull lnvolved medlcul und heulLh-
    cure rucLlLloners und lnsLlLuLlons, lncludlng
    Lhose ln remoLe ureus,
    (b) Meusure Lhe lmucL of e-heulLh, Lhrough credlble
    und reroduclble evuluuLlon mechunlsms und
    meLrlcs focused on Lhe eecL of e-heulLh on
    heulLh ouLcomes,
    (c) Lnsure uorduble, relluble connecLlvlLy Lo heulLh
    cenLres, lnsLlLuLlons und remoLe ureus.
    5. ICT applications in employment
    (u) lnsLul, or lmrove exlsLlng, LMlS us u rlorlLy ln u
    reglon wlLh Lhe hlghesL level of unemloymenL ln
    Lhe world. PLS should be eecLlve, roucLlve und
    clLlzen-frlendly,
    (b) AsslsL PLS ln Lhe reglon Lo develo urLnershls
    wlLh Lhe rlvuLe secLor Lo (l) dellver Lrulnlng
    und emloymenL servlces Lo Lhe muny
    unemloyed (noLubly youLh), (ll) romoLe
    beneFclury urLlcluLlon ln lnLernshls und
    on-Lhe-|ob Lrulnlng, und (lll) develo demund-
    drlven rogrummes Lullored Lo Lhe needs
    of Lhe rlvuLe secLor. lC1 wlll be urLlculurly
    helful ln Lhls muLLer becuuse lL ls u Lool LhuL
    ullows lnsLunL clrculuLlon of lnformuLlon umong
    Lhose sLukeholders rovlded, however, LhuL
    Lhe necessury l1 luLforms huve been roerly
    deslgned und lmlemenLed.
    6. General recommendations
    (u) CounLrles should encouruge Lhe emergence of
    un ullcuLlons lndusLry ulmed uL develolng
    dlglLul Arublc conLenL (LAC), und romoLe Lhe
    develomenL of freely uvulluble ullcuLlons
    LurgeLlng governmenLs und oLher ubllc
    e-servlces ln such ureus us heulLh, educuLlon und
    leurnlng,
    (b) 1he growlng oulurlLy und uordublllLy of
    smurLhones wlll chunge Lhe wuy e-servlces
    und leurnlng ure dellvered Lo Lhe musses.
    CovernmenLs should rovlde lncenLlves for
    develolng moblle ullcuLlons by Lhe rlvuLe
    secLor, us well us lnlLluLe luns Lo hurness Lhe use
    of smurLhones for leurnlng uroses,
    (c) Moblle Web ConLenL ls un lmorLunL drlver of
    moblle demund und us such, ollcymukers should
    fosLer Lhe develomenL of moblle ullcuLlons
    und conLenL, Lhrough Lhe creuLlon of un enubllng
    lnnovuLlon ecosysLem.
    X
    Reglonul und
    international
    cooeruLlon VIII
    CulLurul dlverslLy
    und ldenLlLy, llngulsLlc
    dlverslLy und
    locul conLenL
    115
    1he WSlS ullocuLed un ucLlon llne for lmrovlng
    culLurul und llngulsLlc dlverslLy on Lhe lnLerneL us well
    us lncreuslng locul conLenL ln order Lo mlLlguLe Lhe
    lunguuge burrler und Lhus brldge Lhe dlglLul dlvlde.
    lor Lhe Arub reglon, due Lo u common lunguuge
    und slmllur culLurul ldenLlLles umong counLrles,
    Lhls LrunsluLes lnLo enrlchlng und enhunclng Lhe
    quullLy of LAC. LAC ls deFned by LSCWA Lo be uny
    conLenL ln Arublc reresenLed ln dlglLul form on Lhe
    lnLerneL, or on CLs, LvLs und oLher dlglLul formuLs.
    lL lncludes webslLes, orLuls und e-servlces, us well us
    uudlo und vldeo conLenL. lL ulso lncludes sofLwure,
    duLubuses, oen-source roducLs suorLlng
    Arublc lunguuge funcLlonullLles und Lools, Arublzed
    sofLwure lnLerfuces, Arublc lunguuge rocesslng
    sofLwure lncludlng seech und churucLer recognlLlon
    rogrummes, seurch und LrunsluLlon englnes, und
    oLhers.
    A. Comparative analysis
    1en yeurs ufLer Lhe FrsL huse of Lhe WSlS,
    reresenLuLlon of Arublc us u lunguuge und culLure
    on Lhe lnLerneL hus wlLnessed slgnlFcunL growLh ln
    u number of dlmenslons, lncludlng Lhe lncreuse ln
    Arublc conLenL onllne, numbers of users from Lhe
    Arub reglon, scule und dlverslLy of lnlLluLlves und
    rogrummes, und Lhe gruduul emergence of u hlghly
    romlslng LAC lndusLry. 1here ls u cleur lnLeresL
    from dlerenL sLukeholders ln develolng LAC ln
    order Lo uL Lhe Arub reglon uL Lhe forefronL of Lhe
    conLenL lndusLry globully. lndeed, Lhe Arub reglon
    hus Luken u murglnul role ln Lhe hurdwure roducLlon
    und sofLwure develomenL lndusLrles wlLh only u
    smull number of Frms oeruLlng ln Lhls domuln. 1he
    reglon, however, hus romlslng oorLunlLles for
    Luklng Lhe leud ln Lhe dlglLul conLenL lndusLry.
    1he lmorLunce of LAC wus reumrmed uL Lhe
    ConnecL Arub SummlL 2012
    191
    by dedlcuLlng u goul
    Lo lL us one of Lhe reglonul rlorlLles. 1he UnlLed
    NuLlons Crou on Lhe lnformuLlon SocleLy (UNClS)
    1olnL SLuLemenL on Lhe PosL-2015 LevelomenL
    Agendu ulso sLressed Lhe need for relevunL conLenL
    Lo ullow lC1s Lo uchleve develomenL gouls und ucL
    us u crlLlcul comonenL of lnnovuLlve develomenL
    soluLlons.
    192
    Slmllurly, fosLerlng conLenL develomenL
    ls consldered us one of Lhe Lrends for enhunclng
    culLurul und llngulsLlc dlverslLy on Lhe lnLerneL.
    193

    Lmlrlcul reseurch hus ulso concluded LhuL Lhere ls
    u sLrong correluLlon beLween develolng neLwork
    lnfrusLrucLure, lncludlng broudbund eneLruLlon und
    lnLernuLlonul bundwldLh, und Lhe growLh of locul
    conLenL.
    YeL, Lhe esLlmuLed umounL of onllne Arublc
    conLenL remulns wlLhln Lhe 2 to 3 er cenL murk ouL
    of Lhe LoLul seurchuble web, ulLhough 5 er cenL of
    Lhe world's ouluLlon ls from Lhe Arub reglon und
    62 er cenL of Arublc seukers refer Lo browse Lhe
    lnLerneL ln Arublc.
    194
    1hese numbers lndlcuLe LhuL,
    reluLlve Lo Lhe growlng slze of onllne conLenL, noL
    much Arublc hus been udded, urLlculurly conLenL
    LhuL ls of quullLy. 1uble 46 shows LhuL Suudl Arublu ls
    Lhe lurgesL conLrlbuLor Lo Arublc conLenL umongsL
    VIII. Cultural Diversity and Identity,
    Linguistic Diversity and
    Local Content
    116 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    counLrles ln Lhe Arub reglon, wlLh 28.37 er cenL,
    followed by Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, wlLh 18.75 per
    cenL. ln boLh counLrles, Lhere ls u sLrong governmenL
    suorL for develolng Arublc conLenL und,
    urLlculurly ln Suudl Arublu, u dee lnvolvemenL of
    Lhe ucudemlu ln reseurch und develomenL ucLlvlLles
    reluLed Lo LAC. lurLhermore, Lhe CovernmenL of
    Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes sLrongly suorLs Lhe
    use of Lhe nuLlonul cc1LL (.ue), whlch crossed lLs
    100,000th registration in 2012.
    195
    When lL comes Lo Lhe nuLlonul roducLlon ln
    Arublc, Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc Lukes Lhe leud
    wlLh 82.45 er cenL of Syrlun web uges roduced
    ln Arublc. CovernmenL suorL wus furLher
    relnforced wlLh Lhe esLubllshmenL of Lhe NuLlonul
    Work 1eum for Arublc ConLenL ln 1une 2009,
    196

    however, Lhe Leum hus noL been ucLlve slnce Murch
    2011due Lo Lhe currenL slLuuLlon ln Lhe counLry.
    ln Lhls meusuremenL, Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc
    ls followed by lruq, PulesLlne, und Lhe Sudun,
    TABLE 46. Contribution of selected Arab countries to online Arabic content
    Country Share of Arabic web pages
    (Percentage)
    Share of Arabic web pages from the countrys
    totalweb pages
    a/
    (Percentage)
    Saudi Arabia 28.37 54.67
    United Arab Emirates 18.75 23.56
    Morocco
    b/
    11.32 57.56
    Egypt 6.77 46.24
    Palestine 6.28 71.52
    Jordan 4.32 50.16
    Syrian Arab Republic 3.64 82.45
    Algeria
    b/
    3.28 52.42
    Libya 3.11 48.50
    Tunisia
    b/
    2.95 39.78
    Iraq 1.85 81.36
    Kuwait 1.75 38.33
    Yemen 1.45 50.72
    Lebanon
    b/
    1.38 16.69
    Sudan 1.32 71.07
    Oman 1.30 44.06
    Qatar 1.25 20.94
    Bahrain 0.92 35.71
    Source: Mudur Reseurch und LevelomenL, 2012.
    NoLes: MeusuremenL ls mude on Lhe busls of cc1LL counL. AlLhough lL ls noL free of errors, lL ls sLlll useful Lo glve un lndlcuLlon of Lhe
    reglon's conLrlbuLlon Lo LAC.
    uj
    1he LoLul of web uges ls for Arublc und Lngllsh only.
    bj
    1hese counLrles roduce conLenL ln lrench us well whlch wus noL uccounLed for ln Lhls Luble.
    117
    counLrles ln whlch Lhe use of Arublc ls hlghly
    domlnunL ln mosL Felds.
    LgyL's shure of Arublc web uges sLunds uL 6.77
    er cenL, whlch ls ruLher low ln vlew of Lhe nuLlonul
    eorLs for lncreuslng Arublc conLenL onllne,
    urLlculurly nuLlonul lnlLluLlves for dlglLlzuLlon.
    1hls mlghL be uLLrlbuLed Lo Lhe fucL LhuL u loL of
    Lhls conLenL ls noL uvulluble under LgyL's cc1LL
    (.eg) buL ruLher under one of such g1LLs us .com or
    .org. 1hls olnL wus sLressed ln u reorL ubllshed
    by Lhe Arub 1houghL lounduLlon
    197
    whlch sLuLes
    LhuL cc1LLs ure used uL u ruLe of 13 er cenL only
    ln Lhe Arub reglon. Publlshlng of conLenL uslng Lhe
    nuLlonul cc1LL wlll hel Lo relnforce Lhe nuLlonul
    ldenLlLy, fuclllLuLe meusuremenL eorLs und work
    Lowurds lnvlgoruLlng Lhe domuln nume lndusLry ln
    Lhe reglon.
    1. Use of ICT in support of cultural and linguistic
    diversity
    ln u culLurully rlch reglon us Lhe Arub reglon,
    home Lo u weulLh of Arublc und lslumlc knowledge
    und herlLuge, Lhe eorLs Lo dlglLlze culLurul und
    hlsLorlc herlLuge ure sLlll qulLe llmlLed. lL ls needless
    Lo suy LhuL Lhere ure udvunced und commenduble
    nuLlonul eorLs ln severul member counLrles,
    mosLly led by Lhe mlnlsLrles of culLure und nuLlonul
    llbrurles, however, from u reglonul ersecLlve,
    much more ls yeL Lo be done. 1he lmorLunce of
    dlglLlzuLlon comes from lLs role ln reservlng such
    hlsLorlcul knowledge und herlLuge us munuscrlLs,
    books und mus us well us muklng such knowledge
    uccesslble und uvulluble remoLely, noL only ln
    locuLlons where Lhe hyslcul lLems ure sLored.
    1he mlnlsLrles of culLure ln Lhe Arub reglon ure
    Lhe muln source of nuLlonul culLurul lnformuLlon.
    1he onllne resence of Lhese enLlLles hus
    seen un lmrovemenL ln Lerms of quullLy und
    dlverslFcuLlon. ln Lecember 2012, Lhe MlnlsLry
    of CulLure und HerlLuge ln Omun comleLed Lhe
    dlglLlzuLlon of ull munuscrlLs ln lLs ossesslon
    totaling 4,600 munuscrlLs from Omun und Lhe
    reglon.
    198
    LgyL conLlnues Lo be Lhe hosL of mu|or
    lnlLluLlves for Lhe reservuLlon of LgyLlun hlsLory
    und culLure us well us LhuL of Lhe Arub world,
    lncludlng documenLuLlon ro|ecLs lmlemenLed
    by Lhe uwurd-wlnnlng CenLre for LocumenLuLlon
    of CulLurul und NuLurul HerlLuge (CUL1NA1).
    8lblloLhecu Alexundrlu, ulso ln LgyL, ls heuvlly
    lnvolved ln Lhe documenLuLlon und dlglLlzuLlon of
    conLenL ln vurlous lunguuges, lncludlng Arublc. 1he
    LlglLul AsseL ReoslLory, develoed by 8lblloLhecu
    Alexundrlu, hosLs u collecLlon of more Lhun
    173,000 books ln Arublc
    199
    LhuL huve been sub|ecL
    Lo oLlcul churucLer recognlLlon (OCR) und ure
    Lhus seurchuble ulLhough muny ure only urLlully
    uccesslble onllne.
    A urLnershl beLween OuLur lounduLlon for
    LducuLlon, Sclence und CommunlLy LevelomenL
    und Lhe 8rlLlsh Llbrury ls ongolng Lo lmlemenL
    u ro|ecL for dlglLlzlng und urchlvlng hlsLorlcul
    und herlLuge muLerlul. 8y mld-2013, Lhe ro|ecL
    hus rocessed over 85,000 uges of muLerlul
    on Lhe Culf's hlsLory und hus seL u mllesLone Lo
    dlglLlze 500,000 uges of such muLerlul Lo be mude
    uvulluble uL Lhe OuLur NuLlonul Llbrury.
    200
    Slmllur
    eorLs ure Luklng luce ln Morocco und 1unlslu
    Lhrough nuLlonul llbrurles, whlch huve been uble
    Lo dlglLlze hlsLorlcul munuscrlLs und rovlde
    seurchuble lndlces onllne. 1he clvll socleLy ls ulso
    lnvolved, lncludlng Lhe 1umu Almu|ld CenLre for
    CulLure und HerlLuge ln Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes
    und Lhe Al-8ubLuln CenLrul Llbrury for Arublc PoeLry
    ln KuwulL. Also worLh menLlonlng ls Lhe webslLe
    of Lhe HudhrumuouL governoruLe ln Yemen, u
    orLul develoed by Lhe governmenL Lo documenL
    culLurul, LourlsLlc und economlc lnformuLlon.
    201

    2. Local and national digital content development
    (a) Government initiatives
    CovernmenLs huve u cruclul role Lo luy ln Lhe
    develomenL of LAC. On Lhe one hund, Lhey ure
    rovlders of conLenL us Lhey ure ln ossesslon
    of lurge umounLs of lnformuLlon und knowledge
    uvulluble ln ubllc lnsLlLuLlons. On Lhe oLher hund,
    Lhey ure Lhe rovlders of Lhe necessury enubllng
    envlronmenL LhuL would ullow Lhe develomenL of
    dlglLul conLenL by ull sLukeholders, lncludlng Lhe
    rlvuLe secLor, clvll socleLy und lndlvlduuls. Some
    118 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    of Lhe Arub counLrles huve lncluded Lrucks dedlcuLed
    Lo dlglLul conLenL ln Lhelr nuLlonul lC1 sLruLegles.
    Morocco, for exumle, ldenLlFed Lhe develomenL
    of locul dlglLul conLenL us one of Lhe rlorlLles ln lLs
    LlglLul Morocco SLruLegy for 2009-2013.
    202
    LgyL
    uld uLLenLlon Lo dlglLul Arublc conLenL ln lLs new
    Pollcles of Lhe CommunlcuLlons und lnformuLlon
    1echnology SecLor 2012-2017.
    203
    AnoLher exumle
    ls Lhe lC1 fund esLubllshed by Lhe 1RA of Lhe
    UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, whlch hus u seclul Lruck
    for suorLlng LAC
    204
    und hus dedlcuLed 25 mllllon
    UnlLed Arub LmlruLes dlrhums (ALL), equlvulenL Lo
    USs6.85 mllllon, for Fve yeurs Lo suorL nuLlonul
    Arublc lunguuge lnlLluLlves.
    205
    8elng one of Lhe hlghly ucLlve reglonul lnlLluLlves,
    Lhe Klng Abdulluh lnlLluLlve for Arublc ConLenL ln
    Suudl Arublu conLlnues Lo lmlemenL ucLlvlLles for
    enrlchlng Arublc conLenL onllne. ln OcLober 2012,
    Lhe lnlLluLlve sLurLed ubllshlng Lhe Arublc edlLlon
    of NuLure muguzlne un lnLernuLlonul sclenLlFc
    muguzlne uvulluble for downloud free of churge.
    206

    lL should be noLed LhuL one of Lhe success fucLors of
    Lhe lnlLluLlve ure Lhe urLnershls lL hus develoed
    wlLh vurlous sLukeholders from Lhe ubllc und
    rlvuLe secLors, nuLlonully und reglonully.
    207

    (b) The growing role of the private sector
    1here ls un obvlous growLh ln Lhe LAC lndusLry
    ln Lhe Arub reglon wlLh u murkeL LhuL reuches
    beyond Lhe Arub reglon Lo Lhe globul level. When
    conslderlng Lhe hollsLlc deFnlLlon of LAC, Lhe
    lndusLry ls leud by Lhe medlu und enLerLulnmenL
    secLors wlLh u murkeL esLlmuLe of USs7.1 bllllon for
    2011.
    208
    ConLenL develoed for Lhe lnLerneL lncludlng
    dverLlslng und user-generuLed conLenL hus u murkeL
    esLlmuLe of USs11.2 bllllon for 2011 und ls execLed
    Lo lncreuse Lo USs16.5 bllllon
    by 2015.
    1he ecosysLem develoed ln 1ordun for dlglLul
    conLenL ln generul, und LAC ln seclFc, ls becomlng
    more of u model LhuL hus seen reglonul und globul
    successes ln conLenL develomenL. 1he model
    sLurLs o wlLh llnkuges Lo ucudemlc rogrummes
    uL nuLlonul und locul unlverslLles suorLed wlLh
    such enLrereneurshl cenLers us Lhe Oueen
    Runlu CenLre for LnLrereneurshl. Promlslng und
    lnnovuLlve ldeus cun recelve suorL from u wlde
    runge of oLlons, lncludlng roFL und non-roFL
    lncubuLors, ucceleruLors, menLorlng servlces,
    und venLure culLullsLs. Advunced Fnunclul und
    murkeLlng couchlng und udvlce ure ulso uvulluble
    for esLubllshed comunles.
    209
    1ordun hus been
    home Lo globully und reglonully successful conLenL
    develomenL comunles, urLlculurly ln Lhe gumlng
    und unlmuLlon Felds, lncludlng Rublcon, lrooLus,
    Muysulwurd, OulrKuL, Wlzurds ProducLlons, 1ubbur
    Crou Holdlng, und muny oLhers.
    Lebunon ulso hus u slmllur ecosysLem for
    enLrereneurlul und sLurL-u suorL, lncludlng
    such luyers us lncubuLors, ucceleruLors, venLure
    culLullsLs, seed fundlng, und Lhe governmenL.
    Lxumles of hlgh-growLh conLenL develomenL
    sLurL-us from Lebunon lnclude:
    210
    Clnemoz, lOO
    und Wlxel, whlch wus founded by u femule numed
    ufLer one of Lhe Fve mosL owerful women
    ln gumlng.
    211
    BOX 3. ESCWA activities on digital Arabic content
    LSCWA hus been leudlng numerous ucLlvlLles reluLed Lo dlglLul Arublc conLenL (LAC) slnce 2003 und hus luunched, ln 2012,
    u new huse of lLs lnlLluLlve enLlLled PromoLlon of Lhe LlglLul Arublc ConLenL lndusLry Lhrough 1echnology lncubuLors. 1he
    lnlLluLlve lncludes Lhe followlng ucLlvlLles: (u) luunchlng u nuLlonul uwureness cumulgn on Lhe lmorLunce und oorLunlLles
    of LAC, und (b) luunchlng nuLlonul LAC comeLlLlons ln selecLed member counLrles Lo selecL Lhe besL LAC roducLjullcuLlon
    ldeus for lncubuLlon uL Lhe urLner lncubuLors.
    More on the initiative, studies and brochures is available from
    http://isper.escwa.un.org/FocusAreas/DigitalArabicContent/tabid/260/language/en-US/Default.aspx.
    119
    (c) Community-driven content and social networks
    1he lnLerneL hus become u Lool for emowerlng
    lndlvlduuls und communlLles uL Lhe soclul und
    economlc levels. lL hus become Lhe medlum
    for shurlng knowledge from ull domulns, for
    fuclllLuLlng soclul und ollLlcul ucLlvlsm, for
    communlcuLlng und neLworklng, und for eurnlng
    lncome. 1he lncreuslng reuchublllLy und euse
    of use of onllne Lools huve ullowed Lhe regulur
    user Lo become u |ournullsL, u news reorLer, un
    educuLor, und oLhers. lor Lhe Arub reglon, Lhe
    lnLerneL hus ulso become u ool for crowdsourclng,
    urLlculurly, for enrlchlng LAC. Wlkledlu, for
    exumle, ls u medlum bused on user-generuLed
    conLenL LhuL ls revlewed by Lhe communlLy und uL
    lnLo Wlkledlu's encycloedlu sLundurd. llgure 11
    shows u slow lncreuse ln Lhe ercenLuge of Arublc
    on Wlkledlu meusured on Lhe busls of urLlcle
    counL. 1he Fgure ulso shows u decreuse ln Lhe
    ercenLuges of oLher selecLed lunguuges, mulnly
    due Lo Lhe lnLroducLlon of uddlLlonul lunguuges
    Lo Wlkledlu whlch ure Luklng u Lhelr own suce.
    YeL, Arublc, wlLh 0.83 er cenL, remulns qulLe
    low ln slLe of Lhe eorLs led by Lhe Wlklmedlu
    lounduLlon und oLher luyers Lo lncreuse Arublc
    conLenL. 1hls low ercenLuge ls mulnly due Lo
    llmlLed uccesslblllLy und lnfrusLrucLure ln muny
    Arub counLrles, llmlLed Lechnlcul und drufLlng
    skllls, und Lhe fucL LhuL Wlkledlu dld noL suorL
    rlghL-Lo-lefL lunguuges when lL wus FrsL luunched.
    Wlkledlu hus urLnered wlLh ucudemlc lnsLlLuLlons
    ln Algerlu, LgyL, 1ordun, und Suudl Arublu Lo
    lnLroduce Lhe edlLlng of Wlkledlu us urL of Lhelr
    coursework wheLher by uuLhorlng orlglnul conLenL
    or LrunsluLlng whuL ls ulreudy uvulluble onllne.
    212
    AnoLher urLnershl wlLh Lhe Wlklmedlu
    lounduLlon worLh menLlonlng ls LhuL luunched
    by 1ughreeduL.
    213
    1ughreeduL ls u crowdsourclng-
    bused lnlLluLlve LhuL ulms Lo enrlch Arublc conLenL
    on Lhe lnLerneL. AnoLher exumle, Lhls Llme from
    Lhe rlvuLe secLor, ls Oordobu, u dlglLul ubllshlng
    comuny esLubllshed ln Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes
    in 2011 by u femule enLrereneur. Oordobu mukes
    use of soclul neLworks Lo crowdsource LrunsluLlon
    exerLs und volunLeers. 1he comuny's onllne
    luLform now hus more Lhun 600 llngulsLs und
    LrunsluLlon exerLs. Oordobu LrunsluLed lLs Fve
    mllllonLh word ln Arll 2013.
    214

    FIGURE 11. Percentage of selected Wikipedia languages based on article count, 2009-2013
    21.71%
    21.15%
    19.31%
    18.18%
    16.10%
    7.22%
    7.05%
    6.35% 6.36%
    5.99%
    3.59% 3.77%
    4.05% 4.04%
    3.72%
    0.67% 0.73% 0.72% 0.75%
    0.83%
    0%
    5%
    10%
    15%
    20%
    25%
    2009 2010 2011 May 2012 May 2013

    English
    German
    Spanish
    Arabic
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA from sLuLlsLlcs uvulluble from hLL:jjsLuLs.wlklmedlu.orgjLNj1ublesWlkledluZZ.hLm
    (uccessed 1uly 2013).
    120 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    lucebook conLlnues Lo be Lhe mosL wldely used
    soclul neLwork globully wlLh 33.4 er cenL of users
    belng femules by Muy 2013. 8eLween 2010 und 2012,
    Arublc wus Lhe second-fusLesL growlng lunguuge
    und lunded ln Lhe nlnLh oslLlon of lunguuges used
    on lucebook ln November 2012.
    215
    Slnce 2011, the
    reference for uslng lucebook ln Arublc lncreused
    ln mosL of Lhe Arub counLrles ln Lerms of Lhe
    ercenLuge of users (see Fgure 12). 1he hlghesL
    lncreuse wus reglsLered ln Llbyu, from 33 er cenL
    in 2011 to 71 er cenL ln 2013. lnLeresLlngly, ull
    CCC counLrles suw u decreuse ln Lhe ercenLuge of
    uslng Lhe Arublc lnLerfuce of lucebook. 1hls could
    be uLLrlbuLed Lo Lhe uvullublllLy of more lucebook
    lunguuges referred by Lhe exuLrluLe ouluLlon
    resldlng ln CCC counLrles.
    3. ICT tools and research and development
    programmes
    Levelolng Arublc nuLurul lunguuge rocesslng
    (NLP) Lools ls sLlll hlghly conFned Lo reseurch
    rogrummes uL ucudemlc lnsLlLuLlons und reseurch
    und develomenL cenLres ln Lhe Arub reglon. 1hls,
    however, ls un ureu wlLh hlgh oLenLlul for subreglonul
    und cross-nuLlonul colluboruLlon ln reseurch und
    develomenL und lnnovuLlve ucLlvlLles und oLher
    relevunL Felds. lL ulso resenLs u vuluuble oorLunlLy
    for llnkuges beLween ucudemlc lnsLlLuLlons und
    reseurch cenLres, on Lhe one hund, und Lhe murkeL,
    on Lhe oLher hund. NLP Lools for Arublc lnclude LexL
    rocesslng, LexL-Lo-seech seech-Lo-LexL, semunLlc
    und conLexLuul seurch englnes, LrunsluLlon, und oLher
    Lools, und huve numerous uses ln web und moblle
    ullcuLlons us well us e-servlces.
    A few sLurL-us ln Lhe Arub reglon huve emburked
    on such Arublc NLP-bused ro|ecLs us comunles
    gruduuLlng from Lhe lC1 lncubuLor ln Syrlu, Arubl,
    whlch rovldes u Lool for uuLomuLlc vocullzuLlon
    of Arublc LexL, voLek, whlch rovldes u llbrury for
    Arublc seech recognlLlon und lnLerucLlve servlces,
    und Ab|ud Huwuz, whlch rovldes u semunLlc und
    conLexLuul seurch englne for Arublc LexL.
    216
    Arublc ls
    FIGURE 12. Facebook interface language use in selected Arab countries
    81
    75
    71
    67
    61
    58
    49
    35
    23
    21 20
    18
    13
    11 9
    4
    0%
    20%
    40%
    60%
    80%
    100%
    Y
    e
    m
    e
    n

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    a
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    a
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    u
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    c
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    u
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    75
    67
    33
    53
    50
    44
    60
    36
    28
    14 17
    31
    5
    16
    10
    2
    0%
    20%
    40%
    60%
    80%
    100%


    Arabic English Other French
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA bused on duLu Luken from LSC, 2013b.
    NoLe: LuLu for Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc und Lhe Sudun ure noL uvulluble.
    121
    ulso ercelved by globul comunles us u murkeLlng
    oorLunlLy. Coogle und Yuhoo huve Lhelr own
    deurLmenLs for develolng Arublc lunguuge Lools.
    Coogle 1runsluLe, for exumle, ls bused on sLuLlsLlcul
    muchlne LrunsluLlon
    217
    und for Arublc, Lhe generuLed
    quullLy ls sLlll qulLe low, robubly due Lo Lhe low
    umounL of onllne Arublc conLenL ln Lhe FrsL luce. 1hls
    wus robubly Lhe lncenLlve for Lhe Arublc Web Luys
    lnlLluLlve.
    218
    Acudemlc und reseurch lnsLlLuLlons lmlemenLlng
    rogrummes for Arublc NLP lnclude Lhe followlng:
    Lhe OuLur ComuLer Reseurch lnsLlLuLe ln OuLur, Lhe
    Hlgher lnsLlLuLe for Alled Sclences und 1echnology
    (HlAS1) ln Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc und KACS1 ln
    Suudl Arublu.
    4. Arabic domain names
    1he develomenL und lmlemenLuLlon of Lhe
    lnLernuLlonullzed domuln numes (lLNs) wlll ullow
    Lhe use of Arublc on Lhe lnLerneL uddresslng scheme
    und ls envlsuged Lo hel brldge Lhe lunguuge gu und
    Lhus Lhe dlglLul dlvlde, urLlculurly when conslderlng
    Arub communlLles LhuL huve llmlLed second
    lunguuge cuublllLles und oLherwlse huve llmlLed or
    no cuublllLles ln uccesslng Lhe lnLerneL uslng oLher
    lunguuges. As uL 1uly 2013, Lwelve Arub counLrles
    huve ulled for Lhelr lLN cc1LL ln Arublc us llsLed
    ln Luble 47. AnoLher mllesLone for Lhe reglon ls Lhe
    successful evuluuLlon by Lhe lnLerneL CororuLlon
    for Asslgned Numes und Numbers (lCANN) of Lhe
    new Arub 1LLs .urub und lLs lLN equlvulenL -.-..
    1hese new sLrlngs ure owned by Lhe Leugue of
    Arub SLuLes und wlll be oeruLed by Lhe 1RA of Lhe
    UnlLed Arub LmlruLes. LSCWA luyed u vuluuble
    role by rovldlng Lechnlcul udvlce und guldunce Lo
    ull ucLlvlLles leudlng Lo Lhe ullcuLlon of Lhe new
    sLrlngs Lo lCANN. lCANN's new g1LL rogrumme
    recelved severul ullcuLlons for such Arublc lLN
    g1LLs us -:-. ,-'-:-. ,-'~-'., und ---.,
    whereby Lhe luLLer hus ulreudy fulFlled lLs ugreemenL
    requlremenLs wlLh lCANN und wlll soon be oen for
    reglsLruLlons.
    219
    TABLE 47. Registered Arabic ccTLDs in the Arab countries
    Country ccTLD Arabic ccTLD Registration date
    Algeria .dz
    .-'.'. lebruury 2011
    Egypt .eg
    -. Muy 2010
    Jordan .|o
    ,-.'. AugusL 2010
    Morocco .mu
    -.-'. lebruury 2011
    Oman .om
    ,'--. lebruury 2011
    Palestine .s
    ;=--. AugusL 2010
    Qatar .qu
    .=-. Lecember 2010
    Saudi Arabia .su
    --:-'. Muy 2010
    Sudan* .sd
    ,'-:-. November 2012
    Syrian Arab Republic .sy
    -.:-. lebruury 2011
    Tunisia .Ln
    ,-:-. AugusL 2012
    United Arab Emirates .ue
    -'.'-;'. Muy 2010
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA bused on lnformuLlon uvulluble from hLL:jjwww.lunu.orgjdomulnsjrooLjdb.
    NoLe: * Arublc lLN cc1LL hus noL yeL been usslgned (on 8 1uly 2013).
    122 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    B. Classication and ranking of ESCWA
    member countries according to maturity level
    1. Maturity level 1: Iraq, Libya, the Sudan, and
    Yemen
    CounLrles uL Lhls muLurlLy level huve llmlLed
    ossesslon und conLrlbuLlon Lo LAC und huve mude
    very llLLle eorL Lowurds uslng lC1 for llngulsLlc
    dlverslLy und reservlng culLurul ldenLlLy. 1he ollLlcul
    und soclul lnsLublllLy ln lruq, Lhe Sudun und Yemen us
    well us u lower develomenL level ln ull four counLrles
    were Lhe muln obsLucles Lowurds Lhe use of lC1 for
    reservlng culLurul ldenLlLy, llngulsLlc dlverslLy und
    Lhe develomenL of locul dlglLul conLenL, whlch ls noL
    llsLed us u nuLlonul sLruLeglc rlorlLy. 1here ure u few
    commenduble eorLs on Lhe lnsLlLuLlon und lndlvlduul
    level ln Lhe Sudun und Yemen for dlglLul urchlvlng
    und documenLlng nuLlonul und culLurul lnformuLlon.
    lurLhermore, Lhe resence of Lhe rlvuLe secLor ln
    conLenL develomenL ls low or ubsenL. None of Lhe
    counLrles uL Lhls level huve obLulned Lhelr Arublc
    cc1LL exceL for Lhe Sudun, whlch hus ulled for lLs
    Arublc cc1LL buL ls noL yeL usslgned.
    2. Maturity level 2: Lebanon, Morocco, Oman,
    Palestine, and Tunisia
    CounLrles uL Lhls level huve u number of lnlLluLlves
    Lo reserve culLurul und llngulsLlc dlverslLy, und u
    growlng develomenL of und conLrlbuLlon Lo Arublc
    conLenL. Omun hus shown serlous eorLs Lo dlglLully
    reserve und urchlve lLs hlsLorlcul munuscrlLs, und
    1unls slmllurly rovldes un onllne nuLlonul llbrury.
    LeslLe ls llmlLed conLrlbuLlon Lo Arublc webslLes und
    lLs governmenL's llmlLed uLLenLlon Lo suorLlng LAC,
    Lebunon hus un udvunced enLrereneurlul und sLurL-
    u suorL ecosysLem LhuL ls sLurLlng Lo shue u LAC
    lndusLry und ls mulnLulnlng culLurul onllne conLenL,
    mulnly for Lourlsm uroses. However, Lhe suorL of
    Lhe CovernmenL ln Lebunon Lo LAC remulns llmlLed.
    As for PulesLlne, lL remulns uL Lhls muLurlLy level buL
    hus very oslLlve rosecLs for movlng one level
    u ln llghL of Lhe governmenL's uLLenLlon Lo dlglLul
    conLenL ln lLs 2011-2013 sLruLegy ln uddlLlon Lo u
    growlng lndusLry ln Lhls domuln und u conslderuble
    conLrlbuLlon Lo Arublc webslLes. AlLhough Morocco
    hus llsLed Lhe develomenL of onllne Arublc conLenL
    us u nuLlonul rlorlLy und ls conLrlbuLlng well Lo onllne
    webslLes, lL sLlll lugs behlnd ln Lerms of Lhe lndusLry
    develomenL. All counLrles uL Lhls muLurlLy level huve
    obLulned Lhelr Arublc cc1LL, exceL for Lebunon.
    3. Maturity level 3: Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan,
    Kuwait, Qatar, and the Syrian Arab Republic
    1hese counLrles huve llsLed Lhe develomenL
    of onllne Arublc conLenL us u nuLlonul rlorlLy und
    conLlnue Lo exerL eorLs ln Lhe dlglLul reservuLlon
    of culLurul ldenLlLy, herlLuge und nuLlonul urchlves.
    ln Lhls grou, 1ordun leuds Lhe wuy wlLh u growlng
    LAC lndusLry, un lncreuslng number of globully
    successful enLerrlses develolng ullcuLlons und
    e-servlces ln Lhe LAC Feld us well us Lhe uvullublllLy
    of u develoed enLrereneurlul und sLurL-u suorL
    ecosysLem. 8uhruln, OuLur und KuwulL ure showlng
    serlous lnLeresL ln LAC Lhrough nuLlonul lnlLluLlves
    und recognlLlon of success sLorles. However, ln Lhe
    cuse of Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc, ulLhough Lhe counLry
    wus once one of Lhe loneers ln LAC develomenL,
    conLenL develomenL hus been drusLlcully uecLed
    by Lhe lnsLublllLy ln Lhe counLry. 1he slLuuLlon hus
    slowed down rogress ln ulmosL ull nuLlonul lnlLluLlves
    for romoLlng LAC und weukened Lhe rlvuLe secLor,
    exceL for u few ongolng ro|ecLs Lo develo Lools for
    nuLurul lunguuge rocesslng. Should Lhe lmllcuLlons
    on LAC conLlnue, Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc mlghL rlsk
    u dro Lo muLurlLy level 2. ln Lhls level, LgyL, 1ordun,
    OuLur, und Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc huve usslgned
    Lhelr Arublc cc1LLs. 1he ubsence of un udvunced LAC
    lndusLry und Lhe llmlLed sendlng on reseurch und
    develomenL rogrummes ln LAC ullcuLlons und
    Lools ure hlnderlng Lhe rogresslng of Lhese counLrles
    Lo muLurlLy level 4.
    4. Maturity level 4: Saudi Arabia and the United
    Arab Emirates
    1he UnlLed Arub LmlruLes remulns ln muLurlLy level
    4 for Lhls yeur becuuse of lLs udvunced LAC lndusLry,
    urLlculurly ln Lhe develomenL of moblle ullcuLlons
    und e-servlces. 1he UnlLed Arub LmlruLes hus ulso
    seen lncreused suorL from Lhe CovernmenL for Lhe
    123
    Arublc lunguuge und reservlng nuLlonul herlLuge. 1he
    CovernmenL of Suudl Arublu ls ulso u sLrong suorLer
    of LAC. 1he counLry ls on Lo ln Lerms of develolng
    Lools for Arublc NLP. 8oLh counLrles uL Lhls muLurlLy
    level leud ln Lerms of conLrlbuLlng Lo Arublc webslLes
    und huve usslgned Lhelr Arublc cc1LLs.
    C. Suggestions and recommendations
    (u) SeL u sLruLeglesjucLlon luns for Lhe
    develomenL und enrlchmenL of LAC und lLs
    lndusLry uL Lhe nuLlonul und reglonul levels,
    (b) AcceleruLe Lhe lmlemenLuLlon of e-governmenL
    und e-servlces ro|ecLs ln Arublc by ullocuLlng
    uddlLlonul funds und resources, whlch should
    drumuLlcully lncreuse onllne Arublc conLenL,
    (c) Luunch und suorL governmenLul und reglonul
    lnlLluLlves us well us suorL endeuvours Luken
    by Lhe rlvuLe secLor, lndlvlduuls und clvll socleLy
    for dlglLlzuLlon und dlglLul urchlvlng of culLurul
    herlLuge,
    (d) luclllLuLe Lhe esLubllshmenL of u nuLlonul
    enLrereneurlul und sLurL-u suorL ecosysLem,
    TABLE 48. Ranking of ESCWA member countries by maturity level in cultural
    and linguistic diversity and local content
    Country Maturity level 1 Maturity level 2 Maturity level 3 Maturity level 4
    2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013
    Bahrain
    Egypt
    Iraq
    Jordan
    Kuwait
    Lebanon
    Libya*
    Morocco*
    Oman
    Palestine
    Qatar
    Saudi Arabia
    Sudan
    Syrian Arab Republic
    Tunisia*
    United Arab Emirates
    Yemen
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA.
    NoLe: * No ussessmenL wus rovlded for Llbyu, Morocco und 1unlslu rlor Lo 2011, whlch only |olned LSCWA ln 2012.
    124 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    lncludlng lncubuLors, ucceleruLors, menLorshl,
    lnvesLmenLs, und venLure culLul, focuslng on
    LAC ullcuLlons und emhuslzlng such recenL
    Lechnology Lrends us moblle devlces, LubleL
    comuLers und cloud comuLlng,
    (e) Lnhunce Lhe enubllng envlronmenL needed for
    u ourlshlng rlvuLe secLor by fuclllLuLlng uccess
    Lo nuLlonul und reglonul funds und muklng Lhese
    funds uvulluble, rovldlng such fuclllLles us Lhe
    slmllFcuLlon of rocesses Lo esLubllsh u buslness,
    und rovldlng such lncenLlves us Lux exemLlons
    for sLurL-us und SMLs ln Lhe Feld of LAC
    develomenL,
    (f) Lnhunce cooeruLlon umong Arub counLrles by
    luunchlng reglonul lnlLluLlves ln Lhe Feld of LAC,
    fuclllLuLe lnLer- und lnLrureglonul knowledge-
    shurlng und Lechnology Lrunsfer ln conLenL
    develomenL und sLrengLhen cooeruLlon wlLh
    lnLernuLlonul orgunlzuLlons worklng ln Lhls Feld,
    (g) SLreumllne LAC lnlLluLlves und rogrummes
    luunched undjor lmlemenLed by dlerenL
    lnLernuLlonul und reglonul orgunlzuLlons,
    lncludlng Lhe Leugue of Arub SLuLes, LSCWA, l1U
    und Lhe Arub lC1 OrgunlzuLlon (AlC1O),
    (h) lnLegruLe conceLs und Lhe bulldlng of hlgh
    skllls for dlglLul conLenL develomenL lnLo
    hlgher educuLlon l1 currlculu und encouruge Lhe
    esLubllshmenL of seclullzed Lrulnlng cenLres
    LhuL rovlde hunds-on educuLlon ln sofLwure
    develomenL, us well us Lechnologles und such
    luLforms needed for Lhe dlsLrlbuLlon of conLenL
    us e-books, smurL hone ullcuLlons und soclul
    neLworks,
    (l) lnLroduce lnLerdlsclllnury osL-gruduuLe
    rogrummes by comblnlng lC1 wlLh llngulsLlc
    knowledge, Lo rovlde Lhe necessury skllls
    for LAC develomenL und sLrengLhen Lhe
    llnks beLween unlverslLles, hlgher educuLlon
    lnsLlLuLlons und reseurch cenLres wlLh Lhe rlvuLe
    secLor on develolng und commerclullzlng Lools
    und ullcuLlons for Arublc lunguuge rocesslng,
    (|) Levelo reglon-wlde sLundurds for develolng
    dlglLul conLenL seclFc Lo Lhe Arublc lunguuge
    whlch wlll enhunce quullLy, lnLeroerublllLy und
    lnLerreglonul colluboruLlon,
    (k) SeL u frumework for meusurlng LAC und develo
    u llsL of dlglLul conLenL lndlcuLors Lo be udoLed uL
    Lhe reglonul und Lhen globul levels.
    220
    X
    Reglonul und
    international
    cooeruLlon IX
    Medlu
    127
    IX. Media
    A. Overview of the role of the media in building
    the information society in the Arab region
    1he convergence beLween medlu sysLems und Lhe
    lnLerneL mukes Lhe medlu secLor blend ln Lhe dlglLul
    world und lncreuslngly emhuslzes Lhe lmorLunL
    role of Lhls secLor ln Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy. 1he
    wlde reuch of Lhe medlu ouLleLs consLlLuLes u key
    conLrlbuLor Lo Lhe freedom of ress und lnformuLlon,
    und lL requlres uLLenLlon uL Lhe level of ubllc ollcy
    ln order Lo ensure Lhe lndeendence, lurullsm und
    dlverslLy of medlu sysLems. 1hrough Lhe medlu
    chunnels, clLlzens cun uccess lnformuLlon, knowledge
    und educuLlonul resources, und Lhls uccess needs Lo
    be more lncluslve und equully reuchuble ln remoLe
    us well us urbun ureus und develolng us well us
    develoed counLrles. ln Lhe medlu secLor, lC1s
    fuclllLuLe Lhe use of dlerenL formuLs for Lhe rovlslon
    of conLenL, und suorL Lhe rovlslon of dlverse
    meuns of uccess Lo conLenL und Lhe urLlcluLlon of
    Lhe eole ln Lhe roducLlon und dlssemlnuLlon of
    lnformuLlon.
    WlLh Lhe rlghL of every erson Lo freedom of
    olnlon und exresslon ouLllned ln urLlcle 19 of Lhe
    Unlversul LecluruLlon of Humun RlghLs, und huvlng
    communlcuLlon und urLlcluLlon us core busls ln Lhe
    lnformuLlon socleLy, Lhe lmorLunce of Lhe medlu
    secLor wus emhuslzed uL Lhe WSlS LhuL ullocuLed
    un ucLlon llne Lo follow u on medlu develomenL.
    1he WSlS ouLcomes romoLed, umong oLhers,
    Lhe lndeendence, lurullLy und dlverslLy of medlu
    Lhrough leglsluLlon, Lhe rofesslonul urLnershls
    und neLworklng, eseclully ln Lhe Feld of Lrulnlng,
    u bulunced medlu orLruyul of boLh women und
    men, bulunced medlu comuLlblllLy ln Lerms of
    Lechnologlcul resources, Lhe use of LrudlLlonul und
    dlglLul medlu for enhunced uccess Lo lnformuLlon, und
    brldglng of Lhe knowledge und dlglLul dlvldes ln rurul
    ureus und for romoLlng mulLlllnguullsm onllne.
    221

    1he medlu secLor ln Lhe Arub reglon fuces
    numerous chullenges reluLed Lo lLs exlsLlng
    governunce sysLems und Lhe exlsLlng Lools und
    Lechnologles LhuL suorL und enuble lnLerucLlvlLy,
    soclul engugemenL und neLworklng. UduLed
    leglsluLlons ure needed for beLLer governunce of
    medlu sysLems for oen lnformuLlon ln Lhe dlglLul
    uge, und for enhunced rofesslonullsm ln Lhe medlu
    secLor.
    1. Status of the media sector in the Arab region
    1he Arub reglon hus wlLnessed u slgnlFcunL shlfL
    ln Lhe medlu secLor slnce Lhe sLurL of urlslngs LhuL
    swled Lhrough Lhe reglon, sLurLlng from 1unlslu ln
    late 2010, Lo LgyL, followed by Llbyu, Syrlun Arub
    Reubllc, Yemen, und 8uhruln. 1hese evenLs resulLed
    ln reglme chunges ln 1unlslu, LgyL und Llbyu. AfLer
    Lhe revoluLlons, deslLe conLlnued resLrlcLlons of Lhe
    freedom of exresslon ln Lhe reglon, on boLh onllne
    und oMlne medlu, Lhere hus been slgnlFcunL lncreuse
    ln Lhe use of soclul medlu und ln engugemenL ln onllne
    luLforms.
    Medlu ownershl ln Lhe Arub reglon ls mosLly
    sLuLe-owned, und governmenLs und omclul bodles
    seek Lo conLrol medlu ouLleLs Lo muke sure LhuL Lhey
    128 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    go ln llne wlLh Lhelr lnLeresLs, gouls und dlrecLlves.
    However, uccordlng Lo Lhe 2013 lederuLlon of Arub
    1ournullsLs (lA1) reorL on freedoms, Lhere ls less
    ollLlcul conLrol over Lhe wuy |ournullsLs cun work
    ln Lhelr rofesslon und over Lhe ownershl of medlu
    ouLleLs, whlch wus couled wlLh Lhe sLurL of new
    rlvuLe medlu lnsLlLuLlons LhuL rovlde suorL
    ln Lhe dlverslFcuLlon of |ournullsm und Lhe medlu
    secLor.
    222
    1hls oslLlve chunge wus noL couled wlLh
    chunges ln luws und leglsluLlons LhuL sLlll encomuss
    muny resLrlcLlons on |ournullsm und ress freedom.
    1herefore, Lhe Arub reglon conLlnues Lo urgenLly
    need Lo Luke ucLlon ln order Lo roLecL |ournullsLs
    und ress freedom ln socleLy Lhrough muklng Lhe
    rlghL umendmenLs Lo Lhe exlsLlng reguluLory und
    governunce mechunlsms. CurrenLly, |ournullsLs ln
    Lhe Arub reglon cun ulmosL be comured Lo wurrlors
    worklng ln dunger zones osslbly |eourdlzlng Lhelr
    llves, freedom und wellbelng whlle Lhey dellver news
    Lo Lhe ubllc.
    TABLE 49. Media ownership in selected Arab countries, 2013
    Country
    Newspaper ownership Radio and television ownership
    E
    l
    e
    c
    t
    r
    o
    n
    i
    c

    n
    e
    w
    s
    p
    a
    p
    e
    r
    s
    News
    Agencies
    P
    r
    i
    v
    a
    t
    e
    M
    i
    x
    e
    d
    G
    o
    v
    e
    r
    n
    m
    e
    n
    t
    F
    o
    r
    e
    i
    g
    n
    P
    r
    i
    v
    a
    t
    e
    M
    i
    x
    e
    d
    G
    o
    v
    e
    r
    n
    m
    e
    n
    t
    F
    o
    r
    e
    i
    g
    n
    P
    r
    i
    v
    a
    t
    e
    Algeria x x x x x
    Bahrain x x x x
    Egypt x x x x x x x
    Iraq x x x x x x x x x x
    Jordan x x x x x x
    Kuwait x x x x x x x
    Lebanon x x x x x
    Libya x x x x x x x
    Morocco x x x x x x x x
    Oman x x x x x
    Palestine x x x x x x x
    Qatar x x x x x
    Saudi Arabia x x x x
    Sudan x x x x x x x
    Syrian Arab Republic x x x x x
    Tunisia x x x x x x
    United Arab Emirates x x x x x x x x x
    Yemen x x x x x x x x x
    Sources: LSCWA, 2013, und 88C counLry roFles uvulluble from hLL:jjnews.bbc.co.ukj2jhljmlddle_eusLjcounLry_roFlesj.
    129
    1he reorL ulso deulL wlLh develomenLs
    concernlng Lhe rlghLs of lndlvlduuls Lo own und ubllsh
    newsuers under Lhe udmlnlsLruLlve und legul
    conLrol sysLems of Arub governmenLs, Lhese conLrol
    sysLems LhuL govern new medlu ownershl were
    consldered by Lhe reorL Lo be consLrulnlng Lo rlvuLe
    medlu ownershl. 1he reorL furLher olnLed ouL
    dlverse uLLerns of ownershl of newsuers, whlch
    ls mosLly by governmenLs (27.6 er cenL), followed by
    lndlvlduuls (24.1 er cenL), shureholdlng comunles,
    und ollLlcul urLles (20.7 er cenL euch), und mlxed
    (5.2 er cenL) us well us forelgn ownershl.
    223

    8used on Lhe drufL nuLlonul roFles of Lhe
    lnformuLlon socleLy, und 88C Medlu counLry roFles,
    Lhe medlu ownershl ln selecLed counLrles, us shown
    ln Luble 49 below, lndlcuLes LhuL governmenLs huve
    slgnlFcunL lnuence on uudlo-vlsuul medlu ouLleLs und
    ure Lhe owners of mosL news ugencles.
    1he suorL of governmenLs Lo Lhe medlu secLor
    sLurLs by lnvesLlng ln Lhe LelecommunlcuLlons
    lnfrusLrucLure LhuL enubles lnLerneL uccess und
    exLends Lo Lhe suorL of un envlronmenL LhuL ullows
    medlu rofesslonuls Lo work lndeendenLly from
    governmenL conLrol und wlLhln Lhe buslc vulues
    of ress freedoms, rlghLs of uccess Lo lnformuLlon
    und medlu dlverslLy. Whlle lnvesLmenLs ln Lhe
    Lelecom lnfrusLrucLure wlll follow Lhe globul wuve
    of neLworklng und connecLlvlLy, ulLhough wlLhouL
    unlformlLy ln Lhe coveruge of rurul und urbun ureus,
    governmenL suorL ls cruclul Lo medlu lnsLlLuLlons
    ln Lerms of rlghLs Lo own und esLubllsh medlu
    lnsLlLuLlons, luws und leglsluLlons governlng Lhe work
    of medlu rofesslonuls und Lhe Fnunclul suorL
    Lo lnsLlLuLlons. 1he governmenL suorL, wheLher
    Fnunclul or Lhrough Lhe leglsluLlons governlng Lhe
    secLor, needs Lo be munuged so LhuL lL does noL
    lnuence Lhe lndeendence und freedom of Lhe ress.
    1he governmenL rovldes Fnunclul suorL Lo
    medlu lnsLlLuLlons, uccordlng Lo Lhe lA1 2013 report,
    ln LgyL, KuwulL, Lebunon, Llbyu, PulesLlne, Lhe
    Sudun, 1unlslu, UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, und Yemen,
    elLher dlrecLly Lhrough udverLlsemenLs, grunLs,
    rlce suorL, or sofL louns, or lndlrecLly Lhrough
    Lux exemLlons, rlce reducLlons, Lrulnlng grunLs,
    und ro|ecL funds. ln PulesLlne, LgyL und Yemen, lL
    seems LhuL such governmenL suorL lnuences Lhe
    edlLorlul ollcles of newsuers, und, ln muny of Lhe
    unulysed counLrles, governmenL Fnunclul suorL
    goes mosLly Lo Lhe newsuers LhuL ure suorLlve of
    Lhe governmenL.
    Looklng uL Lhe level of freedom of Lhe medlu
    secLor, Lhls secLlon overvlews Lhe Press lreedom lndex
    (Pll) ubllshed by ReorLers WlLhouL 8orders (RW8)
    LhuL runks counLrles uround Lhe world uccordlng Lo Lhe
    level of freedom LhuL Lhe medlu en|oys und resecL by
    Lhe uuLhorlLles for Lhls freedom.
    224

    1he Pll ls bused on u number of crlLerlu, lncludlng
    lurullsm, medlu lndeendence, envlronmenL und
    self-censorshl, leglsluLlve frumework, Lrunsurency
    und lnfrusLrucLure, undvlolence ugulnsL |ournullsLs.
    1he Pll runklng ls noL dlrecLly uLLrlbuLed Lo Lhe Lye
    of ollLlcul sysLems, however, freedom of ress
    Lend Lo be more roLecLed ln democruLlc sysLems
    Lhun ln uuLhorlLurlun ones where humun rlghLs ure
    breuched. 1he worldwlde medlu freedom lndlcuLor,
    newly lnLroduced by RW8,wus releused ln Lhe 2013
    edlLlon of Lhe Pll reorL.llL ls resenLed us u new
    unulyLlc Lool meusurlng Lhe overull level of freedom
    of lnformuLlon ln Lhe world und erformunce of
    governmenLs ln Lhelr enLlreLy us regurds Lhls key
    resecLlng Lhese freedoms.
    225
    ln fucL, Lhe worldwlde
    medlu freedom ls slmly Lhe uddlLlon of Lhe Pll vulue
    of ull counLrles, whlch sLood uL 3,395 in 2013. 1he
    hlgher Lhe conLrlbuLlng vulue, Lhe worse Lhe slLuuLlon
    us regurds freedom of ress ln Lhe glven counLry.
    AccounLlng for Lhe demogruhlc welghL umong world
    reglons us regurds Lhelr conLrlbuLlon Lo Lhls globul
    lndex, Lhe MLNA reglon, deslLe Lhe Arub Srlng, hus
    Lhe hlghesL vulue wlLh u score of 48.5, comured Lo
    Luroe, wlLh 17.5, und Lhe Amerlcus, wlLh 30.0.
    1he globul runklng of selecLed Arub counLrles
    uccordlng Lo Lhe 2013 Pll ls shown ln Luble 50,
    LogeLher wlLh Lhe chunge ln globul runks comured
    Lo Lhe revlous Pll for 2011-2012. SLundlng FrsL
    umong Arub counLrles, KuwulL hus u globul runklng of
    77 und ls Lhe only Arub counLry ln Lhe Lo 100 runklng
    counLrles. KuwulL ls followed by Lebunon, OuLur
    und UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, uL runks 101, 110 und
    114, resecLlvely. As for Lhe boLLom runklng Arub
    counLrles, Syrlun Arub Reubllc sLunds uL oslLlon
    130 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    176 umong 179 surveyed counLrles, und ls followed,
    ln descendlng order, by Lhe Sudun, Yemen, 8uhruln,
    und Suudl Arublu uL runks 170, 169, 165, und 163,
    resecLlvely.
    1he chunge ln globul runklng ln Lhe 2013 Pll
    comured Lo Lhe revlous edlLlon wus slgnlFcunL for
    Omun, whose runklng droed by 24 luces becuuse
    50 neLlzens und bloggers were rosecuLed on lese-
    mu|esLe or cybercrlme churges ln 2012,
    226
    und for
    Llbyu, whose runk hus lncreused by 23 luces due Lo
    Lhe overLhrow of Muummur CudduF's 42-yeur reglme
    und lLs oslLlve lmucL on freedom of lnformuLlon,
    227

    Lhe reorL, Lhough, udds u word of cuuLlon us
    lmrovemenLs noneLheless need Lo be conFrmed
    by Lhe lncluslon of freedom of lnformuLlon ln Lhe
    consLlLuLlon und Lhe udoLlon of luws guurunLeelng
    Lhls freedom und rovldlng reul roLecLlon for
    |ournullsLs und sufeguurds for medlu lurullsm und
    lndeendence.
    228

    CounLrles LhuL showed sllghL lmrovemenL ln Lhe
    runklng comured Lo Lhe revlous edlLlon ure 8uhruln
    (8), LgyL (8), PulesLlne (7), OuLur (4), Yemen
    (2), Morocco (2), und lruq (2). LgyL murglnully
    recovered from Lhe sLee full ln 2011 when vlolence
    ugulnsL medlu ersonnel cuused Lhe counLry Lo
    lummeL 39 luces.
    229
    1he reorL ls sLlll LreuLs LgyL
    cuuLlously us Lhe consLlLuLlon udoLed uL Lhe end of
    2012 conLulns vuguely-worded rovlslons LhuL cleurly
    LhreuLen freedoms und news medlu cun sLlll be
    closed or selzed on Lhe orders of u |udge.
    230
    Lebunon (-8), 1ordun (-6), Suudl Arublu (-5), 1unlslu
    (-4), Algerlu (-3), und Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes (-2)
    losL runklng oslLlons. 1he Sudun und Syrlun Arub
    Reubllc, ulreudy uL very low oslLlons, sLuyed sLuble.
    AnoLher Arub Srlng counLry LhuL suw u reglme
    chunge, numely 1unlslu, fell by four runks ufLer
    gulnlng more Lhun 30 luces ln 2011, Lhls ls due Lo un
    lncreuse ln uLLucks on |ournullsLs ln Lhe FrsL quurLer
    TABLE 50. Ranking of selected Arab countries on the Press Freedom Index, 2012-2013
    Rank Country
    Index value Global ranking
    Change in
    global rank
    2011/2012 2013 2011/2012 2013
    1 Kuwait 28,00 28,28 78 77 1
    2 Lebanon 31,50 30,15 93 101 -8
    3 Qatar 46,00 32,86 114 110 4
    4 United Arab Emirates 45,00 33,49 112 114 -2
    5 Algeria 56,00 36,54 122 125 -3
    6 Libya 77,50 37,86 154 131 23
    7 Jordan 56,80 38,47 128 134 -6
    8 Morocco 63,29 39,04 138 136 2
    9 Tunisia 60,25 39,93 134 138 -4
    10 Oman 55,00 41,51 117 141 -24
    11 Palestine 76,00 43,09 153 146 7
    12 Iraq 75,36 44,67 152 150 2
    13 Egypt 97,50 48,66 166 158 8
    14 Saudi Arabia 83,25 56,88 158 163 -5
    15 Bahrain 125,00 62,75 173 165 8
    16 Yemen 101,00 69,22 171 169 2
    17 Sudan 100,75 70,06 170 170 0
    18 Syrian Arab Republic 138,00 78,53 176 176 0
    Source: RW8, 2013.
    131
    of 2012 und becuuse Lhe uuLhorlLles huve mulnLulned
    u |udlclul vold by deluylng Lhe lmlemenLuLlon of
    decree-luws reguluLlng Lhe medlu.
    231
    2. Social media in the Arab region
    8y enubllng eole Lo soclullze, enguge ln dully
    llfe ucLlvlLles, und creuLe und dlssemlnuLe conLenL,
    soclul medlu Lools huve fuclllLuLed Lhe ublllLy of Arub
    clLlzens Lo urLlcluLe ln und lnuence ucLlvlLles uL
    Lhe soclul, economlc, culLurul, und ollLlcul levels.
    Soclul medlu luLforms ullowed Arub users Lo seuk
    ouL Lhelr vlews und demunds for chunge, und oered
    communlLles, buslnesses und governmenLs new
    oorLunlLles ln munuglng Lhelr ucLlvlLles. 1he
    mosL oulur soclul neLworklng slLes worldwlde ure
    lucebook, 1wlLLer und Llnkedln, wlLh un esLlmuLed
    number of 750, 250 und 110 mllllons of unlque
    monLhly vlslLors, resecLlvely.
    232

    ln Lhe Arub reglon, Lhe use of soclul medlu
    luLforms hus slgnlFcunLly lncreused slnce Lhe sLurL of
    Arub revoluLlonsjurlslngs LhuL commenced ln 1unlslu
    in late 2010 und sweL Lhrough Lhe reglon Lo LgyL,
    Llbyu, Syrlun Arub Reubllc, Yemen, und 8uhruln.
    Accordlng Lo u recenL reorL of Lhe Lubul School
    of Covernunce LhuL consldered Lrends ln Lhe use of
    soclul medlu ln Lhe reglon ln Lerms of uccess, quullLy
    und quunLlLy, frequency, und uLLlLudes und Lrends,
    there are 53 mllllon ucLlve users of soclul medlu
    luLforms from umong Lhe 125 mllllon lnLerneL users
    ln Lhe Arub reglon.
    233

    1he LSC reorL bused lLs unulysls on u survey of
    3,373 rlmurlly lnLerneL users conducLed ln 22 Arub
    counLrles ln Murch 2013. As regurds soclul medlu
    users ln Lhe Arub reglon, Lhey mosLly use lucebook
    (54 er cenL), Coogle (30 er cenL), 1wlLLer (14 per
    cenL), und Llnkedln (7 er cenL) more Lhun once u duy.
    1he survey ulso shows LhuL 29 er cenL of lnLerneL
    users ln Lhe reglon rely on soclul medlu sources for
    Lhe news, 28 er cenL uses LrudlLlonul medlu sources
    und 36 er cenL of users rely on onllne news und
    orLuls. lurLhermore, mosL resondenLs Lo Lhe
    survey consldered LhuL soclul medlu hus fuclllLuLed
    Lhelr soclul ucLlvlLy, muklng lL more vlrLuul, wlLh
    onllne communlcuLlon reluclng LrudlLlonul chunnels,
    und LhuL Lhe lnLerneL hus fuclllLuLed lnLerucLlon
    wlLh Lhe governmenL und rovlded more leurnlng
    oorLunlLles.
    The 2013 llfLh Arub Soclul Medlu ReorL, whlch
    focused on educuLlon ln Lhe Arub reglon, hus
    rovlded sLuLlsLlcs on soclul medlu use ln Lhe Arub
    reglon, lncludlng lucebook, 1wlLLer und Llnkedln.
    On lucebook, Lhe number of users wus uround 54.6
    mllllons ln Muy 2013, wlLh u 21 er cenL lncreuse ln
    one yeur comured Lo 1une 2012, und wlLh LgyL
    ulone reglsLerlng one-quurLer of Lhese users und Lhe
    hlghesL number of new users slnce 1unuury 2013. 1he
    eneLruLlon ruLe of lucebook ln Lhe reglon wus 19 per
    cenL ln Muy 2013, showlng un lncreuse u from 12 per
    cenL ln 1une 2012, und Lhe lucebook eneLruLlon
    us u ercenLuge of ouluLlon wus Lhe hlghesL ln
    UnlLed Arub LmlruLes (41 er cenL), followed by
    1ordun (39 er cenL), Lebunon (35 er cenL), OuLur
    (34.5 er cenL), und 1unlslu (34 er cenL).
    lurLhermore, Lhe ercenLuge of femules uslng
    lucebook ln Lhe reglon remulned uL 33.4 er cenL
    ln Muy 2013, whlch ls sLlll low comured Lo Lhe
    ercenLuge of femule users globully of uroxlmuLely
    50 er cenL. 1he Arub counLrles wlLh Lhe hlghesL
    gender bulunce ln lucebook users ure Lebunon (45
    er cenL), followed by 1unlslu (42 er cenL), 1ordun
    (42 er cenL) und PulesLlne (41 er cenL). Concernlng
    lunguuges, Lhe use of lucebook ln Arublc ls hlghesL
    ln Yemen (81 er cenL), followed by PulesLlne (75
    er cenL) und Llbyu (71 er cenL), und ls lowesL ln
    1unlslu (4 er cenL), UnlLed Arub LmlruLes (9 er cenL),
    OuLur (11 er cenL), und Lebunon (13 er cenL). 1he
    ouluLlon of lucebook users ln Lhe Arub counLrles
    ls redomlnunLly young (beLween uges of 15-29),
    sunnlng from us hlgh us 82 er cenL ln Somullu Lo
    49 er cenL ln KuwulL, counLrles reresenLlng lurge
    lucebook ouluLlon llke Morocco (79 er cenL),
    LgyL (73 er cenL) or Suudl Arublu (62 er cenL) huve
    redomlnunLly young users, und ln 12 ouL of Lhe 20
    surveyed counLrles, young users muke u beLween 69
    und 82 er cenL.
    On Lhe use of 1wlLLer, Lhe reorL lndlcuLes LhuL
    Lhe number of ucLlve users ln Lhe Arub world reuched
    3.7 mllllons ln Murch 2013, wlLh Suudl Arublu huvlng
    Lhe hlghesL number of ucLlve 1wlLLer users und
    LweeLs (1.9 mllllon users, 47 er cenL of LweeLs),
    132 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    followed by LgyL (0.5 mllllon users, 12 er cenL of
    LweeLs) und UnlLed Arub LmlruLes (0.4 mllllon users,
    11 er cenL of LweeLs). 1he 1wlLLer eneLruLlon ruLe
    ls hlghesL ln KuwulL (7.6 er cenL) und Suudl Arublu
    (6.5 er cenL), wlLh u ruLe of use of more Lhun 5 per
    cenL, whlch ls consldered hlgh comured Lo oLher
    counLrles, und consldered medlum (runglng from 1 to
    5 er cenL) ln Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, followed by
    8uhruln, OuLur, Lebunon, 1ordun, und Omun. Slmllur
    Lo LgyL, Lhe number of LweeLs ln KuwulL mukes u
    12 er cenL of LweeLs ln Lhe Arub world. 1he LweeLlng
    ls mosLly done ln Arublc, wlLh Suudl Arublu leudlng
    wlLh 90 er cenL of Lhe LweeLs ln Arublc, Lhen KuwulL
    (83 er cenL), OuLur (70 er cenL), LgyL (65 er cenL),
    und UnlLed Arub LmlruLes (51 er cenL).
    1he Llnkedln sLuLlsLlcs for Lhe Arub counLrles,
    uccordlng Lo Lhe sume reorL, glve u LoLul number
    of 4.7 mllllon users ln Muy 2013, wlLh un lncreuse of
    uroxlmuLely 10 er cenL ln one yeur comured Lo
    1une 2012, und u eneLruLlon ruLe of 6 er cenL, whlch
    lncreused from 2 er cenL ln 1une 2012. 1hls lncreuse
    wus hlghesL ln Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes und OuLur,
    where Lhe eneLruLlon ruLes were uroxlmuLely
    16.5 und 13 er cenL, resecLlvely, ln Muy 2013. 1he
    femule users on Llnkedln were uroxlmuLely 26 per
    cenL ln Muy 2013, whlch decreused from 28 er cenL
    ln 1une 2012 und ls ulso much lower Lhun Lhe world
    uveruge of 43 er cenL. 1he mosL gender-bulunced
    counLry ln Lerms of Llnkedln users ls Lebunon,
    followed by Morocco, 1ordun und 1unlslu. lL should
    be noLed LhuL Lhe medlun uge of users of Llnkedln,
    belng rlmurlly u rofesslonul soclul neLwork, ls
    hlgher Lhun Lhe one of lucebook. OuL of Lwelve
    Arub counLrles for whlch u deLulled breukdown
    wus rovlded, seven hud neurly 40 er cenL und
    ubove (u Lo 69 er cenL ln Omun) of Llnkedln users
    ln Lhe ubove-35-yeurs cuLegory, only ln Lebunon
    (28 er cenL) und four oLher counLrles were Lhese
    ercenLuges lower.
    1he eneLruLlon ruLes of soclul medlu luLforms
    ln Arub counLrles show LhuL lucebook ls Lhe mosL
    oulur, followed by 1wlLLer und Llnkedln. 1he
    UnlLed Arub LmlruLes ls Lhe Arub counLry wlLh Lhe
    hlghesL lucebook und Llnkedln eneLruLlon ruLes uL
    42 er cenL und 16.5 er cenL, resecLlvely.
    3. Media sustainability in the Arab region
    1he susLulnublllLy of medlu sysLems ln Lhe Arub
    reglon ls exumlned Lhrough Lhe Medlu SusLulnublllLy
    lndex (MSl) of Lhe lnLernuLlonul Reseurch und
    Lxchunges 8ourd (lRLX). Leveloed ln 2000, this
    lndex meusures Lhe sLrengLh und vlublllLy of Lhe medlu
    sysLems of counLrles Lhrough ussesslng Fve ob|ecLlves:
    free seech, rofesslonul |ournullsm, lurullLy of
    news sources, buslness munugemenL, und suorLlng
    lnsLlLuLlons. 1he MSl score ls Lhe uveruge of scores of
    Lhe Fve ob|ecLlves, und lL runges from zero Lo four, lL
    lndlcuLes one of four levels of medlu susLulnublllLy ln u
    counLry und ls lnLerreLed by lRLXus follows:
    234
    MSI 0-1: Unsustainable, anti-free press.
    1he ob|ecLlves ure noL meL or only mlnlmully
    meL ln u counLry, und Lhe develomenL of free
    medlu ls lmeded by governmenL und Lhe luws,
    wlLh low rofesslonullsm und mlnlmul ucLlvlLy of
    Lhe medlu lndusLry.
    MSI 1-2: Unsustainable mixed system.
    1he ob|ecLlves ure mlnlmully meL ln Lhe
    counLry, und Lhe free medlu ls oosed by urLs of
    Lhe governmenL und legul sysLem. 1he rogress
    ln udvocucy of free ress und rofesslonullsm und
    ln new medlu buslnesses could be Loo recenL Lo
    conslder susLulnuble.
    MSI 2-3: Near sustainability.
    MeeLlng mulLlle ob|ecLlves lncreused ln u
    counLry, where lndeendenL medlu ls suorLed
    by legul norms, rofesslonullsm und Lhe buslness
    envlronmenL. 1hls rogress survlved chunges ln
    governmenL und wus codlFed ln luw und rucLlce,
    however, Llme wlll shows wheLher chunges lusL und
    Lhe enhunced rofesslonullsm und medlu buslness
    envlronmenL ls susLulnuble.
    MSI 3-4: Sustainable.
    1he ob|ecLlves ure urouched ln u counLry
    where medlu ls generully rofesslonul, free
    und susLulnuble, und Lhe sysLems LhuL suorL
    lndeendenL medlu huve survlved mulLlle
    governmenLs, economlc ucLuuLlons und chunges
    ln ubllc olnlon or soclul convenLlons.
    1uble 51 shows Lhe MSl overull scores und runklng
    for Lhe Len LSCWA member counLrles LhuL were
    133
    covered ln Lhe 2010-2011 lRLX sLudy. Only Lhe overull
    MSl scores of LgyL und Lebunon uL Lhem ln Lhe MSl
    runklng of neur susLulnublllLy level (MSl 2-3), elghL
    oLher Arub counLrles ure runked ln Lhe unsusLulnuble
    mlxed sysLem (MSl 1-2), numely 1ordun, lruq, 1unlslu,
    PulesLlne, Lhe Sudun, Morocco, Yemen, und Lhe
    Syrlun Arub Reubllc. 1he MSl uveruge score of 1.69
    for Lhe selecLed counLrles uLs Lhe reglon wlLhln Lhe
    unsusLulnuble mlxed sysLem level (MSl 1-2).
    Comurlng Lhe MSl scores of 2009 to 2010-2011 for
    Lhese counLrles, Lhe chunge ln MSl scores ls shown ln
    Fgure 13 below, numely LhuL Lhe uveruge MSl score
    decreused by 7 er cenL (1.83 to 1.69) wlLhln Lhe sume
    level of susLulnublllLy. 1he chunge ln Lhe MSl lndex
    wus oslLlve for four of Lhe Len selecLed counLrles, und
    Lhls chunge hus only reecLed u chunge ln Lhe level of
    susLulnublllLy for 1unlslu und Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc,
    numely from Lhe unsusLulnuble level (MSl 0-1) Lo Lhe
    unsusLulnuble mlxed sysLem (MSl 1-2), wlLh un MSl
    lncreuse by 166 er cenL for 1unlslu (0.68 to 1.81)
    235

    und by 31 er cenL for Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc (0.94
    to 1.23), where, uccordlng Lo lRLX, Lhe revoluLlon
    underwuy ln 2011 wus u Llme of lmmense reresslon
    us Lhe reglme soughL Lo crush lLs oonenLs, lncludlng
    |ournullsLs, by force. SLuLe-conLrolled medlu shed
    lLs musk, reveullng lLself us u vehlcle for lles und
    lnclLemenL. Whlle muny remulned lnLlmlduLed,
    however, some |ournullsLs ourlshed ln Lhe suce
    oened u by Lhe reglme's loss of conLrol, us secreL
    ollce redeloyed from monlLorlng lnLervlews ln cufes
    Lo buLLllng for conLrol of Lhe sLreeLs.
    236
    B. Classication and ranking of ESCWA
    member countries according to maturity level
    LSCWA member counLrles ure cuLegorlzed
    ln reluLlon Lo medlu develomenL, wlLh Lhe FrsL
    muLurlLy level belng Lhe lowesL und Lhe fourLh
    muLurlLy level Lhe hlghesL. 1hls cuLegorlzuLlon ln
    muLurlLy levels ls bused on Lhe uforemenLloned
    overvlew, eseclully Lhe recenL reorLs of Lhe
    RW8 Pll, whlch rovldes ress freedom runklng
    for Lhe 17 member counLrles, und Lhe lRLX MSl,
    whlch rovldes medlu susLulnublllLy runklng for Len
    member counLrles.
    1. Maturity level 1: The Sudan, Syrian Arab
    Republic and Yemen
    CounLrles runked uL Lhls level huve luws LhuL
    resLrlcL ress freedom und hlnder lndeendenL
    TABLE 51. Ranking of selected Arab countries on the Media Sustainability Index (MSI), 2010-2011
    Country Free speech
    Professional
    journalism
    Plurality
    of news
    sources
    Business
    management
    Supporting
    institutions
    Overall
    score MSI ranking
    Lebanon 1.99 2.04 2.41 2.05 1.64 2.03
    2-3 near
    susLulnublllLy
    Egypt 1.62 2.09 2.21 1.89 2.27 2.02
    Jordan 1.84 1.79 2.45 1.35 1.94 1.88
    1-2
    unsusLulnuble
    mlxed sysLem
    Iraq 1.76 1.98 2.20 1.37 1.75 1.81
    Tunisia 1.89 1.71 2.06 1.33 2.06 1.81
    Palestine 1.62 1.84 2.10 1.41 1.80 1.75
    Sudan 1.66 1.75 1.89 1.47 1.61 1.68
    Morocco 1.10 1.54 1.40 1.35 1.49 1.38
    Yemen 1.34 1.55 1.19 1.07 1.51 1.33
    Syrian Arab republic 0.97 1.76 1.21 1.16 1.05 1.23
    Average 1.58 1.81 1.91 1.45 1.71 1.69
    Source: lRLX, 2010.
    134 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    ress und huve weuk rofesslonul |ournullsm und
    buslness munugemenL. 1he MSl scores of Lhe Lwo
    counLrles ln Lhls level, numely Syrlun Arub Reubllc
    und Yemen, ure uL Lhe boLLom of Lhe llsL of Lhe MSl
    score 1-2. LeslLe Lhe sllghL lncreuse ln Lhe MSl
    score for Syrlun Arub Reubllc ln 2010j11, whlch
    wus deslgnuLed Lo muLurlLy level 2 ln Lhe revlous
    roflllng, Lhe currenL confllcL slLuuLlon ln Lhe
    counLry reresslng medlu und resLrlcLlng free ress
    wus mulnly behlnd lLs runklng uL Lhls level.
    2. Maturity level 2: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Libya,
    Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and
    Tunisia
    CounLrles uLLulnlng Lhls muLurlLy level huve
    some luws und leglsluLlons LhuL go ugulnsL ress
    freedom ln slLe of reluLlve lmrovemenLs ln
    medlu freedom und |ournullsLlc rofesslonullsm.
    Overull, Lhe MSl score for lruq lncreused from
    2008 to 2009, und Lhe rlse ln MSl wus evldenL ln
    four of Lhe flve ob|ecLlves of Lhe lndex, mulnly
    rofesslonul |ournullsm, suorLlng lnsLlLuLlons
    und lurullLy of news sources.
    Llbyu, Morocco und 1unlslu |olned LSCWA
    in 2012 und were consldered ln Lhls reorL und
    ullocuLed Lo Lhls level bused on Lhelr scores ln
    Lhe RW8 Pll. LgyL wus keL uL Lhls level ln vlew
    of lLs RSl Pll runk und ln slLe of lLs MSl runk of
    neur susLulnublllLy.
    3. Maturity level 3: Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon,
    Qatar, and United Arab Emirates
    1hls muLurlLy level lndlcuLes cleur
    lmrovemenLs mude Lowurds un lndeendenL
    medlu und lLs governlng luws, us well us exlsLence
    of legul und rofesslonul sLundurds LhuL deflne
    u generul frumework of freedom for Lhe medlu.
    1he counLrles uL Lhls muLurlLy level huve un
    overull MSl score LhuL runks Lhem wlLhln Lhe
    neur susLulnublllLy level (MSl 2-3). 1ordun wus
    consldered Lo be uL Lhls muLurlLy level ln vlew of
    Lhe sllghL lncreuse ln Lwo of Lhe MSl ob|ecLlves,
    numely lurullLy of news sources und buslness
    munugemenL.
    4. Maturity level 4: None
    None of Lhe LSCWA members hus been
    cuLegorlzed uL Lhls level for 2013. 1hls level
    lndlcuLes LhuL counLrles huve rofesslonul
    |ournullsm und u hlgh degree of ress freedom
    FIGURE 13. Ranking of selected member countries based on the MSI overall score, 2009-2010
    2
    .
    0
    7

    1
    .
    8
    7

    2
    .
    1
    9

    2
    .
    1
    4

    1
    .
    8
    2

    1
    .
    9
    3

    1
    .
    6
    0

    0
    .
    9
    4

    0
    .
    6
    8
    1
    .
    2
    9

    1
    .
    8
    3

    2
    .
    0
    2

    1
    .
    8
    1

    1
    .
    8
    8

    2
    .
    0
    3

    1
    .
    3
    8

    1
    .
    7
    5

    1
    .
    6
    8

    1
    .
    2
    3

    1
    .
    8
    1

    1
    .
    3
    3

    1
    .
    6
    9

    0
    1
    2
    3
    Egypt Iraq Jordan Lebanon Morocco Palestine Sudan Syria Tunisia Yemen Average
    MSI Overall score 2009 MSI Overall score 2010
    Source: lRLX, 2009.
    135
    wlLh exlsLlng luws LhuL roLecL lndeendenL
    ress.
    1uble 52 rovldes Lhe records of muLurlLy-level
    runklngs of LSCWA member counLrles ln Lhe lusL
    Lhree cycles of Lhe reorL.
    C. Suggestions and recommendations
    (u) Cull uon governmenLs Lo umend Lhe luws und
    leglsluLlons LhuL govern Lhe medlu secLor und lLs
    rofesslons ln such u wuy Lo ensure LhuL Lhe ress
    freedoms ure well roLecLed und Lhe secLor ls
    governed ln uccordunce Lo Lhe lnLernuLlonul luws,
    (b) 8ulld Lhe cuublllLles of unlons ln Lhe medlu
    secLor so LhuL Lhey huve beLLer sLund ln
    ooslng Lhe vloluLlons ugulnsL |ournullsLs
    und lobbylng for freedom of exresslon und
    ugulnsL censorshl und governmenL conLrol
    over Lhe free lnLerneL resources,
    (c) Lmower women Lo Luke urL und huve u more
    lnfluenLlul role ln Lhe medlu secLor Lhrough
    romoLlng equul rofesslonul |ob und Lrulnlng
    oorLunlLles,
    (d) PromoLe erlodlc fleld reseurch LhuL unulyses
    Lhe medlu secLor und shures Lhe resulLs of
    TABLE 52. Ranking of ESCWA member countries by maturity level of the Media
    Country
    Maturity level 1 Maturity level 2 Maturity level 3 Maturity level 4
    2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013
    Bahrain
    Egypt
    Iraq
    Jordan
    Kuwait
    Lebanon
    Libya*
    Morocco*
    Oman
    Palestine
    Qatar
    Saudi Arabia
    Sudan
    Syrian Arab Republic
    Tunisia*
    United Arab Emirates
    Yemen
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA.
    NoLe: * No ussessmenL wus rovlded for Llbyu, Morocco und 1unlslu rlor Lo 2011 us Lhey |olned LSCWA ln 2012
    136 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    Lhls reseurch wlLh Lhe ubllc ln order Lo rulse
    uwureness on Lhe besL meuns und rucLlces
    needed for Lhe develomenL of u free und
    rofesslonul medlu sysLem LhuL hus u key role
    ln Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy,
    (e) SLrengLhen uccess Lo boLh LrudlLlonul und
    new medlu sysLems ln remoLe ureus und for
    murglnullzed communlLles, und suorL Lhls
    uccess wlLh educuLlonul rogrummes LhuL
    comlemenL educuLlon servlces ln rurul ureus.
    X
    Reglonul und
    international
    cooeruLlon
    139
    X. Regional and
    International Cooperation
    When uddresslng reglonul und lnLernuLlonul
    cooeruLlon ln Lhe Feld of lC1, one musL be uwure
    LhuL some lC1 lssues huve Lo be uddressed ln u
    cross-border fushlon, us oosed Lo nuLlonully. 8y
    deFnlLlon, such lssues us lC1 suersLrucLure, numely
    suLelllLe Lechnologles und euceful uses of ouLer
    suce, und dlglLul conLenL on Lhe lnLerneL musL
    be Luckled ln u cooeruLlve munner, Lrunsusslng
    nuLlonul borders und |urlsdlcLlons. 1he successful
    lmlemenLuLlon of Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy, for
    exumle, requlres cooeruLlon umong ull sLukeholders
    uL boLh lnLernuLlonul und reglonul levels, eseclully
    ln oeruLlons, Fnunclng und lmlemenLlng lC1
    develomenL und ln devlslng luns of ucLlons for
    bulldlng Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy. 1he ob|ecLlve of Lhls
    chuLer ls Lo shed llghL on exlsLlng levels of reglonul
    und lnLernuLlonul cooeruLlon ln Lhe lC1 Feld, und Lo
    rovlde some recommenduLlons on how Lo boosL such
    cooeruLlon for Lhe beLLermenL of socleLles ln order
    Lo reuch Lhe noble gouls of knowledge economy und
    knowledge socleLy.
    1o uchleve such ob|ecLlves, lL ls lmorLunL FrsL
    Lo ouLllne Lhe key luyers of such cooeruLlon. 1he
    key luyers ure Lhe Arub counLrles oeruLlng Lhrough
    Lhelr nuLlonul und reglonul governmenLs who ulso
    uLlllze Lhe servlces of muny reglonul und lnLernuLlonul
    orgunlzuLlons seclullzed ln Lhe vurlous economlc,
    soclul und ollLlcul urenus. lL ulso lncludes cooeruLlon
    wlLh such key luyers us nuLlonul NCOs, unlons,
    ussocluLlons, und leugues, ln uddlLlon Lo rlvuLe secLor
    lnsLlLuLlons. Chlef exumles of such enLlLles oeruLlng
    uL Lhe reglonul level ure Lhe Leugue of Arub SLuLes,
    CCC, Lhe lslumlc LevelomenL 8unk (lL8), Arub
    develomenL funds, und rofesslonul ussocluLlons.
    1o Lhls end, one of Lhe rlmury mlsslons of LSCWA
    ls Lo romoLe reglonul und lnLernuLlonul cooeruLlon
    ln Lhe vurlous lC1 uccounLs. Much of Lhe work done
    nuLlonully ls enLrusLed Lo Lhe nuLlonul governmenLs,
    us lL fulls under nuLlonul |urlsdlcLlons und nuLlonul
    soverelgnLy. 1he followlng descrlbes Lhe Lye of
    lnlLluLlves und ucLlvlLles LhuL LSCWA ls resenLly
    underLuklng Lo romoLe cooeruLlon umong Arub
    counLrles ln Lhe lC1 urenu.
    A. ESCWA initiatives towards cooperation and
    regional integration
    1en yeurs seuruLe Lhe reuruLlon und wrlLlng
    of Lhls reorL from Lhe FrsL huse of WSlS ln Cenevu.
    The 2003 SummlL seL forLh Lhe rlnclles of u |usL,
    equlLuble und lncluslve lnformuLlon socleLy und
    ldenLlFed lnLernuLlonul und reglonul cooeruLlon
    us one of lLs mulnsLuys. 1he muln lnslghL of Lhe
    elevenLh rlnclle of Lhe Cenevu LecluruLlon ls LhuL
    humunlLy ls lnLerdeendenL und LhuL cooeruLlon
    ls muLuully beneFclul Lo Lhe donor und Lhe recelver.
    lL enLlces governmenLs, Lhe rlvuLe secLor, clvll
    socleLy, lnLernuLlonul Fnunclul lnsLlLuLlons, und oLher
    sLukeholders Lo fund und cooeruLe on lnlLluLlves
    LhuL would resulL ln Lhe Lrunsfer of knowledge,
    more seclFcully, knowledge LhuL ls reluLed Lo lC1s,
    Lo develolng counLrles, LLCs und counLrles wlLh
    economles ln LrunslLlon.
    140 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    Muny LSCWA lnlLluLlves ure currled ouL ln
    cooeruLlon wlLh reglonul und lnLernuLlonul enLlLles.
    1he muln urLners of LSCWA ure Lhe governmenLs
    of Lhe Arub reglon, Lhe Leugue of Arub SLuLes,
    oLher UnlLed NuLlons reglonul commlsslons, UnlLed
    NuLlons seclullzed ugencles und rogrummes,
    nuLlonul und reglonul NCOs, us well us u hosL of
    luyers und sLukeholders from Lhe rlvuLe secLor. 1he
    secLlons below llsL Lhe muln LSCWA ucLlvlLles ln Lhe
    lC1 for develomenL (lC14L) Feld und descrlbe Lhe
    reglonul cooeruLlon comonenL ln lL. 1hls llsL covers
    Lhe cooeruLlve ucLlvlLles LhuL were currled ouL ln Lhe
    Arub reglon durlng 2012 und 2013. 1hese ucLlvlLles
    enguge colluboruLors ln comblnuLlons LhuL lnclude
    Lwo or severul of Lhe luyers und sLukeholders
    menLloned ubove.
    1. Global IGF and ESCWA involvement
    Reullzlng Lhe lmorLunce of lnLerneL governunce
    lssues LhuL were noL resolved durlng Lhe Lwo huses
    of Lhe WSlS, Lhe UnlLed NuLlons SecreLury-Cenerul
    luunched, ln 2006, Lhe lCl us u globul mulLl-sLukeholder
    luLform for boLLom-u ollcy dlulogue on key globul
    ubllc ollcy. ln llghL of Lhe vulue broughL forLh by Lhe
    lCl on Lhe lnLernuLlonul, reglonul und nuLlonul levels,
    Lhe FrsL lCl munduLe of Fve yeurs (2006-2010) wus
    renewed for unoLher Fve yeurs (2011-2015).
    237
    LSCWA hus been ucLlve ln Lhe globul lCl unnuul
    meeLlngs (from 2006 to 2012) Lhrough orgunlzlng
    sesslon undjor dellverlng resenLuLlons on lC1-
    reluLed ucLlvlLles. ln LhuL conLexL, LSCWA hus been
    forglng close colluboruLlon wlLh Lhe Leugue of Arub
    SLuLes ln reuruLlon for Lhe fourLh globul lCl LhuL
    Look luce ln Shurm Ll-Shelkh, LgyL, ln 2009, durlng
    whlch Lhe LSCWA ugshl ubllcuLlon on lnLerneL
    Covernunce: Chullenges und OorLunlLles for
    Lhe Arub reglon wus luunched. lurLhermore, Lhls
    colluboruLlon wlLh Lhe Leugue of Arub SLuLes led Lo
    Lhe develomenL of Lhe Arub Llulogue on lnLerneL
    Covernunce (ArubLlC), u reglonul lnlLluLlve for u
    mulLl-sLukeholder dlulogue on lnLerneL governunce
    lssues LhuL ure mosL relevunL Lo Lhe reglon. ArubLlC
    resulLed ln Lhe udoLlon of Lhe |olnL LSCWA-Leugue
    of Arub SLuLes Arub Reglonul Roudmu for lnLerneL
    Covernunce: lrumework, Prlnclles und Ob|ecLlves
    und Lhe lssuunce of Lhe Cull of Arub SLukeholders,
    boLh ln 8elruL ln OcLober 2010, requesLlng Lhe
    Leugue of Arub SLuLes und LSCWA Lo luunch un
    Arub lCl rocess, slmllur Lo rocesses ongolng ln
    oLher reglons of Lhe world.
    (a) The establishment of the Arab IGF process
    8y 2011, more Lhun Len reglonul lCls were
    esLubllshed ln Luroe, Aslu, LuLln Amerlcu und
    TABLE 53. ESCWA regional activities and initiatives in the eld of ICT4D in the Arab region
    Activity/initiative Current and potential partners
    Clobul lnLerneL Covernunce lorum (lCl) und LSCWA lnvolvemenL lCl, Leugue of Arub SLuLes, N1RA of LgyL
    LAC Leugue of Arub SLuLes, Arub counLrles
    CyberleglsluLlon Leugue of Arub SLuLes, Arub AdmlnlsLruLlve LevelomenL
    OrgunlzuLlon (ARALO), Lconomlc Commlsslon for Afrlcu (LCA),
    UnlLed NuLlons Omce on Lrugs und Crlme (UNOLC)
    ProFllng Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy ln Lhe Arub reglon PurLnershl on Meusurlng lC1 for LevelomenL, Arub counLrles
    NeLworklng sclence, Lechnology und lnnovuLlon (S1l) ln Lhe Arub
    region
    LSCWA 1echnology CenLre (L1C), Arub counLrles, Royul SclenLlFc
    SocleLy (RSS) 1ordun
    Acudemy of lC1 LssenLluls for CovernmenL Leuders ln Lhe LSCWA
    Reglon (AlCLL)
    Lconomlc und Soclul Commlsslon for Aslu und Lhe PuclFc
    (LSCAP), LCA
    Arub e-CovernmenL Councll
    Leugue of Arub SLuLes, Arub e-governmenL rogrummes
    Suce und suLelllLe Lechnologles for develomenL (SS14L) UnlLed NuLlons Omce of OuLer Suce Aulrs (UNOOSA),
    Acudemlu
    Source: lC1 Llvlslon, LSCWA.
    141
    Afrlcu und hud roven Lo be vuluuble vehlcles Lo
    reflecL Lhe reglonul oslLlon uL Lhe globul level.
    1olnL LSCWA-Leugue of Arub SLuLes efforLs
    Lo resond Lo Lhe Cull of Arub SLukeholders
    evenLuully led, ln lebruury 2012, to the
    esLubllshmenL of Lhe Arub lCl rocess, us u four-
    yeur rocess (2012-2015) ln lLs flrsL munduLe, Lo
    ucL us u boLLom-u decenLrullzed luLform for
    lncluslve ollcy consulLuLlons LhuL lnvolve ull
    relevunL sLukeholders.
    ln Lhe flrsL yeur of lLs esLubllshmenL, Lhe
    muln urLners convened Lhe flrsL unnuul Arub
    lCl meeLlng, KuwulL, 9-11 OcLober 2012, that
    wus held under Lhe |olnL umbrellu of LSCWA
    und Lhe Leugue of Arub SLuLes, und under Lhe
    Lheme 8eLLer lnLerneL for u 8eLLer Arub World,
    whlch wus uLLended by uround 300 exerLs und
    urLlclunLs from Lhe Arub reglon. 1he meeLlng
    wus wldely ucclulmed boLh uL Lhe globul und
    reglonul levels und resulLed ln Lhe esLubllshmenL
    of severul LhemuLlc reglonul dynumlc coullLlons on
    seclflc hlgh-rlorlLy ollcy lssues. 1hese dynumlc
    coullLlons wlll meeL yeurly under Lhe umbrellu of
    Lhe Arub lCl.
    1he unnuul Arub lCl meeLlng of 2012 wus u
    mllesLone of Lhe rocess followed by Lhree more
    unnuul meeLlngs from 2013 to 2015, of whlch Lhe
    second Look luce beLween 1-3 OcLober 2013 in
    Algerlu. 1he ugendu of Lhe unnuul meeLlngs ls
    seL by Lhe boLLom-u Arub MulLl-sLukeholder
    Advlsory Crou (AMAC) comrlslng uround 30
    renowned exerLs from Lhe Arub reglon. Under
    Lhe umbrellu of LSCWA und Lhe Leugue of Arub
    SLuLes, erlodlcul AMAC meeLlngs ure scheduled
    every yeur for Lhe reuruLlon of Lhe unnuul Arub
    lCl meeLlng us well us for Lhe follow-u on Lhe
    rocess lLself. AMAC ls currenLly consldered us
    un lnLegrul urL of Lhe rocess, whlle LSCWA und
    Lhe Leugue of Arub SLuLes ure Lhe founders und
    umbrellu orgunlzuLlons for Lhls rocess. 1o furLher
    suorL lLs efforLs ln Lhe Arub lCl rocess, LSCWA
    udoLed, uL lLs 27Lh MlnlsLerlul Sesslon, resoluLlon
    306 (XXvll), enLlLled LevelomenL of Lhe Arub
    lCl rocess und susLulnlng efforLs ln Lhe Arublc
    domuln numes fleld.
    (b) The Arab IGF as a platform for regional
    integration
    1he Arub lCl ls by nuLure u non-declslon bused
    luLform for oen dlulogue umongsL sLukeholders
    wlLhouL Lhe need for uny blndlng recommenduLlons.
    lL fulls wlLhln Lhe frumeworks of Lhe LSCWA-Leugue
    of Arub SLuLes Arub Llulogue on lnLerneL Covernunce
    lnlLluLlve us well us LSCWA's overull munduLe Lo
    work Lowurds Lhe develomenL of knowledge-bused
    economles ln Lhe reglon und Lhe formuluLlon und
    lmlemenLuLlon of reluLed ollcles und sLruLegles.
    1he lmorLunce of Lhe Arub lCl rocess Lo LSCWA ls
    LhuL lL wlll fuclllLuLe lmlemenLlng Lhe rogrummes
    of Lhe Arub Reglonul Roudmu for lnLerneL
    Covernunce LhuL ldenLlfy Lhe needs und rlorlLles
    of Lhe Arub reglon, und wlll seek Lo bulld cuuclLy
    und rulse uwureness umongsL Lhe sLukeholders ln
    Arub counLrles on seclFc reluLed LhemuLlc lssues,
    lncludlng reglonul eerlng, Arub domuln numes, chlld
    onllne roLecLlon, us well us oLher Lolcs where Lhere
    ls u conslderuble luck of relevunL ollcles Lo govern.
    2. Regional initiative on digital Arabic content
    LSCWA reullzed Lhe lmorLunce of Lhe Arublc
    lunguuge onllne us one of Lhe muln lllurs for
    bulldlng u knowledge-bused economy und
    rovldlng lnvesLmenL oorLunlLles ln Lhe Feld
    of lC1 ln Lhe Arub reglon. Accordlngly, LSCWA
    luunched Lhe reglonul LlglLul Arublc ConLenL
    (LAC) lnlLluLlve
    238
    in 2003, whlch led Lo u serles
    of ucLlvlLles, lncludlng Lwo sLudles: Lnhunclng
    Arublc ConLenL on LlglLul NeLworks (2003), und
    LlglLul Arublc ConLenL: OorLunlLles, PrlorlLles
    und SLruLegles (2005). LSCWA ulso lmlemenLed,
    beLween 2008 und 2010, u ro|ecL on Lhe
    PromoLlon of Lhe LlglLul Arublc ConLenL lndusLry
    Lhrough lncubuLlon, whlch lncluded orgunlzlng
    uwureness cumulgns on Lhe lmorLunce of LAC
    und lLs lndusLry und luunchlng nuLlonul LAC
    comeLlLlons for young enLrereneurs. A number of
    sLudles reluLed Lo Lhe sLuLus of Lhe LAC lndusLry, lLs
    fuLure ersecLlves und Lhe LAC buslness models
    were ubllshed ln Lhe frumework of Lhls ro|ecL.
    1hese sLudles ure hlghly relevunL Lo enLrereneurs,
    governmenL und rlvuLe secLor.
    142 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    ln 2012, LSCWA luunched u new huse of
    lLs ro|ecL on Lhe PromoLlon of Lhe LlglLul
    Arublc ConLenL lndusLry Lhrough 1echnology
    lncubuLors.
    239
    1hls ro|ecL ulms uL lncreuslng
    uwureness on Lhe lmorLunce und oLenLlul
    of LAC lndusLry und encouruglng young
    enLrereneurs Lo creuLe sLurL-u und SMLs ln
    Lhls fleld. lL ulso ulms uL uddresslng Lhe muln
    chullenges of LAC lndusLry, eseclully Lhose
    reluLed Lo Lhe ecosysLem of lnnovuLlon und
    enLrereneurshl ln Lhe Arub counLrles. ln Lhe
    frumework of Lhls ro|ecL, LSCWA ubllshed Lwo
    sLudles, Lhe flrsL on 1he SLuLus of LAC lndusLry ln
    Lhe Arub Reglon
    240
    und Lhe second on 8uslness
    Models for LlglLul Arublc ConLenL.
    241
    LSCWA, ln
    colluboruLlon wlLh selecLed lncubuLors ln Arub
    counLrles, luunched, ln 2013, u number of nuLlonul
    LAC comeLlLlons LurgeLlng enLrereneurs und
    unlverslLy gruduuLes uslrlng Lo bulld novel LAC
    ullcuLlons und roducLs whlle uylng uLLenLlon
    Lo new Lrends und Lechnologles. Wlnners of Lhe
    comeLlLlon wlll recelve, us uwurd, lncubuLlon uL
    urLner buslness lncubuLors ln Lhe Arub reglon.
    LSCWA secured severul urLnershls wlLh
    nuLlonul buslness lncubuLors, enLrereneurshl
    und lnnovuLlon cenLres, und unlverslLles ln
    urLlcluLlng Arub counLrles, lncludlng Lhe
    PulesLlnlun lnformuLlon und CommunlcuLlons
    1echnology lncubuLor (PlC1l) ln PulesLlne, Lhe
    8eryLech lncubuLor ln Lebunon, Lhe Lechnology
    lncubuLor uL Lhe UnlverslLy of Aden ln Yemen,
    Lhe lPARK 1echnology Hub ln 1ordun, Lhe
    Syrlun ComuLer SocleLy lnformuLlon und
    CommunlcuLlons 1echnology lncubuLor (SCS-
    lC1l) ln Lhe Syrlun Arub Reubllc, und Lhe Mlne
    Knowledge lncubuLor ln Omun. LSCWA's urLners
    huve Lhemselves urouched oLher nuLlonul
    urLners Lo form u mulLl-sLukeholder urLnershl
    for lmlemenLlng Lhe lnlLluLlve uL Lhe glven
    counLry.
    lL ls worLh noLlng LhuL LAC hus been recelvlng
    noLuble uLLenLlon ln Lhe usL few yeurs us
    evldenced by nuLlonul und reglonul efforLs for lLs
    enhuncemenL und develomenL. A few exumles
    of reglonul cooeruLlon ure us follows:
    (u) LvenLs: 1he ConnecL Arub SLuLes SummlL, whlch
    Look luce ln 2012, lncluded LAC us one of lLs
    rlorlLy ureus for Lhe Arub reglon,
    (b) CovernmenL lnlLluLlves: NuLlonul lnlLluLlves huve
    hud reglonul lmllcuLlons for develolng und
    suorLlng LAC. Such lnlLluLlves lnclude Lhe Klng
    Abdulluh lnlLluLlve for Arublc ConLenL ln Suudl
    Arublu
    242
    und Lhe Arublc lunguuge lnlLluLlves ln Lhe
    UnlLed Arub LmlruLes,
    243
    (c) CommunlLy: CommunlLy-drlven LAC
    develomenL hus ulso been bused on such
    mulLl-sLukeholder urLnershls us 1ughreeduL's
    ucLlvlLles und lLs wlde neLwork of urLners,
    244

    (d) PrlvuLe secLor: LAC ullcuLlons und roducLs
    ure ulso qulLe evldenL ln such enLrereneurshl
    suorL luLforms us Lhe ArubNeL
    245
    conference
    und Wumdu.
    246

    3. Regional harmonization of cyberlegislation to
    promote the knowledge society in the Arab world
    8eLween 2009 und 2012, LSCWA lmlemenLed
    u ro|ecL on Lhe Reglonul HurmonlzuLlon of
    CyberleglsluLlon Lo PromoLe Lhe Knowledge SocleLy
    ln Lhe Arub World
    247
    Lo enhunce reglonul lnLegruLlon
    und sLrengLhen Lhe cuuclLy of member counLrles ln
    drufLlng und enucLlng comrehenslve cyberleglsluLlon.
    1he ro|ecL cume uL u olnL uL whlch Arub counLrles
    were ln need of modernlzlng Lhelr legul und reguluLory
    frumeworks Lo meeL Lhe requlremenLs broughL forLh
    by udoLlng lC1s ln vurlous Felds und Lhe use of
    cybersuce ln dully llfe. A number of ucLlvlLles Look
    luce durlng Lhe ro|ecL LhuL serve Lhls ulm, lncludlng
    reglonul workshos, cusLomlzed nuLlonul cuuclLy-
    bulldlng workshos, exerL meeLlngs, und semlnurs.
    1he ro|ecL ulso enLulled Lhe rovlslon of relevunL und
    cusLomlzed udvlsory servlces Lo slx Arub counLrles LhuL
    hud observuble lmucL und resulLs und requlred close
    colluboruLlon wlLh such governmenL lnsLlLuLlons us
    mlnlsLrles of |usLlce us well us lC1-relevunL mlnlsLrles
    und uuLhorlLles.
    1he mosL romlnenL ouLuL of Lhe ro|ecL were Lhe
    LSCWA CyberleglsluLlon LlrecLlves,
    248
    whlch lnclude
    143
    reseurch uers, exlunuLory noLes und cyberluw
    models on Lhe followlng slx Lhemes: e-communlcuLlon
    und freedom of exresslon, e-slgnuLure und
    e-LrunsucLlons, e-commerce und consumer
    roLecLlon, ersonul duLu roLecLlon, cybercrlme, und
    lnLellecLuul roerLy ln Lhe cybersuce. 1he LlrecLlves
    Lhus LurgeL governmenLs und declslon mukers ln Lhe
    Arub counLrles, legul exerLs lncludlng luwyers und
    |udges und ucudemlc und reseurch ersonnel. 1he
    rocess durlng whlch Lhe LlrecLlves were develoed
    enLulled colluboruLlon wlLh quullFed legul exerLs und
    exLenslve reseurch LhuL covered Lhe mosL noLuble
    reglonul exerlences, lncludlng LhuL of Lhe Luroeun
    Unlon, us well us reglonul und lnLernuLlonul references
    whlch were cusLomlzed Lo sulL Lhe Arub reglon.
    LSCWA ulso evuluuLed Lhe sLuLus of cyberleglsluLlon ln
    18 Arub counLrles und ubllshed four reorLs us well us
    slx comuruLlve Lubles summurlzlng Lhls sLuLus ln llne
    wlLh Lhe LSCWA LemluLe for cyberleglsluLlon
    249
    that
    wus reured eurller by LSCWA.
    ColluboruLlon wlLh reglonul und lnLernuLlonul
    orgunlzuLlons wus un essenLlul usecL whlle
    lmlemenLlng Lhe ro|ecL. 1he mosL noLuble ls Lhe
    colluboruLlon wlLh Lhe Leugue of Arub SLuLes on u
    number of ucLlvlLles und LurgeLlng Lhe udoLlon of
    Lhe LlrecLlves uL Lhe mlnlsLerlul level. 1he Councll
    of Arub MlnlsLers of 1usLlce recommended uL lLs
    27Lh sesslon (Culro, 2012) Lhe conLlnuuLlon of
    cooeruLlon beLween Lhe LxecuLlve 8ureuu of Lhe
    Councll und LSCWA on legul muLLers for develolng
    und hurmonlzlng cyberleglsluLlon ln Lhe reglon. One
    of Lhe LSCWA workshos wlLhln Lhls ro|ecL wus
    ln colluboruLlon wlLh Lhe Leugue of Arub SLuLes,
    und lL wus lmlemenLed on 18-19 Murch 2012.
    250

    lurLhermore, u SLeerlng CommlLLee wus esLubllshed
    Lo rovlde overull guldunce Lo Lhe ro|ecL und lLs
    fuLure uslruLlons. 1hrough lLs membershl, Lhe
    SLeerlng CommlLLee reecLed colluboruLlon on
    Lhe reglonul und lnLernuLlonul levels. lLs members
    lncluded Lhe Councll of Arub MlnlsLers of 1usLlce of
    Lhe Leugue of Arub SLuLes, l1U, ARALO, und LCA.
    1he ro|ecL ulso mude wuy for colluboruLlon wlLh such
    slsLer UnlLed NuLlons orgunlzuLlons us UNOLC dolng
    slmllur or relevunL work ln Lhe Feld of cyberleglsluLlon
    und cybercrlme.
    lL ls worLh noLlng LhuL LSCWA colluboruLed
    exLenslvely wlLh lLs member counLrles ln Lhe ureu
    of cyberleglsluLlon und rovlded muny nuLlonul
    cusLomlzed workshos und udvlsory servlces bused
    on LSCWA cyberleglsluLlon dlrecLlves Lo resond
    Lo Lhe seclFc needs of Lhese counLrles. LSCWA
    orgunlzed nuLlonul workshos ln colluboruLlon wlLh
    locul urLners ln Lhe followlng counLrles: Algerlu,
    8uhruln, Lebunon, Lhe Sudun, und UnlLed Arub
    LmlruLes. lurLhermore, LSCWA rovlded udvlsory
    servlces Lo Algerlu, 8uhruln, 1ordun, Omun, PulesLlne,
    und Syrlun Arub Reubllc, und Lhese udvlsory servlces
    were noL llmlLed Lo Lhe revlslon of one luw er
    counLry buL ruLher covered severul luws und rovlded
    beneFclury counLrles wlLh u uckuge of commenLs,
    unulyLlcul ldenLlFcuLlon of gus und room for
    lmrovemenL, und ln some cuses, drufL legul LexLs.
    All Lhe orgunlzed workshos und Lhe oered udvlsory
    servlces were bused on Lhe LSCWA CyberleglsluLlon
    LlrecLlves.
    1o lmrove Lhe lnLernuLlonul ouLreuch of Lhe
    ro|ecL und shure Lhe Arub exerlence uL Lhe globul
    level, LSCWA develoed Lhe CyberleglsluLlon LlgesL,
    ln Lngllsh, Lo summurlze Lhe ro|ecL's ucLlvlLles
    und ouLcomes us well us glve un overvlew of Lhe
    LSCWA CyberleglsluLlon LlrecLlves,
    251
    und recenLly
    in 2013, LSCWA ubllshed u ollcy sLuLemenL reluLed
    Lo Lhe develomenL und Lhe hurmonlzuLlon of
    cyberleglsluLlon ln Lhe Arub counLrles.
    4. Proling the information society in the Arab
    region
    ProFllng Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy ln Lhe Arub
    reglon begun ln 2003 us u sequel ucLlvlLy Lo Lhe
    WesLern Aslu PreuruLory Conference Lo Lhe WSlS.
    1he need Lo roFle member counLrles ln selecLed
    lnformuLlon socleLy ureus wus deemed u rerequlslLe
    for esLubllshlng nuLlonul und reglonul luns for
    bulldlng Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy. Slnce Lhen, und
    over Lhe course of Len yeurs, Lwo muln ucLlvlLles
    were currled ouL every blennlum, numely: reurlng
    u seL of nuLlonul roFles of Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy
    ln every member counLy ln colluboruLlon wlLh u
    governmenL nuLlonul focul olnL, und ubllshlng u
    reglonul roFle reorL whlch hus become Lhe ugshl
    144 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    ubllcuLlon of Lhe lC1 dlvlslon for Lhe usL Len
    yeurs.
    252
    Slx edlLlons of nuLlonul und reglonul roFles of
    Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy huve been ubllshed by
    LSCWA wlLhln Lhe frumework of follow-u ucLlvlLles
    Lo Lhe WSlS ouLcomes und ln uccordunce wlLh
    lLs muln ucLlon llnes. 1hese roFles descrlbe Lhe
    currenL slLuuLlon und Lhe rogress mude ln every
    member counLry und Lhe reglon ln bulldlng Lhe
    lnformuLlon socleLy, und usslsL declslon mukers ln
    devlslng lnformuLlon socleLy sLruLegles und luylng
    ouL nuLlonul luns of ucLlon. Moreover, Lhe roFllng
    exerclse ullows nuLlonul uuLhorlLles Lo comure
    Lhelr currenL sLuLus wlLh LhuL of oLher counLrles
    ln Lhe reglon ln order Lo romoLe oorLunlLles
    for cooeruLlon und reglonul lnLegruLlon ln un
    lncreuslngly knowledge-bused globul economy.
    5. Networking science, technology and innovation
    in the Arab region
    ln 2011, LSCWA esLubllshed Lhe L1C, u reglonul
    Lechnology cenLre for develomenL ln 1ordun, wlLhln
    Ll Hussun Sclence ClLy ln Ammun us un lncubuLor und
    hosL orgunlzuLlon. lL ls Lhe one und only duLy sLuLlon
    of LSCWA ouLslde of Lebunon. 1he muln ob|ecLlves
    of L1C ure Lo coordlnuLe und neLwork nuLlonul
    cenLres of excellence ln S1l ln Lhe Arub reglon, und
    romoLe Lechnology Lrunsfer Lo und umong LSCWA
    member counLrles, ulmlng uL ellmlnuLlng uny
    dullcuLe or redundunL eorL us well us ldenLlfylng
    Lhe gus ln Lhe S1l ecosysLem uL Lhe reglonul level.
    L1C ls munduLed Lo fosLer synergy und
    comlemenLurlLy uL Lhe reglonul level ln Lhe
    ullcuLlon of Lechnology, umong relevunL
    lnsLlLuLlons und sLukeholders ln Lhe LSCWA member
    sLuLes. 1he followlng hus been uchleved slnce lLs
    lnceLlon Lwo yeurs ugo:
    (u) A sLudy wus conducLed Lo unulyse Lhe sLrengLhs,
    weuknesses, oorLunlLles, und LhreuLs (SWA1)
    of S1l LhuL ls core Lo suggesL und fuclllLuLe
    urLnershls wlLhln Lhe reglon bused on evldence.
    1hls wlll hel bulld sLruLegles for comlemenLury
    ucLlvlLles und Fnd Lhe rlghL urLnershl
    oorLunlLles wlLhln Lhe ureu,
    (b) 8used on Lhe Annuul MlnlsLerlul Revlew MeeLlng
    2013 of Lhe UnlLed NuLlons Lconomlc und Soclul
    Councll (LCOSOC) on S1l und Lhe role of culLure
    ln susLulnuble develomenL, und followlng Lhe
    reglonul reuruLory meeLlng L1C hosLed ln
    November 2012, u LhemuLlc grou from such
    UnlLed NuLlons ugencles us UNLSCO, Lhe
    LeurLmenL of Lconomlc und Soclul Aulrs
    (LLSA), Lhe UnlLed NuLlons LnvlronmenL
    Progrumme (UNLP), Lhe UnlLed NuLlons LnLlLy for
    Cender LquullLy und Lhe LmowermenL of Women
    (UNWOMLN), UNC1AL, und oLhers wus formed
    Lo ullgn Lhe ouLcomes of Lhe reglonul meeLlng wlLh
    Lhe UnlLed NuLlons reglonul ucLlvlLles,
    (c) L1C rovlded Lechnlcul udvlsory servlces Lo SlR8,
    un Angel lnvesLors neLwork esLubllshd us un
    lnlLluLlve of KACS1 ln Suudl Arublu, Lhrough Lhe Ll
    Hussun 8uslness Purk (LH8P) of 1ordun,
    253

    (d) ln servlng Lhe Suudl Arublun udvlsory requesL for
    Klng Abdulluh ClLy for ALomlc und Renewuble
    Lnergy (KACARL), L1C revlewed Lhe lnnovuLlon
    hub Lruck luns und ln|ecLed roosed lnnovuLlon
    relevunL Lo KACARL energy luns from wlLhln Lhe
    reglon, numely 1ordun, Lebunon und oLhers,
    (e) Servlng u requesL on Lhe LsLubllshmenL of u
    1echnology 1runsfer Omce uL Lhe Sldl Mohummud
    8ln Abdullu UnlverslLy ln les, Morocco ln Muy
    2013, L1C deloyed LH8P-relevunL exerlences,
    (f) L1C fuclllLuLed Lhe hosLlng of Lhe Creen Hel
    Lesk by LheNuLlonul Lnergy Reseurch CenLre
    (NLRC) uL Lhe Royul SclenLlFc SocleLy of 1ordun
    lmlemenLed by Lhe SusLulnuble LevelomenL
    und ProducLlvlLy Llvlslon ln LSCWA,
    (g) L1C fuclllLuLed Lhree lnLellecLuul roerLy revlew
    conLrucLs, Lwo beLween Lhe nuLlonul lnLellecLuul
    ProerLy und CommerclullzuLlon Omce of
    1ordun und Khuyul ProducLlon ln OuLur, und
    one beLween Lhe nuLlonul lnLellecLuul ProerLy
    und CommerclullzuLlon Omce of 1ordun und Lhe
    lndusLrlul Reseurch lnsLlLuLe ln Lebunon,
    145
    (h) L1C co-orgunlzed wlLh LH8P und Lhe Llcenslng
    LxecuLlves SocleLy of Arub CounLrles u
    commerclullzuLlon Lour Lo muLch 34 locul
    Lechnology SMLs wlLh 18 reglonul lnvesLors ln
    LgyL, 1ordun, Lebunon, und PulesLlne. Lleven
    buslness LrunsucLlons were lnlLluLed uL reglonul
    level.
    6. Academy of ICT Essentials for Government
    Leaders in the ESCWA Region
    1he ro|ecL of AlCLL wus lnlLluLed und uroved ln
    2011, lL ls ulmed uL bulldlng cuublllLles ln Lhe reglon.
    1he lmlemenLuLlon of Lhe AlCLL ro|ecL sLurLed ln
    lebruury 2013 for u Lhree-yeur erlod. 1he Acudemy
    wlll hel LSCWA member governmenLs enhunce
    cuuclLles Lo creuLe und susLuln un envlronmenL LhuL
    romoLes Lhe LrunslLlon Lowurds u knowledge-bused
    economy.
    lor Lhe lmlemenLuLlon of Lhls ro|ecL, LSCWA ls
    bulldlng uon lessons leurned und Lhe uchlevemenLs
    of u slmllur ucudemy by Lhe UnlLed NuLlons Aslun
    und PuclFc 1rulnlng CenLre for lnformuLlon und
    CommunlcuLlon 1echnology for LevelomenL
    (APClC1). LSCWA ls develolng u sLrucLured und
    comrehenslve lC1 Lrulnlng currlculum, conslsLlng
    of core modules LhuL wlll be dlssemlnuLed Lo
    governmenLs Lhrough Lhelr ubllc Lrulnlng lnsLlLuLlons.
    7. Arab e-government council
    LSCWA, Lhrough lLs lC1 Llvlslon, ls Fnullzlng u
    roosul Lo esLubllsh u councll for Arub e-governmenL
    rogrumme dlrecLors. 1he ob|ecLlve ls Lo rovlde
    u luLform Lo coordlnuLe eorLs of e-governmenL
    rogrummes ln Lhe Arub counLrles und Lo synerglze
    Lhe know-how, exerLlse und success sLorles umong
    Lhem. 1he ulm ls Lo rovlde u forum for hlgh-level
    ollcymukers ln Lhe ureu of nuLlonul und reglonul
    e-governmenL servlces ln order Lo shure knowledge
    und duLu. HlsLorlcully, Arub counLrles were shurlng
    duLubuses on u blluLerul mode only. Clven Lhe huge
    scule uL whlch lubour, goods und servlces cross
    borders umong Arub counLrles, such u councll,
    once esLubllshed, shull render greuL servlces Lo
    governmenL lunners for lmroved governmenL
    servlces und e-servlces for Lhe well-belng of clLlzens
    und neLlzens. AL Lhls Llme, Lhe LSCWA lC1 Llvlslon
    ls Fnullzlng u roosul for Lhe Arub e-governmenL
    councll LhuL wlll be dlscussed wlLh ull sLukeholders,
    lncludlng heuds of e-governmenL rogrummes ln Lhe
    Arub counLrles, ln un ucomlng evenL LhuL wlll be
    orgunlzed by LSCWA.
    8. Cooperation on space and satellite technologies
    for development
    1he ureu of SS14L ls u oLenLlul focus ureu
    of reglonul cooeruLlon LhuL could brlng ubouL
    beneFLs Lo susLulnuble develomenL ln Lhe Arub
    reglon und enhunce Lhe llfe of lLs eole. 1he ureu
    of suce ucLlvlLles und euceful uses of ouLer suce
    (PUOS) ls belng uddressed by Lhe UnlLed NuLlons
    Omce for OuLer Suce Aulrs (OOSA)und hus u
    unlque luLform for lnLernuLlonul cooeruLlon LhuL
    ls reresenLed by Lhe CommlLLee on Lhe Peuceful
    Uses of OuLer Suce (COPUOS) und reorLs Lo Lhe
    Cenerul Assembly. COPUOS conslsLs of 74 members
    LhuL lnclude eleven Arub counLrles, numely Algerlu,
    LgyL, lruq, 1ordun, Lebunon, Llbyu, Morocco,
    Suudl Arublu, Lhe Sudun, Syrlun Arub Reubllc, und
    1unlslu. lurLhermore, Lhe CenLre for Suce Sclence
    und 1echnology, whlch ls umlluLed wlLh Lhe UnlLed
    NuLlons, wus esLubllshed ln 1ordun ln 2012.
    lurLhermore, Lhe Arub reglon ls ln need Lo
    sLrengLhen reglonul cooeruLlon on SS1s umongsL
    Lhe vurlous sLukeholders Lowurds develolng un
    enubllng envlronmenL LhuL governs und fuclllLuLes
    Lhe euceful uses of suce Lechnologles und uvulluble
    lnformuLlon wlLhln Lhe reglon's develomenL
    rocess und eorLs. 1o exlore Lhe oorLunlLles
    uvulluble Lhrough suce Lechnologles, servlces und
    ullcuLlons Lo Lhe Arub reglon, LSCWA seeks Lo
    lnclude ln lLs 2014 work lun, und beyond, ucLlvlLles
    LhuL follow u on recommenduLlons by COPUOS
    und reluLed conferences, enhunce cooeruLlon on
    SS1s und conLrlbuLe Lo Lhe reglon's eorLs Lowurds
    susLulnuble develomenL und uLLulnmenL of Lhe
    develomenL gouls. 1he reglonul cooeruLlon
    Lowurds hurnesslng Lhe lnformuLlon und servlces
    of ouLer suce ucLlvlLles Lo Lhe beneFL of Lhe Arub
    reglon could cover numerous Lolcs. 1he Luble below
    rovldes un urruy of Lolcs under Lhe Lerm PUOS.
    146 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    B. Suggestions and recommendations
    Lurlng Lhe lusL decude, Lhe Arub reglon hus mude
    Lunglble rogress ln Lhe ureu of lC1. YeL, much needs
    Lo be done ln llghL of Lhe uce of Lechnologlcul
    udvuncemenL worldwlde ln Lhe lC1 Feld. More hus
    Lo be done ulso Lo meeL Lhe huge demund for lC1
    servlces umong Lhe Arub clLlzens und conLrlbuLe
    Lo Lhe brldglng of Lhe dlglLul dlvlde. lollowlng
    ure some suggesLlons und recommenduLlons for
    ollcymukers und oLher sLukeholders ln order
    Lo udvunce Lhls lmorLunL Feld of reglonul und
    lnLernuLlonul cooeruLlon even furLher:
    (u) Lncouruge Lhe Councll of lC1 MlnlsLers of Lhe
    Arub Leugue Lo Luke more bold sLes Lo udvunce
    cooeruLlon beLween Lhe Arub counLrles ln Lhe
    lC14L Feld, und Luke sLes Lo sLrengLhen reglonul
    cooeruLlon ln Lhe Feld of lC1 develomenL
    Lhrough Lhe lnvolvemenL of such orgunlzuLlons us
    Lhe Leugue of Arub SLuLes und LSCWA,
    (b) ALLrucL Lhe uLLenLlon of Arub funds Lo lnvesL ln
    lC1-reluLed ro|ecLs und lnlLluLlves, eseclully
    Lhose of reglonul nuLure, on Lhe grounds
    LhuL lC1 ls u key luyer ln generuLlng growLh
    und rovldlng Arub youLh wlLh emloymenL
    oorLunlLles,
    (c) Levelo u coordlnuLed urouch Lo reglonul
    lssues of common concern umong member
    counLrles, lncludlng Lhe ureus of lnLernuLlonul
    LelecommunlcuLlon, lnLerneL governunce, dlglLul
    Arublc conLenL, und cybersufeLy,
    (d) PromoLe Lhe esLubllshmenL of u reglonul neLwork
    for lnformuLlon-shurlng by sLukeholders ln
    Lhe reglon, creuLlng communlLles of rucLlce
    for shurlng exerLlse, eseclully ln educuLlon,
    lC1 cuuclLy-bulldlng und cyberleglsluLlons
    und creuLe new und udvunce ulreudy exlsLlng
    observuLorles on Lhe vurlous lC1 lssues reluLed Lo
    ollcymuklng,
    (e) LsLubllsh un Arub e-governmenL councll comosed
    of Arub heuds of e-governmenL rogrummes ln
    order Lo rovlde u luLform for cooeruLlon und
    exchunge of know-how und exerLlse,
    (f) Levelo un Arub scheme for cross-border lnLerneL
    und moblle servlces wlLh schemes for rlce
    levelllng, eseclully rlclng of roumlng servlces,
    und develo u cross-border lXP LhuL servlces Lhe
    reglon und hels lower Lhe cosL of lnLerneL Lrumc,
    (g) Lncouruge Arub counLrles Lo Fll, udd und uduLe
    Lhelr enLrles ln Lhe WSlS SLock 1uklng Lo reecL Lhe
    rogress mude ln bulldlng Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy.
    llnully, lL ls lmorLunL Lo lndlcuLe LhuL muny
    reglons of Lhe world huve mude subsLunLlve
    breukLhroughs ln Lhe ureu of lC1 reglonul
    cooeruLlon. 1hls wus done on grounds of muLuul
    lnLeresL, ruLher Lhun nuLlonul rlde or ldeologlcul
    ugendu. When lL comes Lo lC1, rogress ls meusured
    boLh uL Lhe nuLlonul us well us Lhe reglonul levels.
    Muny of Lhe Arub lC1 Fles ure beLLer o lf Lhey
    ure hundled Lhrough reglonul cooeruLlon, us wus
    lllusLruLed ln Lhls chuLer.
    TABLE 54. Selected examples of satellite technologies for development
    Early warning systems: hurricanes,
    tsunamis, earthquakes, etc.
    Telecommunication services: radio, TV,
    VSAT, data, roaming
    Online and transnational databases
    1ele-educuLlon, 1ele-heulLh Pundemlc wurnlng SecurlLy ulerLs
    Alr und murlne Lrumc conLrol Lund und wuLer munugemenL loresLry und furmlng
    llre deLecLlon und mlLlguLlon LocuLlon of Fsh und wlldllfe NuLurul resources munugemenL
    NuLlonul defense LocuLlon-bused servlces WeuLher und ood forecusLs
    Suce hoLogruhy und mulng Lund survey und lund rlghLs SuorL Lo suce rogrummes
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA.
    X
    Reglonul und
    international
    cooeruLlon XI
    8ulldlng
    Lhe lC1 secLor
    149
    1he frequenL udvunces und chunges ln
    Lhe fleld of lC1 requlre u erlodlcul revlslon
    of Lhe deflnlLlon of Lhe lC1 secLor ln order Lo
    lnclude new roducLs, servlces und rocesses.
    ln 1998, member counLrles of Lhe OrgunlsuLlon
    for Lconomlc Co-oeruLlon und LevelomenL
    (OLCL) ugreed Lo deflne Lhe lC1 secLor us u
    comblnuLlon of munufucLurlng und servlces
    lndusLrles LhuL cuLure, LrunsmlL und dlsluy
    duLu und lnformuLlon elecLronlcully.
    254
    This
    ucLlvlLy-bused deflnlLlon of lC1 ls Lhe mosL
    wldely used ln Lhe lC1 communlLy, und lL wus
    revlewed ln Arll 2002 Lo reflecL Lhe consLunLly
    chunglng nuLure of Lhe secLor. ln Lhls more
    recenL deflnlLlon, Lhe lC1 secLor comblnes Lhe
    munufucLurlng und rovlslon of goods und
    servlces LhuL ure reluLed Lo elecLronlc duLu
    cuLurlng, Lrunsmlsslon und dlsluy, lncludlng,
    umong oLhers, comuLers, erlheruls,
    sofLwure, rudlos, und Lelevlslons.
    Comured Lo oLher economlc secLors, Lhe
    lC1 secLor ln Lhe Arub reglon ls sLlll consldered
    us u young und rlmurlly lmorLs-drlven secLor:
    Arub counLrles ure neL lmorLers of lC1 goods
    und, deslLe some undenluble success sLorles,
    sLlll murglnul luyers ln Lhe worldwlde l1
    servlces secLor. LeslLe Lhe fucL LhuL llLLle ls
    known ubouL Lhe lC1 secLor us u sLund-ulone
    economlc secLor ln Lhe reglon, lLs growLh
    deends on enubllng envlronmenL uvulluble
    Lo Lhe whole economy, lncludlng ubllc und
    rlvuLe-secLor fuclllLuLlons und lncenLlves.
    A. Comparative analysis
    1. Government facilitation
    Cenerully seuklng, Lhe muln chullenges
    lmedlng Lhe develomenL of u comeLlLlve
    lC1 secLor lnclude such burrlers us Lhe luck of
    governmenL lncenLlve rogrummes, uneven lC1
    uccess umong ureus und reglons, lnudequuLe
    lC1 lnfrusLrucLure, luck or weuk reguluLory
    envlronmenLs, lmmuLure Fnunclng mechunlsms,
    weuk comeLlLlveness, economlc consLrulnLs, und
    overull weuk condlLlons for dolng buslness ln Lhe
    counLry.
    1o meusure Lhls envlronmenL, Lhe World 8unk
    und Lhe lnLernuLlonul llnunce CororuLlon (llC)
    lnLroduced Lhe Luse of Lolng 8uslness lndex,
    255
    to
    runk governmenL economles und Lo comure rules
    und reguluLlons umong 185 economles euch yeur
    (where 1 = mosL buslness-frlendly reguluLlons).
    1runsurenL und udequuLe rules und reguluLlons ure
    consldered us rerequlslLe Lo uny emclenL economy
    und murkeL ucLlvlLy.
    1he emclency of such reguluLlons ls meusured by
    Lhelr clurlLy whlch hels uvold uny dlsLorLlon leudlng
    Lo unreusonuble cosLs on buslness, us well us by
    Lhelr cuuclLy Lo roLecL ubllc lnLeresLs. Movlng Lo
    such envlronmenL ls sLlll fur from comleLe ln Lhe
    Arub world, us wus menLloned cleurly by Lhe World
    8unk und Lhe llC ln Lhelr seclul co-ubllcuLlon
    ubllshed ln 2012,
    256
    comurlng reguluLlons for
    domesLlc Frms ln 20 Arub counLrles.
    Uslng Len lndlcuLors, Lhe ubllcuLlon bullL
    uon Lhe Luse of Lolng 8uslness lndex, whlch
    XI. Building the ICT Sector
    150 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    benchmurks economles und hlghllghLs chunges ln
    Lhe reguluLlons ulylng mulnly Lo SMLs durlng
    Lhelr llfe cycle. 1he sLudy hlghllghLed LhuL, ugulnsL
    Lhe buckdro of Lhe Arub Srlng, governmenLs
    in 13 ouL of 20 Arub economles lmlemenLed
    reguluLory reforms ln Lhe usL yeur ulmed uL
    lmrovlng Lhe buslness envlronmenL for locul
    enLrereneurs. lL ulso concluded LhuL Lhe Arub
    reglon breuks uwuy from u generul globul Lrend
    where emclenL reguluLory rocesses ofLen go hund
    ln hund wlLh sLronger legul lnsLlLuLlons und roerLy
    rlghLs roLecLlons. ln Lhe Arub reglon, reguluLory
    rocesses huve lmroved on uveruge over Llme,
    urLlculurly ln such ureus us buslness sLurL-us, buL
    legul lnsLlLuLlons whlch ure execLed Lo roLecL
    lnvesLors und enforce conLrucLs ure reluLlvely weuk
    comured Lo Lhose ln oLher reglons. AL Lhe globul
    level, slx Arub counLrles, numely Suudl Arublu,
    UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, OuLur, 8uhruln, Omun, und
    1unlslu ure runked umong Lhe Lo Lhlrd ln Lhe Luse
    of Lolng 8uslness lndex.
    ln Lhls conLexL, lL ls worLh menLlonlng LhuL ln Lhe
    lusL Fve yeurs, Suudl Arublu hus cllmbed from runk
    67 to 22 due Lo Lhe eorLs exerLed lLs CovernmenL Lo
    lmrove Lhe buslness envlronmenL of lLs lnsLlLuLlons,
    lncludlng reforms und reguluLory lmrovemenLs LhuL
    huve eused Lhe dolng-buslness cllmuLe for lnvesLors
    und Frms. WlLh resecL Lo murkeL emclency, OuLur
    hus ulso broughL lmrovemenLs ln recenL yeurs ln
    Lerms of Lhe euse-of-dolng buslness, wlLh u new
    Commerclul Comunles Luw ulmed uL slmllfylng
    Lhe rocedures requlred for Lhe esLubllshmenL of
    commerclul enLerrlses.
    257
    ln llne wlLh Lhls, uccess Lo
    credlL und Lrudlng ucross borders hus lmroved over
    Lhe usL few yeurs. AL Lhe lower end, u slgnlFcunL
    decreuse ln runklng hus muLerlullzed ln Yemen, due
    mulnly Lo Lhe fucL LhuL Yemen ls one of Lhe Arub
    Srlng counLrles ln Lhe reglon LhuL suered und ls
    sLlll suerlng from slgnlFcunL economlc und ollLlcul
    dumuge. 1hls ls ulso Lhe cuse for Lhe Syrlun Arub
    Reubllc, whlch fell by seven runks from 2011 to
    2012, due Lo Lhe ollLlcul lnsLublllLy ln Lhe counLry.
    TABLE 55. Ranking of selected Arab countries on the World Bank Ease
    of Doing Business Index, 2011-2012
    Country Rank 2011 Rank 2012 Net change
    Saudi Arabia 23 22 1 ^
    United Arab Emirates 29 26 3 ^
    Qatar 40 40 0
    Bahrain 39 42 3 j
    Oman 47 47 0
    Tunisia 45 50 5 j
    Kuwait 77 82 5 j
    Morocco 93 97 4 j
    Jordan 105 106 1 j
    Egypt 110 109 1 j
    Lebanon 112 115 3 j
    Yemen 101 118 17 j
    Palestine 135 135 0
    Yemen 140 143 3 j
    Syrian Arab Republic 137 144 7 j
    Algeria 150 152 2 j
    Iraq 163 165 2 j
    Source: hLL:jjduLu.worldbunk.orgjlndlcuLorjlC.8US.LASL.XO.
    151
    AL Lhe reglonul level, whlle reforms currled ouL
    over Lhe lusL yeurs huve lmroved Lhe euse-of-
    dolng buslness ln selecLed, essenLlully hlgh-lncome,
    CCC counLrles, murkeL sLrucLure und lnsLlLuLlonul
    reforms sLlll need Lo be ucceleruLed Lo enhunce
    comeLlLlveness, emclency und roducLlvlLy. ln Lhls
    conLexL, ollcles should focus more on lmrovlng
    governunce und creuLlng lncenLlves for Lhe rlvuLe
    secLor worklng ln Lhe lC1 Feld, whlch would
    leud Lo u greuL lncreuse ln |obs und emloymenL
    oorLunlLles, urLlculurly for young enLrereneurs
    ln Lhe lC1 secLor.
    2. Contribution of the ICT sector in the national
    economy
    ln mosL udvunced knowledge-bused economles,
    Lhe lC1 secLor ls consldered us one of Lhe mosL
    dynumlc economlc secLors, und lLs lmorLunce does
    noL sLo Lo lncreuse. 1he hlgh oLenLlul for growLh
    ln Lhls secLor oers slgnlFcunL socloeconomlc
    oorLunlLles. 1ogeLher wlLh Lhree oLher concurrenL
    lllurs, numely lnnovuLlon, educuLlon und quullLy
    of lnsLlLuLlons, Lhe lC1 consLlLuLes one of Lhe four
    foundlng lllurs ln uny nuLlonul economy ln LrunslLlon
    Lowurds u knowledge-bused economy.
    1he lC1 secLor ln Lhe Arub reglon hus wlLnessed
    some rogress ln Lhe usL decude. However, deslLe
    greuL eorLs mude by governmenLs und Lhe rlvuLe
    secLor Lo develo Lhe lC1 secLor us u sLund-ulone
    roducLlve secLor, relluble und conslsLenL lndlcuLors
    Lo meusure lLs conLrlbuLlon Lo Lhe economlc growLh
    uL nuLlonul level ure sLlll mlsslng.
    (a) Telecommunications investments and revenues
    Reseurch shows LhuL Lhe lmucL of Lhe lC1
    secLor goes ucross ull economlc secLors, und Lhe
    lnvesLmenL ln lC1 ls currenLly ussocluLed wlLh
    economlc beneFLs lncludlng lower cosLs, beLLer
    roducLlvlLy, new und lnnovuLlve economlc
    oorLunlLles, und |ob creuLlon. 1hls cun be udded
    Lo Lhe oslLlve soclul lmucL LhuL Lhe lC1 cun huve
    on heulLh, educuLlon und oLher secLors by rovldlng
    beLLer servlces und sLrengLhenlng soclul coheslon.
    1o lllusLruLe Lhe rogress of Lhls revoluLlon, Lhe
    LlLLle LuLu 8ook on lC1 of l1U und World 8unk
    rovldes comuruble sLuLlsLlcs on Lhe lC1 secLor
    TABLE 56. Telecommunications revenues in selected Arab countries, 2010-2011
    Country
    GDP 2010
    (Billions of USs)
    Telecommunications revenue
    World Bank data 2010
    (Ppercentage of GDP)
    Telecommunications revenue
    World Bank data 2011
    (Percentage of GDP)
    Bahrain 22.95 4.4 4.2
    Egypt 218.89 3.2 2.9
    Jordan 26.43 5.9 5.9
    Morocco 90.77 4.7 4.6
    Oman 57.85 3.5 2.5
    Qatar 127.33 1.6 1.1
    Saudi Arabia 450.79 3.8 3.0
    Sudan 64.79 11.7 2.9
    Syrian Arab Republic 59.15 3.2 3.1
    Tunisia 44.38 3.9 3.9
    United Arab Emirates 297.65 3.6 2.1
    Yemen 31.88 3.3 3.3
    Arab average 4.4 3.3
    World average 2.7 2.6
    Source: World 8unk, 2013u.
    152 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    bused on lndlcuLors coverlng Lhe economlc und
    soclul lmucL conLexL. 1o meusure Lhe conLrlbuLlon
    of Lhe lC1 secLor Lo Lhe nuLlonul economlc growLh,
    Lhe unulysls ln Lhls secLlon wlll be bused on Lwo muln
    lndlcuLors LhuL meusure Lhe lC1 secLor emclency und
    cuuclLy, numely LelecommunlcuLlons revenue und
    lnvesLmenL.
    Lurlng Lhe 2010-2011 erlod, revenues from
    Lhe LelecommunlcuLlon secLor huve wlLnessed un
    lmorLunL growLh ln Lhe mu|orlLy of Lhe LSCWA
    member counLrles, wlLh un uveruge lncreuse from
    3.5 er cenL ln 2008
    258
    to 4.4 er cenL ln 2010 as a
    ercenLuge of Lhe CLP. WlLh Lhls conLrlbuLlon,
    Lhe uveruge of Lhe Arub reglon exceeds Lhe world
    uveruge esLlmuLed uL 2.7 er cenL ln 2010. ln Lhls
    conLexL, lL ls essenLlul Lo noLlce LhuL Lhe muln reuson
    behlnd Lhls hlgh-level revenue ls Lhe rollferuLlon
    of LelecommunlcuLlon servlces, lncludlng Fxed llne,
    moblle und duLu ln Lhe Arub reglon. lL ls ulso worLh
    menLlonlng LhuL moblle servlces, boLh volce und duLu,
    reresenL mosL llkely Lhe blggesL shure of Lhls revenue
    ln ulmosL ull Arub counLrles. 1hls wus conFrmed by
    Lhe duLu rovlded by Lhe AAC ln lLs nuLlonul reorLs
    on 1elecommunlcuLlons MurkeL lndlcuLors und
    Pro|ecLlons ubllshed for Lhe yeurs 2012-2013.
    259

    A closer look uL Lhe nuLlonul level of mosL
    counLrles reveuls u sllghL decreuse ln Lhe
    TABLE 57. Telecommunications investments in
    selected Arab countries, 2010-2011
    Country
    Telecommunications
    investments 2010
    (Thousand USs)
    Telecommunications
    investments 2011
    (Thousand USs)
    Egypt 2,113,000 980,000
    Iraq 456,000 385,600
    Jordan 301,000 295,200
    Morocco 1,124,000 802,700
    Sudan 478,000 382,000
    Syrian Arab Republic 65,000 75,000
    Tunisia 966,000 181,300
    Palestine 47,000 56,600
    Yemen 59,000 365,100
    Total 5,609,000 3,523,500
    Source: hLL:jjduLubunk.worldbunk.orgjduLujhome.usx.
    LelecommunlcuLlons revenues us u ercenLuge
    of Lhe nuLlonul CLPs, from 2010 to 2011. ln 2011,
    1ordun wus runked FrsL wlLh neurly 6 er cenL,
    followed by Morocco wlLh 4.6 er cenL und 8uhruln
    wlLh 4.2 er cenL. lL uLLrucLs uLLenLlon LhuL, ln
    Lhe Sudun, Lhls ruLe droed drusLlcully from
    uroxlmuLely 11.7 er cenL ln 2010 to 2.9 er cenL
    in 2011, whlch ls mulnly due Lo Lhe Lurbulence und
    ollLlcul lnsLublllLy uccomunylng Lhe lndeendence
    of SouLh Sudun ln 2011 us u seuruLe sLuLe.
    WlLh reference Lo Lhe lnvesLmenL ln Lhe
    LelecommunlcuLlon secLor, duLu for only nlne
    LSCWA member counLrles ls uvulluble ln Lhe
    World 8unk duLubuses. 1hls duLu shows LhuL Lhe
    LoLul budgeL lnvesLed ln LelecommunlcuLlon ln Lhe
    nlne counLrles reuched USs5.6 bllllon ln 2010 und
    decreused Lo USs3.5 bllllon ln 2011. 1hls decreuse
    from 2010 to 2011 ls due Lo Lhe enormous reducLlon
    ln lnvesLed budgeL ln LgyL und 1unlslu, whlch ls
    mulnly uLLrlbuLed Lo Lhe urlslngs und Lhe ollLlcul
    slLuuLlon ln Lhe menLloned counLrles. LeslLe Lhls
    decreuse ln lnvesLed budgeL, LgyL runked FrsL
    umong Lhe selecLed counLrles wlLh u vulue close
    Lo USs1 bllllon lnvesLed ln Lhe LelecommunlcuLlon
    secLor ln 2011. ln Lerms of evoluLlon ln Lhe
    LelecommunlcuLlons lnvesLmenLs beLween 2010 und
    2011, Luble 57 shows u slgnlFcunL oslLlve growLh,
    numely by 519 er cenL und vulued uL USs306
    mllllon, only ln Yemen. ln ulmosL ull oLher counLrles,
    lnvesLmenL ln Lhe LelecommunlcuLlon secLor
    decreused.
    lL ls worLh menLlonlng LhuL Lhe Arub urlslngs
    huve hud neguLlve consequences on lnvesLmenLs
    ln generul und lnvesLmenLs ln lC1 und Lhe
    LelecommunlcuLlon secLor ln urLlculur.
    (b) ICT exports and imports
    OLher World 8unk lndlcuLors, numely Lhe lC1
    goods und servlces lmorLs und exorLs lndlcuLors,
    ure used Lo monlLor Lhe lC1 secLor conLrlbuLlon
    Lo Lhe nuLlonul economy. lC1 goods lnclude
    LelecommunlcuLlons, uudlo und vldeo, comuLer und
    reluLed equlmenL, elecLronlc comonenLs, und oLher
    lC1 goods, excludlng Lhe sofLwure lndusLry,
    260
    whlle
    lC1 servlces lnclude comuLer und communlcuLlons
    153
    servlces (LelecommunlcuLlons, osLul und courler
    servlces) und lnformuLlon servlces (comuLer duLu und
    news-reluLed servlce LrunsucLlons).
    1uble 58 lllusLruLes lC1 goods und servlces exorLs
    und lmorLs ln selecLed Arub counLrles us recorded
    by Lhe World 8unk duLubuse for Lhe erlod 2010-2011.
    1he Fgures show LhuL Lhe conLrlbuLlon of Lhe lC1
    lndusLry Lo Lhe nuLlonul economy growLh remulns
    very modesL ln ulmosL ull LSCWA counLrles. ln Lhls
    conLexL, lC1 goods consldered for exorLs und
    lmorLs ure Lhose used Lo erform ull Lusks reluLed Lo
    lnformuLlon rocesslng, duLu sLoruge und elecLronlc
    communlcuLlon, whlch lnclude LelecommunlcuLlons
    equlmenL, comuLer und oLher reluLed equlmenL.
    1he lC1 goods exorLs lndlcuLor lncludes re-exorLs of
    forelgn goods ln Lhe sume sLuLe us lmorLed.
    When comurlng Lhe ruLes of boLh lmorL und
    exorL of lC1 goods, lL becomes evldenL LhuL Lhe
    reglon fured beLLer on Lhe former lndlcuLor slgnulllng
    LhuL LSCWA member counLrles should exerL more
    eorL Lo boosL Lhe lC1 secLor ln Lhe reglon. LxceL
    for 1unlslu, lC1 goods lmorLs lurgely exceeded
    exorLs ln ull LSCWA counLrles. A closer look uL Lhe
    lC1 goods lmorLs und exorLs lndlcuLors reveuls un
    even wlder gu for Lhe reglon: ln 2011, lL scored un
    uveruge of 4.19 er cenL of Lhe LoLul lmorLs of goods
    for lC1 goods lmorLs, comured Lo 1.62 er cenL of
    Lhe LoLul of goods exorLs for lC1 goods exorLs. 1he
    2.75 olnL lmbulunce beLween lC1 goods lmorLs
    und lC1 goods exorLs could be uLLrlbuLed Lo Lhe
    weukness of Lhe lC1 secLor ln Lhe reglon und even
    Lhe ubsence of lLs reluLed lndusLry. ln generul, Lhe
    TABLE 58. ICT goods and services imports and exports in selected Arab countries
    Country
    Goods Services
    ICT exports
    (Percentage of total goods exports)
    ICT imports
    (Percentage of total goods imports)
    ICT exports
    (Percentage of total services exports)
    2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011
    Bahrain 0.25 1.83 2.81 5.79 23.11 27.97
    Egypt 0.14 0.16 3.75 3.46 8.77 7.04
    Iraq .. .. .. .. 4.51 4.36
    Jordan 1.29 1.47 4.26 4.09 .. ..
    Kuwait 0.30 0.30 6.40 6.40 38.15 35.33
    Lebanon 7.11 0.95 2.79 2.34 26.54 47.78
    Libya .. .. .. .. .. ..
    Morocco 3.77 3.80 5.87 5.90 20.15 20.11
    Oman 0.10 0.14 2.40 2.91 24.66 15.01
    Palestine 1.35 1.30 2.75 2.80 6.01 6.00
    Qatar .. .. 4.28 4.28 .. ..
    Saudi Arabia 0.11 0.10 7.17 7.20 3.39 2.92
    Sudan .. .. 3.30 3.30 25.80 6.28
    Syrian Arab Republic 0.02 .. 1.10 2.20 1.90 2.50
    Tunisia 6.53 7.38 6.31 6.63 8.22 10.76
    United Arab Emirates 2.00 2.00 4.50 4.50 .. ..
    Yemen 0.04 0.01 1.34 0.99 6.66 8.65
    Average 1.77 1.62 3.94 4.19 15.22 14.98
    Source: hLL:jjduLubunk.worldbunk.orgjduLujhome.usx.
    NoLe: 1wo doLs (..) lndlcuLe LhuL duLu ure noL uvulluble.
    154 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    Arub reglon us u whole ueurs us u neL lmorLer of
    lC1 goods.
    lL cun be noLlced LhuL 1unlslu conLlnues Lo huve
    subsLunLlully hlgher lC1 goods exorL ruLes Lhun
    oLher Arub counLrles, wlLh u ruLe of 7.38 er cenL ln
    2011, wlLh u slgnlFcunL lncreuse from 6.53 er cenL ln
    2010.
    ln Lebunon, u huge decreuse ln Lhe lC1 goods
    exorL ruLe from 2010 to 2011wus reglsLered , wlLh u
    dro from 7.11 er cenL Lo 0.95 er cenL, whlch could
    be owed Lo Lhe ollLlcul slLuuLlon ln Lebunon us well
    us ln Lhe reglon. lor Lhe sume lndlcuLor, Morocco
    occules Lhe second runk ln Lhe reglon, ufLer 1unlslu,
    wlLh u 3.8 er cenL ruLe followed by Lhe UnlLed Arub
    LmlruLes, wlLh 2 er cenL. An lmorLunL shure of
    lC1 goods exorLs of Lhese Lhree counLrles lncludes
    mulnly comuLers, hurdwure comonenLs, moblle
    hones, und oLher erlheruls. ln Lhe sume conLexL,
    lL ls worLh menLlonlng LhuL ln u number of counLrles,
    re-exorLs ure lncluded ln Lhe vulue of exorLs, und
    Lhls mlghL exluln Lhe reluLlvely hlgh umounL of
    lC1 goods exorLs ln 1unlslu und Lhe UnlLed Arub
    LmlruLes due Lo Lhelr role us reglonul hubs for
    dlsLrlbuLlon of lC1 roducLs ln Afrlcu und Lhe Mlddle
    LusL, resecLlvely.
    WlLh regurds Lo Lhe lC1 servlces exorLs, Lhe
    slLuuLlon ueurs Lo be ln beLLer us Lhe uveruge of
    lC1 servlces exorLs for Lhe Arub reglon ls uround
    15 er cenL of Lhe LoLul servlces exorLed for 2010
    und 2011. lL ls worLh menLlonlng LhuL Lremendous
    eorLs ure exerLed ln some counLrles ln Lhe reglon
    Lo romoLe Lhe exorLs of lC1 servlces, lncludlng
    LelecommunlcuLlons servlces, buslness neLwork
    servlces, Leleconferenclng, suorL servlces, und
    osLul servlces, us well us comuLer und lnformuLlon
    servlces, whlch lnclude duLubuses, duLu rocesslng,
    sofLwure deslgn und develomenL, lnformuLlon
    sysLems mulnLenunce, und news ugency servlces. lor
    lnsLunce, ln 2011, Lhe lC1 servlces exorLs huve been
    doubled (ln one yeur) Lo consLlLuLe uroxlmuLely 48
    er cenL of LoLul Lebunese exorLed servlces. ln oLher
    member counLrles, Lhe lC1 servlces exorLs ruLes
    conLlnue Lo muke u u slgnlFcunL roorLlon of Lhe
    LoLul servlces exorLs. 1hls ls Lhe cuse ln KuwulL, wlLh
    38 er cenL for 2010 und 35 er cenL for 2011, und ln
    8uhruln, wlLh 23 er cenL for 2010 und 28 er cenL for
    2011. However, ln Lhe Sudun, Lhls ruLe hus known u
    drumuLlc decreuse, from uroxlmuLely 26 er cenL
    in 2010 to 6.28 er cenL ln 2011, und Lhls ls mulnly
    owed Lo Lhe ollLlcul slLuuLlon und Lo Lhe secesslon of
    SouLh Sudun ln 2011.
    (c) Employment in the ICT sector
    1he duLu uvulluble on Lhe emloymenL ln
    Lhe lC1 secLor refers Lo Lhe l1U duLubuse LhuL
    rovldes duLu reluLed Lo full-Llme emloyees ln
    Lhe LelecommunlcuLlon secLor only. However, lL
    ls worLh menLlonlng LhuL Lhe flgures rovlded by
    l1U ure ruLher conservuLlve us Lhey only refer Lo
    sLuff dlrecLly emloyed by Lhe LelecommunlcuLlon
    oeruLors, wlLhouL lncludlng oLher emloymenLs
    reluLed Lo LelecommunlcuLlon servlces
    develomenL und dlsLrlbuLlon, lncludlng re-uld
    curds dlsLrlbuLors und oeruLors of neLworks. ln
    Lhls conLexL, l1U duLu wlll be used us u roxy Lo
    unulyse Lhe slLuuLlon of emloymenL reluLed Lo Lhe
    LelecommunlcuLlon oeruLors. 1uble 59 shows LhuL
    in 13 Arub counLrles, Lhe number of emloyees
    worklng full Llme ln Lhe LelecommunlcuLlon secLor
    hud reuched 170,000 recrulLs ln 2010, wlLh ulmosL
    no growLh comured Lo 2009. LgyL remulns
    uL Lhe Lo of Lhls llsL wlLh 66,000 emloymenLs
    generuLed by Lhe LelecommunlcuLlon secLor. Suudl
    Arublu runked second, deslLe generuLlng only
    uround 23,000 |obs ln Lhe fleld, followed by lruq
    und Morocco, wlLh 17,000 und 13,000 workers,
    resecLlvely.
    lrom u gender ersecLlve, Lhe uvulluble duLu
    shows LhuL women ln Lhe reglon ure sLurLlng
    Lo Luke Lhe lC1 leu und ure gulnlng enLry lnLo
    servlce secLor emloymenL. ln Lhe Arub reglon, ln
    2010, Lhe ercenLuge of women emloyed ln Lhe
    LelecommunlcuLlon secLor uchleved un uveruge
    of 24 er cenL of Lhe LoLul of full-Llme workers
    ln Lhe secLor. 1hls uveruge ls reluLlvely slmllur
    ln muny Arub counLrles, wlLh such exceLlons us
    1unlslu, where Lhe ruLe of femule emloyees ln Lhe
    LelecommunlcuLlon secLor ln 2010 uchleved 35 per
    cenL, whlle ln Yemen, lL dld noL exceed 8 er cenL for
    Lhe sume yeur.
    155
    WlLh reference Lo Lhe whole number of
    emloymenLs generuLed by ull lC1 subsecLors,
    LgyL reorLed, ln 2012, u LoLul number of 215,440
    workers wlLh u 4.26 er cenL unnuul growLh. 1hls
    number refers Lo ull workers dlrecLly emloyed by
    Lhe lC1 secLor, lncludlng emloyees uL 1elecom
    LgyL, SmurL vllluge und Muudl 1echnology
    Purk, buL does noL lnclude lndlrecL emloyees
    ln lnLerneL cufes, l1 clubs und workers ln seclul
    communlcuLlons cenLres.
    261
    8used on Lhe 2013 NuLlonul ProFle of Lhe
    lnformuLlon SocleLy ln Yemen, Lhe number of
    emloyees ln Lhe counLry ls uroxlmuLely 29,000.
    262

    8used on Lhe lC1 lundscue ubllshed ln 2013,
    263

    OuLur emloyed un esLlmuLed 27,000 lC1 seclullsLs
    ucross ull secLors, reresenLlng 2 er cenL of Lhe
    LoLul workforce ln Lhe counLry. 1hls sLudy ulso
    reveuls LhuL buslnesses ln OuLur lun Lo lncreuse Lhls
    number by 8 er cenL ln 2013 ln un eorL Lowurds
    uchlevlng Lhe goul of doubllng Lhe lC1 workforce Lo
    reuch 40,000 emloyees ln 2015.
    3. The role of research, development and
    innovation in the ICT sector
    ln un eorL Lowurds bulldlng u comeLlLlve lC1
    secLor, LSCWA currled ouL u ugshl sLudy ln 2013
    that sheds llghL on lnnovuLlon und lnvesLmenL ln
    Lhls secLor und exlores ollcy meusures LhuL could
    be udoLed Lo lmrove comeLlLlveness ln Lhe
    reglon. 1he ubllcuLlon enLlLled ComeLlLlveness
    of Lhe lC1 SecLor ln Lhe Arub Reglon: lnnovuLlon
    und lnvesLmenL lmeruLlves looks uL lnnovuLlon us
    un lnLegruLed ecosysLem lncludlng ull muln ucLors,
    lncludlng enLrereneurs, comunles, lncubuLors,
    venLure culLullsLs, buslness ungels, und governmenL
    ugencles. ln urullel, Lhe lC1 ecosysLem ls dlvlded
    lnLo severul luyers, golng from Lhe hyslcul Lo Lhe
    loglcul und from Lhe servlces Lo Lhe conLenL luyer. A
    TABLE 59. Full-time employment in the telecommunication sector
    in selected Arab countries, 2010
    Country
    Female employees Male employees
    Number of
    employees
    Percentage of total
    employees
    Number of
    employees
    Percentage of total
    employees
    Total number of
    employees
    Bahrain 700 27 1,870 73 2,570
    Egypt 15,551 24 50,405 76 65,956
    Iraq 5,497 31 11,967 69 17,464
    Jordan 1,171 25 3,568 75 4,739
    Oman 866 23 2,967 77 3,833
    Qatar 658 26 1,844 74 2,502
    Saudi Arabia .. .. .. .. 23,406
    Sudan .. .. .. .. 5,700
    uj
    Syrian Arab Republic 6,100 .. .. .. 6,100
    United Arab Emirates 1,841 16 9,496 84 11,337
    Tunisia 3,450 35 6,350 65 9,800
    bj
    Morocco 3,291 26 9,610 74 9,800
    bj
    Yemen 721 8 8,811 92 9,532
    Total 39,846 24 106,888 76 175,840
    Source: l1U, 2013.
    NoLes:
    uj
    vulue from 2008.

    bj
    vulue from 2009.
    1wo doLs (..) lndlcuLe LhuL duLu ure noL uvulluble.
    156 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    successful ollcy for RLl ln lC1 musL Luke ln ull Lhe
    luyers und luyers of Lhese Lwo ecosysLems.
    One of Lhe muln Fndlngs of Lhls ubllcuLlon ls LhuL
    Lhe Arub reglon sLlll lugs behlnd wlLh regurd Lo RLl,
    whlch remulns un ureu for lmrovemenL, eseclully
    ln Lhe lC1 secLor. One of Lhe chullenges hlnderlng Lhe
    develomenL of Lhe lC1 secLor ln Lhe Arub reglon ls
    Lhe modesL number of reseurchers und develoers
    er culLu, whlch ls umong Lhe lowesL ln Lhe world.
    ln uddlLlon, sendlng on RLl ls sLlll domlnuLed by
    governmenLs. ln generul, duLu ln Lhls Feld remulns
    lnsumclenL Lo druw slgnlFcunL concluslons, however,
    uvulluble lndlcuLors reveul LhuL Lhe Arub reglon
    exhlblLs comuruLlvely low levels of lnnovuLlon, wlLh
    Lhe reglonul lnnovuLlon lndex
    264
    uround 6.14, whlch
    ls sLlll below Lhe world uveruge of 7.72 und mosL
    oLher reglons. 1he lnnovuLlon lndex ls u sublndex of
    TABLE 60. World and regional performance on the
    World Bank innovation system
    Region Innovation System
    North America 9.45
    Europe and Central Asia 8.28
    East Asia and the Pacic 7.43
    World 7.72
    Middle East and North Africa 6.14
    Latin America 5.8
    South Asia 4.23
    Africa 3.95
    Source:
    hLL:jjlnfo.worldbunk.orgjeLoolsjkum2jKAM_uge5.us#c104.
    TABLE 61. Research and development expenditure as a percentage of GDP in selected Arab countries
    Country
    Percentage of GDP on
    research and development
    2008
    Percentage of GDP on research
    and development
    2009 Percentage growth
    Egypt 0.27 0.21 -21
    Jordan 0.43 .. ..
    Kuwait 0.09 0.11 31
    Saudi Arabia 0.05 0.08 56
    Tunisia 1.03 1.10 7
    Source: hLL:jjduLubunk.worldbunk.orgjduLujhome.usx.
    NoLe: 1wo doLs (..) lndlcuLe LhuL duLu ure noL uvulluble.
    Lhe World 8unk Knowledge lndex (Kl) und reecLs
    erformunce und develomenLs ln vurlubles reluLed
    Lo lnnovuLlon, numely royulLy uymenLs und
    recelLs, uLenLs counL und |ournul urLlcles.
    PromoLlng RLl ln Lhe lC1 secLor needs
    lnvesLmenLs buL no duLu ls uvulluble meusurlng Lhe
    Fnunclul umounLs lnvesLed ln Lhe Feld. Only few
    counLrles ln Lhe Arub reglon rovlde lnformuLlon
    reluLed Lo Lhelr exendlLures ln Lhe Feld of reseurch
    und develomenL ln ull secLors, lncludlng Lhe lC1
    Feld. When unulyslng Lhe duLu uvulluble for some
    Arub counLrles, Lhelr levels of lnvesLmenL show LhuL
    1unlslu, wlLh u ruLe of 1.10 er cenL of ull lnvesLmenL
    in 2009 golng lnLo Lhe lC1 secLor, hus Lhe lurgesL
    roorLlon of CLP ln reseurch und develomenL
    ucLlvlLles, followed by 1ordun und LgyL wlLh ruLes
    at 0.43 er cenL und 0.27 er cenL, resecLlvely. 1hls
    ulso demonsLruLes LhuL such counLrles wlLh modesL
    CLP us 1unlslu und 1ordun ure lnvesLlng much more
    ln reseurch und develomenL Lhun counLrles wlLh
    hlgher CLP, lncludlng Suudl Arublu und KuwulL,
    whlch send only u roorLlon of 0.08 er cenL und
    0.11 er cenL, resecLlvely.
    Nowuduys, lL ls generully ugreed LhuL RLl ls Lhe
    key for enhunclng LoLul fucLor roducLlvlLy und un
    lnLegrul urL of Lhe develomenL rogress ln modern
    economles. ln Lhls conLexL, Lhe 2011 Arub Knowledge
    ReorL consldered LhuL creuLlvlLy, lnnovuLlon und
    lnvenLlon reresenL Lhe essence of Lhe knowledge
    socleLy, hence new Arub generuLlons musL ossess
    Lhese quullLles Lhrough Lhe rovlslon of enubllng us
    well us conduclve und suorLlve envlronmenLs.
    265

    157
    1herefore, us u muLLer of ubllc lnvesLmenL
    declslons, lL would be sLrongly recommended LhuL,
    deslLe noLuble uchlevemenLs, weulLhler Arub
    counLrles would be udvlsed Lo devlse urorluLe
    ollcles Lo curefully re-evuluuLe Lhe level und nuLure
    of Lhelr lnvesLmenLs ln RLl. WlLhouL u chunge uL Lhls
    level, lL ls unllkely LhuL Lhe Arub reglon wlll be uble Lo
    eecLlvely comeLe wlLh oLher reglons ln Lhe world.
    B. Classication and ranking of ESCWA
    member countries according to maturity level
    lour muLurlLy levels huve been esLubllshed Lo
    clusslfy Lhe sLuLus of Lhe lC1 secLor umong counLrles
    ln Lhe Arub reglon, wlLh Lhe FrsL us Lhe lowesL und Lhe
    fourLh us Lhe hlghesL. 8used on Lhe ubove overvlew
    und comuruLlve unulysls, we cun sufely sLuLe LhuL Lhe
    sLuLus of Lhe lC1 secLor ln Lhe reglon dld noL wlLness
    lmorLunL rogress durlng Lhe lusL Lwo yeurs, urLlully
    due Lo Lurbulence und uncerLulnLy ussocluLed wlLh
    Lhe Arub Srlng. ln Lhls conLexL, ulLhough numerous
    lnlLluLlves Lo romoLe Lhe lC1 secLor huve been
    luunched und lmlemenLed by u number of counLrles
    ln Lhe reglon, Lhls secLor remulns underdeveloed und
    lmmuLure, revenLlng uny LSCWA member counLry
    from reuchlng muLurlLy level 4.
    1. Maturity level 1: Iraq, Palestine, the Sudan,
    Syrian Arab Republic, and Yemen
    1hls muLurlLy level delcLs u low level of
    lnvesLmenL ln Lhe lC1 secLor und u llmlLed fuclllLuLlon
    role luyed by Lhe governmenL ln Lhls conLexL.
    LeslLe Lhe eorLs deloyed by u number of Lhe
    counLrles uL Lhls muLurlLy level, more work ls needed
    uL ull levels Lo bulld u robusL lC1 secLor.
    2. Maturity level 2: Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon,
    Morocco, Oman, and Qatar
    CounLrles uL Lhls level focused mulnly on
    exLendlng LelecommunlcuLlons servlces und
    dlssemlnuLlng e-governmenL servlces Lhrough
    ugruded lC1 lnfrusLrucLure. However, lnvesLmenL ln
    Lhe lC1 secLor ls sLlll llmlLed, und more governmenLul
    lncenLlves should be uL ln luce, ln order Lo
    sLlmuluLe Lhe rocess of Lechnologlcul lnnovuLlon
    und fuclllLuLe Lhe growLh of u ourlshed lC1 murkeL.
    3. Maturity level 3: Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia,
    Tunisia, and United Arab Emirates
    1hls muLurlLy level lncludes counLrles huvlng
    udoLed ollcles Lo romoLe Lhe lC1 secLor und
    lLs conLrlbuLlon mulnly Lo Lhe nuLlonul economy
    Lo udvunce Lhe develomenL of Lechnologlcul
    lnnovuLlon ln Lhe lC1 Felds. ln uddlLlon, ulmosL ull
    Lhose counLrles rovlde un udequuLe enubllng und
    reguluLory envlronmenL sLlmuluLlng Lhe growLh
    of Lhe secLor slgnlFcunLly und lncreuslng Lhe
    lnvesLmenL level.
    4. Maturity level 4: None.
    C. Suggestions and recommendations
    8used on Lhe unulysls rovlded ubove, lL ls
    worLh menLlonlng LhuL muny chullenges und
    roblems ure hlnderlng Lhe exunslon of u
    comeLlLlve lC1 economlc secLor ln Lhe Arub reglon.
    AlLhough u number of sLruLegles und lnlLluLlves
    huve been lnlLluLed ln u good number of LSCWA
    member counLrles, Lhe mu|orlLy of Lhem remuln
    lmorLers und consumers of lC1 roducLs und
    servlces ruLher Lhun Lechnology roducers. 1he
    lC1 secLor ln Lhe Arub reglon remulns underslzed
    und lmmuLure, und exLenslve work ls needed Lo
    muLch Lhe levels uchleved by udvunced economles.
    Moreover, deslLe Lhe boom wlLnessed ln Lhe
    LelecommunlcuLlons secLor ln Lhe reglon durlng Lhe
    lusL decude, mulnly drlven by moblle lnfrusLrucLure,
    und Lo u lesser exLenL Lhe develomenL of lnLerneL
    uccess, Lhe essenLlul drlvers for un lC1-drlven
    LrunsformuLlon LhuL brlngs socloeconomlc beneFLs
    ure sLlll lucklng ln u lurge mu|orlLy of counLrles
    deslLe lnlLluLlves Luken by some governmenLs.
    ln Lhls secLlon, selecLed recommenduLlons
    und suggesLlons wlll be rovlded Lo boosL u
    robusL, sLund-ulone und comeLlLlve lC1 secLor
    und Lo lncreuse lLs conLrlbuLlon Lo socloeconomlc
    158 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    develomenL. 1hose recommenduLlons ure
    deducLed from Lhe muln Fndlngs rovlded ln Lhls
    chuLer us well us Lhose roduced ln Lhe recenLly
    ubllshed LSCWA sLudy on ComeLlLlveness of
    Lhe lC1 SecLor ln Lhe Arub Reglon: lnnovuLlon und
    lnvesLmenL lmeruLlves ln order Lo uchleve Lhe
    followlng:
    (u) PromoLe Lhe develomenL of Lhe lC1 secLor us
    u key enubler for Lhe LrunslLlon Lo u knowledge-
    bused economy ln Lhe Arub reglon,
    (b) ln urLnershl wlLh nuLlonul sLukeholders,
    governmenLs ure udvlsed Lo devlse u seuruLe
    nuLlonul sLruLegy Lo develo u comeLlLlve
    economlc lC1 secLor us u core of Lhe nuLlonul
    susLulnuble develomenL musLer lun und
    commlL necessury resources for lmlemenLuLlon,
    (c) lmrove Lhe legul und reguluLory frumeworks
    requlred Lo bulld u heulLhy envlronmenL for u
    comeLlLlve lC1 secLor,
    (d) Lnsure un uduLed enubllng envlronmenL Lo
    romoLe buslness ln Lhe lC1 secLor Lhrough
    develolng lncenLlves for lnvesLmenL ln Lhls
    lndusLry, lncludlng Lux reducLlon undjor roLecLlon
    of nuLlonul roducLsjservlces,
    TABLE 62. Ranking of ESCWA member countries by maturity level in building the ICT sector
    Country
    Maturity level 1 Maturity level 2 Maturity level 3 Maturity level 4
    2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013 2009 2011 2013
    Bahrain
    Egypt
    Iraq
    Jordan
    Kuwait
    Lebanon
    Libya*
    Morocco*
    Oman
    Palestine
    Qatar
    Saudi Arabia
    Sudan
    Syrian Arab Republic
    Tunisia*
    United Arab Emirates
    Yemen
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA.
    NoLe: * No ussessmenL wus rovlded for Llbyu, Morocco und 1unlslu rlor Lo 2011 us Lhey |olned LSCWA ln 2012
    159
    (e) Lncouruge u more ucLlve lnvolvemenL of
    Lhe bunklng secLor und oLher Fnunclul und
    lnvesLmenL lnsLlLuLlons ln Lhe develomenL of
    new und lnnovuLlve sources of fundlng for sLurL-
    us us well us modern Fnunclng mechunlsms ln
    order Lo uLLrucL lnvesLmenLs ln lC1 ucLlvlLles,
    (f) lmrove reglonul cooeruLlon umong reseurch
    lnsLlLuLlons und Leums worklng ln Lhe lC1 Feld
    und encouruge neLworklng wlLh Lhe lndusLry und
    wlLh slmllur lnsLlLuLlons ln develoed counLrles,
    (g) SuorL Lhe develomenL of muLure Fnunclul
    lnsLlLuLlons und culLul murkeLs us un essenLlul
    recondlLlon for u susLulnuble, lnnovuLlve lC1
    secLor.
    Reglonul und globul
    comuruLlve unulysls
    XII
    163
    XII. Regional and Global
    Comparative Analysis
    A. Performance of the Arab region in building
    the information society
    ln order Lo orLruy Lhe currenL sLuLus of
    Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy ln Lhe Arub reglon und
    meusure Lhe rogress mude ln reullzlng lL, Lhls
    reglonul roFle of Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy hus
    been dlvlded lnLo eleven reluLed chuLers euch
    dedlcuLed Lo one urLlculur comonenL. WlLh Lhe
    exceLlon of chuLer X on reglonul und lnLernuLlonul
    cooeruLlon, member counLrles were evuluuLed on
    every comonenL bused on u four-level muLurlLy
    scule, wlLh level one lndlcuLlng Lhe lowesL level
    of muLurlLy und level four Lhe hlghesL. Whlle Lhe
    unulysls und muLurlLy runklng ln Lhls reorL lncluded
    Lhree new member counLrles, whlch |olned LSCWA
    ln mld-2012, Lhe ongolng ollLlcul LrunslLlon und
    securlLy slLuuLlon ln Llbyu rendered Lhls Lusk
    unsulLuble. Llbyu wus runked uL Lhe FrsL muLurlLy
    level ln ulmosL ull lnformuLlon socleLy ureus
    evuluuLed ln Lhls reorL due Lo duLu scurclLy. lor
    Lhls reuson, Lhe uveruge score of Lhe Arub reglon on
    euch lnformuLlon socleLy comonenL ls culculuLed
    by uddlng u Lhe resecLlve olnL scores of every
    member counLry excludlng Llbyu, und Lhen dlvldlng
    Lhls LoLul by 16 (see Luble 63).
    TABLE 63. Average scores of the Arab region in selected information
    society components, 2009-2013 (Ranked from lowest to highest based on 2013 scores)
    Information society component Average score
    2009
    Average score
    2011
    Average score
    2013
    Building condence and security in the use of ICTs 1.29 1.29 1.75
    Building the ICT sector 1.93 1.93 2.00
    Media 2.07 2.21 2.06
    ICT applications 2.21 2.29 2.12
    Enabling environment 2.21 2.43 2.31
    Access to information and knowledge 2.21 2.43 2.37
    ICT capacity-building 2.29 2.43 2.50
    Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content 2.21 2.50 2.50
    ICT infrastructure 2.43 2.50 2.50
    Role of governments and stakeholders 2.50 2.64 2.62
    Overall average* 2.13 2.26 2.27
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA.
    NoLe: * 1he uveruge score of Lhe Mlllennlum LevelomenL Couls und Reglonul und lnLernuLlonul cooeruLlon comonenLs were
    excluded from Lhe culculuLlon of Lhe overull uveruge scores for 2009 und 2011.
    164 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    lL ls noLeworLhy Lo relLeruLe, us sLuLed ln Lhe
    lnLroducLlon, LhuL Lhe four sub|ecLlve muLurlLy levels
    udoLed by Lhls reorL cunnoL be dlrecLly LrunsluLed
    lnLo comuruble sLuLlsLlcul lndlcuLors. Hence, Lhe
    muLurlLy level ussessmenL resulLs rovlded ln euch
    chuLer should be used by member counLrles us
    u gulde or u Lool ulmed uL ldenLlfylng gus und
    usslsLlng ollcymukers ln ouLllnlng correcLlve
    meusures, ruLher Lhun merely becomlng Lhe focus
    of nuLlonul eorLs dedlcuLed Lo lmrovlng Lhe
    lndlvlduul counLry's runk.
    1uble 63 delcLs Lhe uveruge scores of Lhe Arub
    reglon ln vurlous lnformuLlon socleLy comonenLs.
    Whlle u fulr comurlson cunnoL be esLubllshed
    beLween Lhe scores of 2009 und 2011 comured Lo
    2013 owlng Lo Lhe lncluslon of Morocco und 1unlslu
    ln Lhe muLurlLy level runklng, Lhls Luble resenLs u
    Llme serles. ln uddlLlon, Lhe uveruge score of Lhe
    Mlllennlum LevelomenL Couls und Reglonul
    und lnLernuLlonul cooeruLlon comonenLs
    were excluded from Lhe culculuLlon of Lhe overull
    uveruge score of 2009 und 2011 for Lhe followlng
    Lwo reusons: FrsL, Lhe chuLer on Mlllennlum
    LevelomenL Couls wus noL covered ln Lhls edlLlon
    of Lhe reglonul roFle reorL, un exLenslve coveruge
    of Lhe lssue, however, cun be found ln Lhe Arub
    Mlllennlum LevelomenL Couls ReorL reured
    |olnLly by Lhe UnlLed NuLlons und Lhe Leugue of
    Arub SLuLes,
    266
    und, second, no muLurlLy levels
    were rovlded for Lhe Reglonul und lnLernuLlonul
    cooeruLlon comonenL resenLed ln chuLer X of
    Lhls reorL due Lo u luck of duLu.
    1he overull uveruge of Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy
    ln Lhe Arub reglon remulns unchunged ln 2013
    comured Lo 2011. 1he blggesL lmrovemenL,
    numely u 35 er cenL growLh, wus seen ln Lhe
    comonenL on 8ulldlng conFdence und securlLy ln
    Lhe use of lC1s owlng Lo Lhe sLrong rogress ln Lhe
    enhuncemenL of cuuclLles Lo resond Lo emerglng
    cyberLhreuLs, urLlculurly ln Lhe form of CLR1s.
    NeverLheless, Lhe reglon scored lowesL on Lhls sume
    comonenL us u resulL of u luck of cybersecurlLy, und
    u deurLh of luws und reguluLlons ulmed uL ensurlng
    Lhe rlvucy und conFdenLlullLy of eole onllne. 1he
    reglon ulso scored low on 8ulldlng Lhe lC1 secLor
    due Lo u shorLuge of Fnunce und venLure-culLul
    mechunlsms, renderlng lL u consumLlon-bused
    und noL u roducLlon-bused secLor. ln uddlLlon,
    Lhe lC1 secLor ls noL u sLundulone economlc
    roducLlve secLor ln mosL Arub counLrles, wlLh low
    comeLlLlveness und u weuk RLl ecosysLem, Lhereby
    conLrlbuLlng Lo u low reglonul score of 2.00 points
    uLLulned by LhuL secLor.
    1he comonenLs on Lhe Role of governmenLs
    und ull sLukeholders, CulLurul dlverslLy und
    ldenLlLy, llngulsLlc dlverslLy und locul conLenL,
    lC1 cuuclLy-bulldlng, und lC1 lnfrusLrucLure
    reglsLered Lhe hlghesL uveruge scores of 2.62 for Lhe
    FrsL und 2.50 olnLs for Lhe luLLer Lhree, us shown
    ln Luble 63. 1hls ls reecLlve of Lhe eecLlve roles
    luyed by governmenLs und ull sLukeholders ln Lhe
    reglon ln bulldlng Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy, susLulned
    by hlgh lC1-eneLruLlon ruLes, und lmroved uLuke
    of reluLed servlces, eseclully uLLulned by CCC
    counLrles.
    B. Performance of the Arab region compared
    with other countries and regions
    1. Performance of the Arab region in the role of
    governments and all stakeholders
    LeslLe Lhe formuluLlon of nuLlonul lC1 sLruLegles
    ln llne wlLh Lhe WSlS ob|ecLlves, whlch cull for Lhe
    lnLegruLlon of lC1-reluLed rogrummes wlLhln
    nuLlonul und reglonul develomenL sLruLegles, lL
    ls dlmculL Lo esLubllsh u common sLundurd LhuL
    cun be used Lo meusure or quunLlLuLlvely comure
    erformunce. ln Lhls regurd, u number of counLrles
    ln Lhe reglon huve drufLed good comrehenslve
    lC1 sLruLegles, however, Lhey ended u geLLlng
    sldesLeed becuuse of u deurLh of funds, Lhe non-
    exlsLence of u reullsLlc lmlemenLuLlon lun, Lhe luck
    of u monlLorlng und evuluuLlon rocess, und more
    resslng nuLlonul rlorlLles.
    NeverLheless, whlle eorLs ln Lhls regurd dler
    from one counLry Lo unoLher, deendlng on nuLlonul
    165
    clrcumsLunces, Lhe reglon hus wlLnessed, yeur ufLer
    yeur, u greuLer urLlcluLlon of governmenLs und
    ull sLukeholders ln bulldlng Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy.
    However, Lhe chullenge ln Lhe reglon remulns ln
    Lhe successful lmlemenLuLlon of such lC1-reluLed
    ollcles und sLruLegles.
    2. Performance of the Arab region in ICT
    infrastructure
    MosL counLrles ln Lhe Arub reglon huve soughL
    Lo focus on lmrovlng Lhelr lC1 lnfrusLrucLures und
    Luklng meusures Lo romoLe comeLlLlon ln Lhelr
    Lelecom secLors. Across Lhe reglon, u slgnlFcunL
    oslLlve correluLlon hus been ercelved beLween
    Lhe llberullzuLlon of LelecommunlcuLlon servlces
    und u hlgher uLuke of lC1s. Moblle und lnLerneL
    eneLruLlon ruLes, ln urLlculur, huve wlLnessed
    conslderuble lncreuse ln Lhe reglon. As comeLlLlon
    enLers Lhe murkeL, Lhe quullLy of servlces lncreuses
    und cosLs ure reduced. 1hese condlLlons huve shown
    Lo romoLe Lhe develomenL of Lhe lnformuLlon
    socleLy.
    (a) Internet penetration
    Whlle Lhe lnLerneL users eneLruLlon ruLe ln Lhe
    Arub reglon reglsLered u comound unnuul growLh
    ruLe (CACR) of 21.9 er cenL durlng Lhe erlod
    2005-2012 (Lhe world ruLe reglsLered 12.4 er cenL
    durlng Lhe sume erlod), Lhe currenL eneLruLlon
    rate at 34.8 er cenL remulns sllghLly lower Lhun Lhe
    world uveruge uL 35.7 er cenL. WlLh 27.5 er cenL,
    Lhe Arub reglon lugs behlnd develoed counLrles ln
    lnLerneL eneLruLlon, buL comforLubly overLook Lhe
    uveruge of develolng counLrles (see Fgure 14).
    (b) Mobile phone penetration
    Moblle servlce murkeLs ure Lhe forLe of lC1
    lnfrusLrucLure ln Lhe reglon, Lhey huve gone u long
    wuy ln Lerms of comeLlLlon und sohlsLlcuLlon.
    A noLuble CACR of 21.4 er cenL wus observed
    beLween 2005 und 2012, overLuklng Lhe globul CACR
    of 15.2 er cenL durlng Lhe sume erlod. When
    comurlng reglonul moblle hone eneLruLlon ruLes,
    lL ls evldenL LhuL Lhe Arub reglon surusses Lhe
    moblle eneLruLlon ruLe of develolng counLrles by
    FIGURE 14. Internet users penetration rates in selected
    regions, 2005-2012
    73.4
    34.8
    0%
    10%
    20%
    30%
    40%
    50%
    60%
    70%
    80%
    2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
    Developed Developing World Arab region
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA, bused on duLu from l1U, 2012.
    FIGURE 15. Mobile phone penetration rates in selected
    regions, 2005 - 2012
    123.6
    105.1
    0%
    20%
    40%
    60%
    80%
    100%
    120%
    140%
    2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
    Developed Developing World Arab region
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA, bused on duLu from l1U, 2012.
    u good murgln (wlLh 84.3 er cenL), whlle sLlll Lrulllng
    behlnd develoed counLrles (wlLh 123.6 er cenL).
    Whlle Lhe uveruge ln Lhe Arub reglon ls hlgher Lhun
    Lhe world uveruge, Lhe secLor ls execLed Lo grow
    furLher us more Arub counLrles shun duooly und oL
    ouL for comeLlLlveness (see Fgure 15).
    (c) Fixed-line penetration
    Arub Fxed-llne murkeLs ure becomlng more
    comeLlLlve, ulbelL fur less comeLlLlve Lhun moblle
    und lnLerneL murkeLs. However, Lhey conLlnued Lhelr
    decllne, u globul Lrend seen us well ln oLher reglons
    of Lhe world. 1he Fxed-llne eneLruLlon ruLe ln Lhe
    Arub reglon remulns low, sllghLly less Lhun10 er cenL
    in 2012, whlch ls well below Lhe world uveruge of 16.5
    er cenL, und even below Lhe uveruge of develolng
    counLrles of uround 11 er cenL (see Fgure 16).
    166 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    FIGURE 16. Fixed-line penetration rates in selected
    regions, 2005-2012
    42.7
    9.7
    0%
    10%
    20%
    30%
    40%
    50%
    2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
    Developed Developing World Arab region
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA, bused on duLu from l1U, 2012.
    FIGURE 17. Fixed broadband Internet penetration
    rates in selected regions, 2005-2012
    26
    2.7
    0%
    5%
    10%
    15%
    20%
    25%
    30%
    2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
    Developed Developing World Arab region
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA, bused on duLu from l1U, 2012.
    FIGURE 18. Wireless broadband Internet penetration
    rates in selected regions, 2005-2012
    63.3
    15.9
    0%
    10%
    20%
    30%
    40%
    50%
    60%
    70%
    2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
    Developed Developing World Arab region
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA, bused on duLu from l1U, 2012.
    (d) Fixed broadband penetration
    llxed broudbund eneLruLlon hus been LrudlLlonully
    low ln Lhe Arub reglon owlng mulnly Lo u sLugnuLlng
    und low eneLruLlon of Fxed-llne servlces. ln 2012, the
    eneLruLlon ruLe of Fxed broudbund remulned below
    3 er cenL, well under Lhe uveruge ruLe of develolng
    counLrles und Lhe world ruLe of 5 er cenL und 9 per
    cenL, resecLlvely. YeL, Lhe surge ln moblle broudbund
    eneLruLlon seems Lo suggesL LhuL Lhls Lechnology ls
    u sLrong ulLernuLlve Lo Fxed broudbund, urLlculurly ln
    lower lncome counLrles (see Fgure 17).
    (e) Mobile broadband penetration
    Wlreless broudbund ls Lhe mosL dynumlc lC1
    servlce ln Lhe Arub reglon, ln ullgnmenL wlLh u slmllur
    globul Lrend. MosL of Lhe growLh seen ln Lerms of
    wlreless broudbund eneLruLlon ruLes owes Lo Lhe
    hlgh eneLruLlon ruLe of moblle Lelehony und u
    surge ln Lhe uLuke und use of smurLhones.
    1he eneLruLlon ruLe of wlreless broudbund ln
    Lhe Arub reglon reuched u vulue of 15.9 er cenL ln
    2012 neurly slx Llmes hlgher Lhun Lhe reglon's Fxed
    broudbund eneLruLlon ruLe, sLlll shy of Lhe world
    uveruge of 22.1 er cenL buL uheud of Lhe uveruge of
    develolng counLrles of 13.3 er cenL. As of mld-
    2013, ull counLrles of Lhe Arub reglon buL Lhree,
    numely lruq, Algerlu und PulesLlne, hud rolled ouL
    3C servlces, und Lhe shlfL Lo 4C neLworks, whlch hus
    ulreudy sLurLed, ls execLed Lo fuel furLher growLh ln
    Lhe neur fuLure (see Fgure 18).
    3. Performance of the Arab region in access to
    information and knowledge
    Access Lo lnformuLlon und udvocuLlng
    knowledge-shurlng remuln u chullenge ln Lhe
    Arub reglon. Whlle rogress hus been noLed ln
    mosL counLrles, u gu ln Lhe level of lnformuLlon
    uvullublllLy und uccess remulns evldenL beLween
    und wlLhln counLrles. Access dlsurlLles
    beLween Arub counLrles owes Lo u dlsurlLy ln
    Lhe uvullublllLy of udvunced lC1 lnfrusLrucLure,
    low broudbund lnLerneL eneLruLlon ruLes,
    unuorduble uccess cosLs, und Lhe ubsence of
    R1l und lOl leglsluLlons whlch guurunLee Lhe
    rlghL of free uccess Lo lnformuLlon, eseclully
    ubllc domuln lnformuLlon. Whlle Lhe reglon ls
    muklng some rogress ln Lhls regurd, eorLs ure
    sLlll needed Lo furLher enhunce uccesslblllLy Lo
    lnformuLlon und locul dlglLul conLenL.
    167
    One of Lhe muln lmedlmenLs Lo uccess ln Lhe
    Arub reglon remulns Lhe unuorduble cosL of some
    lC1 servlces us comured Lo lncome levels LhuL llmlLs
    Lhe uLuke of Lheses servlces. lor lnLernuLlonul
    benchmurklng und comurlson uroses, Lhe lP8
    rovldes un lndlcuLlon of how uorduble servlces
    ure comured Lo lncome. llgure 19 highlights that
    Lhe Arub reglon ls Lhe Lhlrd mosL exenslve reglon
    ln Lerms of lC1 cosL, only uheud of Afrlcu und Aslu-
    PuclFc. Moreover, Lhe Fgure reveuls LhuL Lhe monLhly
    cosL of Fxed broudbund lnLerneL ls Lhe hlghesL of ull
    servlces ln Lhe reglon, uL uround 16 er cenL of Lhe
    monLhly CNl er culLu, comured Lo 4 er cenL ln
    Lhe CommonweulLh of lndeendenL SLuLes (ClS) und
    2 er cenL ln Luroe.
    4. Performance of the Arab region in ICT capacity-
    building
    Meusurlng Lhe erformunce of Lhe Arub reglon ln
    lC1 cuuclLy-bulldlng mulnly reecLs Lhe use of lC1 ln
    educuLlon, Lrulnlng und llLerucy rogrummes, Lhe sLuLus
    of reseurch und develomenL und Lhe develomenL of
    un enubllng envlronmenL for lnnovuLlon. 1o lllusLruLe
    Lhe slLuuLlon ln Lhe Arub reglon, u number of crlLerlu
    huve been selecLed for comurlson wlLh oLher reglons
    und counLrles of Lhe world.
    llllLerucy ls sLlll wldesreud ln Lhe reglon,
    eseclully umong youLh und women ln Lhe less-
    develoed Arub counLrles. LeslLe greuL sLrldes
    ln FghLlng llllLerucy, Lhe reglon hus one of Lhe
    hlghesL ruLes ln Lhe world, demonsLruLlng LhuL Lhese
    counLrles huve yeL Lo beneFL from Lhe use of lC1 Lo
    reduce Lhe revulllng hlgh llllLerucy ruLes.
    lurLhermore, sendlng on reseurch und
    develomenL und lnnovuLlon ln Lhe reglon remulns
    very llmlLed und fur below Lhe world uveruge.
    Assesslng lnnovuLlon Lhrough Lhe number of PC1
    lnLernuLlonul Fllngs reveuls LhuL Lhe Arub reglon
    comes uheud of Afrlcu buL lugs behlnd Aslu und
    Luroe (see Luble 64). Whlle Lhe number of PC1
    Fllngs ln Lhe Culf subreglon exceeds LhuL of Lhe
    Arub reglon, Lhe luLLer comes uheud of Muluyslu und
    1urkey, buL lugs drumuLlcully behlnd lsruel.
    5. Performance of the Arab region in building
    condence andsecurity in the use of ICTs
    MosL counLrles ln Lhe Arub reglon ure worklng
    Lowurds romoLlng und bulldlng confldence und
    securlLy ln Lhe use of lC1s. Whlle Lunglble rogress
    hus been uchleved ln some counLrles, dlsurlLles
    exlsL umong oLhers und lnlLluLlves remuln scurce,
    lnsufflclenL und lnefflclenL ln mosL counLrles.
    NeverLheless, Lhe Arub reglon hus wlLnessed
    slgnlflcunLly greuLer momenLum ln efforLs Lo
    formuluLe und udoL cybercrlme luws or Lo umend
    Lhe enul code Lo lnclude urLlcles reluLed Lo
    FIGURE 19. ICT price sub-baskets by region and by level of development, 2011
    3
    4 4
    16 2
    3
    5 6
    4
    20
    1
    4
    19
    16 19
    96
    Europe CIS The Americas Arab Countries Asia and Pacific Africa
    Fixed telephone sub-basket as % of GNI per capita
    Mobile cellular sub-basket as % of GNI per capita
    Fixed broadband sub-basket as % of GNI per capita
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA, bused on duLu from l1U, 2012.
    168 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    cybercrlme. SLrong rogress hus been seen ln Lhe
    enhuncemenL of cuuclLles Lo resond Lo emerglng
    cyberLhreuLs, urLlculurly ln Lhe form of CLR1s.
    lmorLunL sLes huve ulso been Luken ln Lhe ureu
    of roLecLlon of chlldren onllne. AL Lhe nuLlonul
    level, lmresslve lnlLluLlves huve been luunched
    by some counLrles Lo romoLe rlvucy und Lhe
    roLecLlon of ersonul duLu. LeslLe Lhe rogress
    exhlblLed, Lhe reglon lugs behlnd develoed
    counLrles ln Lerms of bulldlng confldence und
    securlLy ln Lhe use of lC1.
    6. Performance of the Arab region in establishing
    an enabling environment
    MosL develoed counLrles us well us some
    develolng counLrles huve ulreudy modernlzed
    Lhelr legul und reguluLory frumeworks Lo meeL new
    requlremenLs broughL forLh by Lhe udvenL of lC1s
    und Lhelr ullcuLlons. Whlle severul Arub counLrles
    huve ulreudy sLurLed Lo enucL cyberluws coverlng
    e-slgnuLure, e-LrunsucLlon und cybercrlmes mosL ure
    sLlll uL un eurly sLuge, lucklng ln Lhe lmlemenLuLlon
    of Lhese luws.
    LeslLe Lhe exceLlonul erformunce of some
    Arub counLrles ln combuLlng sofLwure lrucy, Lhe
    reglon sLlll suers from hlgh sofLwure lrucy ruLes.
    The 2011 Clobul SofLwure Plrucy SLudy ubllshed
    by Lhe 8uslness SofLwure Alllunce (8SA) und
    lnLernuLlonul LuLu CororuLlon (lLC) lndlcuLes LhuL
    lruLed sofLwure uccounLs for 66 er cenL of sofLwure
    ln use ln Lhe Arub reglon, whlch ls roughly 1.5 Llmes
    hlgher Lhun Lhe world uveruge, uL 42 er cenL, und 3.5
    Llmes hlgher Lhun Lhe corresondlng ruLe ln NorLh
    Amerlcu (see Luble 65). Meunwhlle, Lhe sofLwure
    lrucy ruLe of Lhe CCC subreglon wus lower Lhun Lhe
    Arub reglon. Whlle u recenL dro ln ruLes hus been
    wlLnessed ln Lhe reglon comured Lo revlous yeurs,
    Lhe sofLwure lrucy ruLe ln ulmosL every Arub counLry
    exceeded Lhe world's uveruge, wlLh Lhe exceLlon
    of Lhe UnlLed Arub LmlruLes, whlch reglsLered Lhe
    lowesL ruLe, uL 37 er cenL.
    7. Performance of the Arab region in ICT
    applications
    1he develomenL, udoLlon und use of lC1
    ullcuLlons ln Lhe Arub reglon hus been sLeudlly
    evolvlng ln Lhe usL coule of yeurs drlven by
    Lhe growlng number of lnLerneL users, lmroved
    uccess Lo broudbund neLworks, Lhe ruld uLuke
    of smurLhones und moblle devlces, und Lhe
    sreud of soclul medlu rovldlng more ublqulLous
    chunnels for lnLerucLlon. CovernmenLs und buslness
    TABLE 64. Number of PCT international lings in
    selected regions and countries, 2012
    Country or region
    Number of PCT international
    lings
    Arab region 495
    GCC subregion 401
    World 194,400
    Africa 433
    Asia 78,800
    Europe 57,904
    Israel 1,377
    Malaysia 292
    Turkey 451
    Source: Comlled by LSCWA, bused on duLu obLulned from
    WlPO SLuLlsLlcs LuLubuse, uvulluble from
    hLL:jjlsLuLsdb.wlo.org.
    TABLE 65. Software piracy rates in selected countries
    and regions, 2011
    Country or region
    Software piracy
    (Percentage)
    North America 19
    Western Europe 32
    GCC countries 52
    Malaysia 55
    Asia and Pacic 60
    Latin America 61
    Central and Eastern Europe 62
    India 63
    Arab region 66
    China 77
    World average 42
    Source: 8SA und lLC, 2012.
    169
    enLerrlses huve sLurLed Lo rovlde e-servlces
    ullowlng for onllne LrunsucLlons und cloud
    comuLlng. ln uddlLlon, Lhe reglon ls wlLnesslng
    u shlfL Lowurds e-leurnlng, however, Lhe mu|orlLy
    of Arub counLrles huve noL yeL undergone uny
    urudlgm LrunsformuLlonul move Lowurds Lhe new
    Lrends ln educuLlon und leurnlng.
    1he mosL noLuble und meusuruble eorLs of
    Lhe reglon ln Lhls regurd focus on e-governmenL
    lmlemenLuLlon, governmenLs ure rovldlng
    lnformuLlon und servlces Lo Lhelr clLlzens Lhrough
    udvunced dellvery luLforms, numely dedlcuLed
    web orLuls. All counLrles ln Lhe reglon huve now
    dedlcuLed und lnLerucLlve governmenL web orLuls,
    Lhough uL dlerenL levels of develomenL und
    sohlsLlcuLlon, suorLed by u growlng use of such
    udvunced onllne urLlcluLlon Lools us blogs, forums
    und soclul medlu ullcuLlons. 1he LCLl meusures
    Lhe wllllngness und cuuclLy of governmenLs Lo use
    lC1s Lo dellver ubllc servlces. Accordlng Lo Lhe
    2012 Fgures shown ln Fgure 20, Lhe score of Lhe
    Arub reglon of 0.49 surussed Lhe world uveruge of
    0.48, buL ls fur lower Lhun LhuL of Lhe Amerlcus of
    0.54. However, Lhe CCC subreglon, wlLh 0.64, scored
    Lhe second-hlghesL uveruge ln Lhe world und ls only
    behlnd Luroe, wlLh 0.71.
    8. Performance of the Arab region in cultural
    diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local
    content
    As more eole ln Lhe reglon uccess Lhe lnLerneL,
    u key lssue ls Lhe uvullublllLy und uccesslblllLy
    of conLenL, lnformuLlon und knowledge. Per
    culLu, Lhere ure roorLlonully fewer sources of
    lnformuLlon uvulluble Lo Arub seukers Lhun Lo
    oLher lunguuge grous ln comuruble reglons. ln
    order Lo emower Lhe clLlzens of Lhe reglon Lo muke
    use of Lhelr growlng cuuclLy Lo communlcuLe und
    develo conLenL und knowledge, severul lnlLluLlves
    Lo romoLe Lhe use of Arublc onllne huve been
    luunched, lncludlng Lhe LSCWA lnlLluLlve on Lhe
    PromoLlon of Lhe LlglLul Arublc ConLenL lndusLry
    Lhrough 1echnology lncubuLors. Arublc conLenL
    on Lhe lnLerneL hus lmroved slnce 2008, when
    lL uccounLed for only 0.3 er cenL of LoLul onllne
    conLenL, Lo uroxlmuLely 2 to 3 er cenL ln 2012,
    Lhereby slgnulllng u slgnlFcunL growLh ln Lhe lnLerneL
    conLenL ln Lhe reglon.
    llgure 21 shows LhuL Lhe Arublc lunguuge mude
    Lhe Lo-Len lunguuges used on Lhe lnLerneL ln 2012.
    Whlle 3.6 er cenL of eole on Lhe web use Arublc,
    Lhe Arublc lunguuge wus runked slxLh worldwlde
    overLuklng Cermun for Lhe FrsL Llme, whlch fell down
    FIGURE 20. EGDI scores in selected regions, 2010-2012
    0.4882
    0.4240
    0.7188
    0.4992
    0.6543
    0.4921
    0.5403
    0.2780
    0.4406
    0.4193
    0.6227
    0.4424
    0.5441
    0.4278
    0.4790
    0.2733
    0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8
    World
    Oceania
    Europe
    Asia
    GCC
    Arab
    Americas
    Africa
    2010
    2012
    Source: LLSA, 2010, und LLSA, 2012.
    170 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    Lo sevenLh luce. LeslLe Lhe lmrovemenL, these
    numbers lndlcuLe LhuL reluLlve Lo Lhe growlng slze of
    onllne conLenL, noL much Arublc conLenL hus been
    creuLed, urLlculurly conLenL LhuL ls of quullLy.
    9. Performance of the Arab region in the media
    LeslLe Lhe dlverslLy of Lhe medlu ln Lhe Arub
    reglon, lLs role remulns llmlLed ln develolng
    lnformuLlon socleLles. One of Lhe Fndlngs of Lhe reorL
    ls LhuL medlu freedom ln ull counLrles of Lhe Arub
    reglon ls uL lLs lowesL level comured wlLh develoed
    counLrles. Accordlng Lo Lhe 2013 Pll, ull Arub counLrles
    Lrulled behlnd oLher such develolng counLrles us
    MuurlLlus, buL some scored beLLer Lhun Muluyslu und
    1urkey. Soclul lssues conLlnue Lo be orLruyed ln u
    sLereoLylcul wuy by mosL medlu ouLleLs ln Lhe Arub
    reglon, unllke Lhelr coveruge ln develoed counLrles
    of Lhe world. However, Lhe rlse of soclul medlu
    ullcuLlons ln Lhe reglon und Lhelr oLenLlul lmucL on
    Lhe clvll movemenL hus been henomenul. 1he qulck
    udoLlon of such ullcuLlons us lucebook und 1wlLLer
    ls execLed Lo be un ugenL of chunge, udvunclng such
    lssues us Lhe freedom of exresslon, Lhe urLlcluLlon
    of clLlzens und democrucy (see Luble 66).
    10. Performance of the Arab region in regional and
    international cooperation
    LeslLe Lhe lmorLunce of lnLernuLlonul und
    reglonul cooeruLlon, lL ls dlmculL Lo meusure
    whuL hus been uchleved ln Lhls regurd by dlerenL
    counLrles und reglons. ConsequenLly, lL ls dlmculL Lo
    muke quunLlLuLlve comurlsons beLween Lhe level of
    cooeruLlon ln Lhe Arub reglon und LhuL ln Lhe resL of
    Lhe world.
    Lnubllng reglonul und lnLernuLlonul cooeruLlon
    culls for forglng urLnershls for develomenL. Such
    urLnershls deend on develolng sLruLegles Lo
    creuLe decenL und roducLlve |ob oorLunlLles for
    youLh, sreud Lhe beneFLs of modern Lechnology,
    uddress Lhe needs of LLCs, und lncreuse omclul uld for
    develomenL. LeslLe fulllng lnLo Lhe LLC cuLegory,
    Llbyu, Yemen und Lhe Sudun recelve very llLLle uld
    reluLlve Lo oLher Arub counLrles, eseclully 1ordun,
    lruq und LgyL, und noL neurly enough Lo meeL Lhelr
    dlre need for develomenL. Hence, lL ls necessury Lo
    lncreuse Lhe umounL of uld ledged Lo LLCs und Lo
    lnLenslfy ro|ecLs und lnlLluLlves, eseclully reglonul
    ones, ln order Lo hel Lhe develomenL of Lhese
    counLrles.
    FIGURE 21. Percentage of online users by language, 2012
    Source: Ow.ly, uvulluble from hLL:jjow.lyjljOCvujorlglnul.
    171
    11. Performance of the Arab region in building the
    ICT sector
    1he lC1 secLor ln Lhe Arub reglon lucks lLs own
    uuLonomy glven LhuL lL ls sLlll lurgely consldered urL of
    oLher such economlc und servlce secLors us LrunsorL or
    medlu. AddlLlonully, Lhls secLor remulns u consumLlon-
    bused ruLher Lhun u roducLlon-bused secLor. lL relles
    heuvlly on LelecommunlcuLlons, eseclully moblle
    und lnLerneL murkeLs, wlLh very mlnlmul conLrlbuLlon
    from sofLwure or rofesslonul servlce lndusLrles.
    ConsequenLly, no reul vulue udded exlsLs LhuL
    encusuluLes u genulne comeLlLlve udvunLuge.
    A mu|or chullenge fuclng mosL Arub counLrles ls
    LhuL lC1 ls noL yeL mulnsLreumed lnLo Lhe reglon's
    economles, even umong Lhe rlchesL CCC counLrles.
    lnvesLmenLs ln Lhls secLor ure sLlll lurgely drlven by Lhe
    LelecommunlcuLlon secLor (urLlculurly moblle) und noL
    by long-Lerm lnvesLmenLs ln u nuLlonul l1
    lndusLry drlven by young enLrereneurs und
    suorLed by un RLl ecosysLem - ulmed uL
    mulnsLreumlng lC1 lnLo ull economlc und soclul
    endeuvours.
    LeslLe un economlc slowdown cllmuLe, Lhls
    secLor ls oslLloned Lo en|oy hlgh growLh oLenLluls,
    eseclully lf oll-roduclng counLrles seek Lo reduce Lhelr
    deendency on oll und lnvesL musslvely ln bulldlng un
    lC1 lndusLry.
    C. Regional outlook and the way forward
    1. The outlook of the Arab region
    1he develomenL of Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy ln
    Lhe Arub reglon encomusses muny dlerenL fuceLs
    und vurlubles. 8roud Lrends seen ure very hoeful,
    mosL counLrles ure erformlng beLLer Loduy Lhun
    followlng Lhe concluslon of Lhe second huse of WSlS
    LhuL wus held ln 1unls 2005.
    1he Arub reglon hus Luken slgnlFcunL sLes
    Lowurds brldglng Lhe dlglLul dlvlde und bulldlng
    TABLE 66. Ranking of selected Arab countries on the Press Freedom Index, 2013
    Country
    Global ranking Selected countries Global ranking
    Kuwait 77 llnlund 1
    Lebanon 101 SwlLzerlund 14
    Qatar 110 USA 32
    United Arab Emirates 114 Hong Kong 58
    Algeria 125 MuurlLlus 62
    Libya 131 lsruel 112
    Jordan 134 Muluyslu 145
    Morocco 136 1urkey 154
    Tunisia 138
    Oman 141
    Palestine 146
    Iraq 150
    Egypt 158
    Saudi Arabia 163
    Bahrain 165
    Yemen 169
    Sudan 170
    Syrian Arab Republic 176
    Source: ReorLers WlLhouL 8orders, 2013.
    172 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy. 1he romlnence of
    lC1s hus grown ucross Lhe reglon, wlLh drumuLlc
    lncreuses ln lC1 udoLlon und use ruLes, und
    mounLlng udoLlon of Fxed und wlreless broudbund
    Lechnologles. Access cosLs ure lower und more
    uLLenLlon ls belng focused on bulldlng conFdence
    und securlLy ln Lhe use of lC1s und bulldlng Lhe lC1
    secLor. ConsequenLly, Lhe reglon hus wlLnessed
    un lncreuslng udoLlon und use of lC1 ullcuLlons
    und e-servlces und u greuLer urLlcluLlon of Lhe
    governmenLs und ull sLukeholders ln bulldlng Lhe
    lnformuLlon socleLy. 1hese eorLs wlll muke lL
    eusler for member counLrles Lo uddress such lssues
    us uccess Lo lnformuLlon und knowledge, bulldlng
    cuuclLy for reglonul lnLegruLlon und Lhe uvullublllLy
    of dlglLul Arublc conLenL.
    LeslLe Lhe commonullLy of counLrles ln Lhe
    reglon, Lhere ure dlvergenL economlc und soclul
    dlerences whlch dlsLlngulsh Lhe CCC subreglon
    from Lhe resL. Non-CCC counLrles suer from
    overLy und hlgh unemloymenL ruLes, eseclully
    umong women und youLh. However, mosL counLrles
    ln Lhe reglon fuce u number of oLher serlous lssues
    of deLrlmenLul eecL on develomenL, lncludlng
    economlc und ollLlcul uncerLulnLy, clvll wurs,
    occuuLlon, clvll unresL, und Lerrorlsm.
    Chullenges fuclng Lhe reullzuLlon of Lhe
    lnformuLlon socleLy und Lhe LrunslLlon Lo u
    knowledge-bused economy ln Lhe Arub reglon
    erslsL. Such chullenges should be uddressed ln
    Lhe comlng yeurs Lhrough u |olnL colluboruLlon
    by ull sLukeholders, whlch ure governmenLs, Lhe
    rlvuLe secLor und clvll socleLy, whlle sLrengLhenlng
    Lhe lmorLunL role Lhe youLh und dlglLul nuLlves
    could luy us Lhe muln ucLors of un lC1-drlven
    LrunsformuLlon. 1hese chullenges dler from one
    counLry Lo unoLher, however, Lhey ull huve Lo be
    uddressed wlLh ulmosL equul rlorlLles. 1he llsL
    of chullenges lncludes, buL ls noL llmlLed Lo, Lhe
    followlng:
    Low lC1 reudlness und uLlllzuLlon ln some
    member counLrles,
    8roudbund eneLruLlon und uordublllLy,
    Luck of conFdence und securlLy ln Lhe use of
    lC1s,
    Weuk, und someLlmes lncomleLe, legul und
    reguluLory lC1 frumework,
    lreedom of uccess Lo lnformuLlon und rlvucy
    lssues,
    lrugmenLuLlon of lC1 ullcuLlons und
    servlces for socloeconomlc develomenL,
    LlmlLed roducLlon of subsLunLlve dlglLul
    Arublc conLenL,
    lnudequuLe roducLlon of uccuruLe und Llmely
    sLuLlsLlcs for lC1 meusuremenL und unulysls for
    ollcymuklng und declslon suorL uroses,
    Humun skllls gu, ln lC1-reluLed Felds.
    ConsequenL Lo Lhe ubllshlng of Lhe FrsL
    edlLlon of Lhls reglonul roFle ln 2003, LSCWA hus
    been currylng ouL reglonul und nuLlonul roFle
    ussessmenLs on u blennlul busls. Lessons leurned
    from Lhls exerclse huve been of lmmense beneFL ln
    Lhe formuluLlon of Lhe reglonul und nuLlonul ouLlook
    of Lhe reglon und luylng down Lhe wuy forwurd.
    2. Beyond WSIS and the way forward
    Whlle brlghL soLs huve been observed ln
    reullzlng Lhe lnformuLlon socleLy ln Lhe reglon, Lhe
    unulysls resenLed ln Lhls reorL cleurly lndlcuLes
    LhuL CCC counLrles huve mude greuLer sLrldes Lhun
    Lhe resL of LSCWA member counLrles ln bulldlng
    lnformuLlon socleLles. NeverLheless, ull LSCWA
    member counLrles, lncludlng Lhe mosL udvunced
    ones, sLlll need Lo exerL conslderuble eorLs before
    reuchlng Lhe levels uLLulned by develoed counLrles
    ln Lhls regurd.
    Whlle lC1 hus u key role Lo luy ln creuLlng
    |ob oorLunlLles und ullevluLlng overLy, Lhe
    dlmculLles of develomenL ln conlcL-rone ureus
    reclude uny role for lC1 for develomenL, und
    requlre dlerenL rlorlLles und focus. Whlle much
    remulns Lo be done, reullsLlc oLlons exlsL for
    muklng concreLe lmrovemenLs LhroughouL Lhe
    Arub reglon.
    1he WSlS lorum 2012, held ln Cenevu ln Muy,
    ldenLlFed u number of emerglng Lrends ln Lhe
    lnformuLlon socleLy und u vlslon beyond 2015. 1hese
    were cuLured by Lhe eleven WSlS ucLlon llnes, boLh
    ln Lerms of ollcy und Lechnology.
    267
    lurLhermore,
    173
    Lhe emerglng Lrends were echoed ln Muy 2013 by Lhe
    UNClS, whlch lssued u |olnL sLuLemenL on Lhe PosL-
    2015 LevelomenL Agendu.
    268
    1he |olnL sLuLemenL
    sLressed Lhe followlng Lwo olnLs:
    (u) 1he oLenLlul of lC1s us key enublers of
    develomenL, und us crlLlcul comonenLs of
    lnnovuLlve develomenL soluLlons, ls fully
    recognlzed ln Lhe PosL-2015 LevelomenL
    Agendu,
    (b) 1he PosL-2015 LevelomenL Agendu reecLs
    lessons leurned durlng Lhe usL decude ln Lhe
    lmlemenLuLlon of WSlS ouLcomes.
    8used on Lhe unulysls und Fndlngs of Lhls reorL,
    uslng Lhe ucLlon llnes of Lhe WSlS us reference
    would resulL ln u frumework whlch counLrles ln Arub
    Lhe reglon could use us guldellnes for formuluLlng
    ollcles und sLruLegles beyond 2015. Some ucLlons
    could belong Lo more Lhun one ucLlon llne, whlch ls
    un execLed und nuLurul occurrence ln Lhe reul world.
    WlLhln LhuL conLexL, LSCWA wlll conLlnue Lo
    rovlde counLrles ln Lhe reglon wlLh Lhe suorL und
    udvlsory servlces requlred Lo ensure synergy wlLh
    Lhe globul Lrends of lC1 und Lhe develomenL of Lhe
    lnformuLlon socleLy ln llne wlLh Lhe WSlS rocesses
    und beyond 2015.
    174 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
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    wF (2012a). 1he Clobal lnformauon 1echnology 8eporL 2012.
    wF (2012b). 1he Clobal Compeuuveness 8eporL 2012-2013.
    wF (2013a). 1he Clobal lnformauon 1echnology 8eporL 2013.
    wF (2013b). 1he Clobal Compeuuveness 8eporL 2013-2014.
    world nealth Assembly (wnA) (2005). 8esoluuon WP58.28 on ePealLh. Avallable from hup://www.who.lnL/
    healLhacademy/medla/WPA58-28-en.pdf.
    2awya (2012). lC1 lund lnauguraLes a workshop for enrlchlng Arablc dlglLal conLenL whllsL Coogle dedlcaLes 12Lh
    uecember as annual Arablc lnLerneL uay" (12 uecember). Avallable from hup://www.zawya.com/sLory/
    ZAW?A20121212120533/.
    178 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    1 LSCWA, 2004.
    2 1he Lerm Arab reglon used ln Lhls reporL refers Lo a sub-seL of Arab counLrles locaLed ln norLh Afrlca, Lhe LevanL
    and Lhe Arablan Culf, Lhese lnclude Algerla ln addluon Lo all 17 LSCWA member counLrles, namely, 8ahraln, LgypL,
    lraq, !ordan, kuwalL, Lebanon, Llbya, Morocco, Cman, alesune, CaLar, Saudl Arabla, Lhe Sudan, Syrlan Arab
    8epubllc, 1unlsla, unlLed Arab LmlraLes, and ?emen.
    3 8ased parually on Lhe 2013 counLry prole reporLs of LSCWA member counLrles, whlch were prepared by nauonal
    consulLanLs and LSCWA sLa and are avallable from hup://www.escwa.un.org/wsls/proles.hLml.
    4 MCl1, 2013.
    5 unu and Syrlan Arab 8epubllc MoC1, 2004.
    6 Supreme Councll of lnformauon and Communlcauon 1echnology, 2011.
    7 See: hup://www.facebook.com/groups/345953445471238/.
    8 See: hup://losLlb.org/.
    9 See: hup://losLlb.org/2012/11/geL-connecLed-a-new-pro[ecL-wlLh-pace/.
    10 See: hup://www.aLucom.org.Ln/lndex.php.
    11 See: hup://www.aLucom.org.Ln/formauon_2.php.
    12 See: hup://www.aLucom.org.Ln/AcLuallLes_lnL.php.
    13 See: hup://mepl.sLaLe.gov/mh72712f.hLml.
    14 See: hup://www.lcuund.org.eg/ModulesLn.aspx?parenL_ld=118&moduleno=27&menu_ld=131&ld=245.
    15 AssessmenL of Maroc numerlc 2012, avallable from hup://goo.gl/eby1n.
    16 See: hup://ldeas.mclL.gov.sa/.
    17 l1u, 2012.
    18 World 8ank. lour lllars of Lhe knowledge Lconomy.
    19 See: hup://www.Lra.gov.eg/engllsh/news_newsueLalls.asp?lu=36&lu=146.
    20 AAC, 2013 (1 May).
    21 See: hups://lLunews.lLu.lnL/Ln/3741-Moblle-subscrlpuons-near-Lhe-78209bllllon-markbruoes-almosL-everyone-
    have-a-phone.noLe.aspx.
    22 AAC, 2013 (21 !anuary).
    23 1he number of lnLerneL users ouL of Lhe LoLal populauon ls esumaLed by l1u based on nauonal household surveys.
    1hls lncludes Lhose havlng used Lhe lnLerneL from any devlce, lncludlng moblle phones, ln Lhe lasL Lwelve monLhs.
    ln slLuauons where surveys are noL avallable, an esumaLe ls derlved based on Lhe number of lnLerneL subscrlpuons
    muluplled by a varlable, whlch mlghL be dlerenL for varlous counLrles.
    24 AAC, 2013 (11 March).
    25 AAC, 2013 (16 !anuary).
    26 AAC, 2013 (26 May).
    27 MoblLel ln Lhe kurdlsh zone holds a 3C llcence, ln Lhe resL of lraq, 3C deploymenL ls hlndered by securlLy lssues
    relaLed Lo Lhe [ammlng of moblle phone frequencles.
    28 CSMA and uelolue, 2013.
    29 Ibid.
    30 1his is a markeung Lerm for Lhe provisioning of Lwo bandwidLh-inLensive services, namely high-speed InLerneL
    access and Lelevision, and a less bandwidLh-demanding (buL more laLency-sensiuve) service, Lhe Lelephone, over
    a single broadband connecuon. 1riple-play services were already inLroduced wiLh uSL Lechnology (mainly in iLs
    ENDNOTES
    179
    advanced varianLs AuSL2 and vuSL) buL l11P will provide a new dimension Lo Lriple-play wiLh very high speed
    InLerneL access (more Lhan 20 MbiL/s) and high-deniuon Lelevision. Powever, operaLors are sull looking for Lhe
    appropriaLe business model for Lhe large-scale deploymenL of l11P - even in many developed counLries - primarily
    due Lo infrasLrucLure deploymenL cosLs and legacy uSL oering decenL service qualiLy.
    31 According Lo I1u, L1L-Advanced inLroduced in 2011 by 8elease 10 of 3C is considered a Lrue 4C Lechnology.
    32 1he perimeLer includes 21 counLries: 16 LSCWA member counLries (excepL alesune which is noL connecLed Lo any
    submarine cable sysLem) in addiuon Lo Algeria, Comoros, u[ibouu, MauriLania, and Somalia.
    33 AAC, 2012d.
    34 See: hup://www.submarinecablemap.com.
    35 AAC, 2012d.
    36 See: hup://academy.iLu.inL/index.php/Lopics/iLem/967-inLerneL-exchange-poinLs.
    37 See: hup://www.uncLad.org/en/docs/iLeipc20065_en.pdf.
    38 8roadband Commission for uigiLal uevelopmenL, 2012.
    39 lor more deLails, see: hup://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-easL-22806848, hup://www.Lhenauonal.ae/
    news/uae-news/phone-call-revoluuon-as-skype-is-omcially-unblocked-in-uae, hup://www.iLp.neL/588597-oman-
    governmenL-unblocks-some-voip-services#.uh82hx-0fLe, hup://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-08/02/
    gulf-sLaLes-ban-blackberry, hup://news.cneL.com/=8301-17938_105-57583342-1/syria-all-communicauons-
    reporLedly-down, hup://mashable.com/2011/01/27/egypL-proLesLs, hup://www.swiLched.com/2011/02/18/
    bahrain-blocks-inLerneL-access, and hup://www.Lelegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/
    algeria/8320772/Algeria-Lried-Lo-block-inLerneL-and-lacebook-as-proLesL-mounLed.hLml.
    40 lCI is an inLegral parL of Lhe fundamenLal righL of freedom of expression, as recognized by uniLed nauons Ceneral
    Assembly resoluuon 59 adopLed in 1946, as well as by Arucle 19 of Lhe universal ueclarauon of Puman 8ighLs (1948),
    which sLaLes LhaL Lhe fundamenLal righL of freedom of expression encompasses Lhe freedom Lo seek, receive and
    imparL informauon and ideas Lhrough any media and regardless of fronuers". lor more informauon, see: hup://www.
    unesco.org/new/en/communicauon-and-informauon/freedom-of-expression/freedom-of-informauon.
    41 See: hup://www.freedominfo.org/regions/global/foi-regimes.
    42 Almadhoun, 2012.
    43 lorLy Lwo per cenL of media personnel are unaware of Lhe law guaranLeeing access Lo informauon in !ordan",
    lebruary 2009. Available from hup://www.aman[ordan.org/arucles/index.php?news=3379 (Arabic).
    44 See: hup://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feaLure/2012/04/18/Lunisias-nexL-revoluuon-open-governmenL.
    45 See: hup://www.arucle19.org/resources.php/resource/2207/en/Lunisia:-new-decree-on-access-Lo-adminisLrauve-
    documenLs-rolls-back-culLure-of-secrecy#.
    46 LSCWA, 2013b.
    47 See: hup://www.ru-raung.org/counLry_daLa.php.
    48 See: hup://www.Lransparency.org/news/feaLure/lebanon_sLopping_secrecy_one_law_aL_a_ume.
    49 Almadhoun, 2012.
    50 See: hup://www.dailynewsegypL.com/2013/06/26/egypLs-righL-Lo-informauon-law.
    51 1he I8 is a composiLe baskeL LhaL includes Lhree Lari seLs, referred Lo as sub-baskeLs: xed Lelephone, mobile and
    xed broadband InLerneL services. ILs value is calculaLed by adding Lhe value of Lhe price of each sub-baskeL as a
    percenLage of a counLry's monLhly gross nauonal income (CnI) per capiLa, divided by Lhree. 1he I8 does noL consider
    as yeL Lhe mobile broadband cosL in iLs calculauon Lhough some eorLs in LhaL direcuon have already sLarLed.
    180 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    52 See: hup://www.icLqaLar.qa/en/news-evenLs/news/icLqaLar-inLroduces-nauonal-e-accessibiliLy-policy.
    53 See: hup://iLa.gov.om/I1AorLal/MediaCenLer/newsueLail.aspx?nIu=514.
    54 See: hup://www.egypucundicaLors.gov.eg.
    55 See: hup://www.mciL.gov.eg/Media_CenLer/ress_8oom/ress_8eleases/2689.
    56 I1u, 2003.
    57 LSCWA, 2013 (1unisia).
    58 See: hup://,~=>|=->|--,|},,~/MediaressSer_ueLails.aspx?1ype_Iu=1&Iu=2038.
    59 See: hup://www.egypucundicaLors.gov.eg/en/ublicauons/ublicauonsuoc/ublicauons_1172013000_IndicaLors_
    in_8rief_!une.pdf.
    60 See: hup://www.iLa.gov.om/I1AorLal/eServices/opular_ro[ecLs.aspx?nIu=84.
    61 See: hup://goo.gl/hP4oi8.
    62 See: hup://www.owam.neL.
    63 See: hup://www.iLa.gov.om/I1AorLal/ages/age.aspx?nIu=791&Iu=3235&LIu=157.
    64 See: hup://www.ks.gov.[o.
    65 See: hup://mada.org.qa.
    66 See: hup://www.blind.gov.qa.
    67 See: hup://www.icLqaLar.qa/en/news-evenLs/news/new-compuLer-labs-blind-be-creaLed-qaLar-social-cenLre-blind.
    68 See: hup://ma3bar.org.
    69 See: hup://moLah.org.sa.
    70 See: hup://www.kacsL.edu.sa.
    71 See: hup://fossc-oman.neL.
    72 See: hup://mirror.squ.edu.om.
    73 LSCWA, 2013 (Cman).
    74 See: hup://www.opensource.Ln.
    75 See: hup://www.opensource.Ln/en/open-source/opensourceinLunisia/sLausucs.
    76 See: hup://www.egypundependenL.com/news/faced-microso-s-cosL-governmenL-looks-open-source-soware.
    77 See: hup://fronuermarkeLsoluuonsegypL.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/egypL-working-on-new-open-source-
    soware-sLraLegy.
    78 See: hup://www.Lagorg.com/ServicesCroup.aspx?id=450&lang=en.
    79 1he Sudan and Syrian Arab 8epublic remain on Lhis lisL. See: hups://communiLy.mcafee.com/docs/uCC-1239.
    80 unu, 2011.
    81 InLernauonal linance Corporauon and Islamic uevelopmenL 8ank, 2011.
    82 In Lhis conLexL, an adulL is a person who is older Lhan 15 years.
    83 uIS, 2012.
    84 unLSCC's deniuon of Arab region includes 20 Arab counLries and does noL include Somalia and Lhe Comoros.
    85 unu, 2011.
    86 unLSCC, 2012a.
    87 A young person is beLween 15 and 24 years old.
    88 unLSCC, 2012.
    89 unLSCC, 2012b.
    90 uIS uaLa CenLre (accessed 10 !une 2013).
    181
    91 unLSCC, 2006.
    92 See: hup://www.imn.iq/news/view.17677/ (accessed 10 !une 2013).
    93 LSCWA, 2013 (LgypL).
    94 LSCWA, 2013 (?emen).
    95 I1u, 2011b.
    96 unu, 2011.
    97 unLSCC, 2011b.
    98 lor insLance, Lhe low percenLage of Lebanon, noLwiLhsLanding iLs good educauon sysLem, can be explained by Lhe
    imporLance of privaLe insuLuuons wiLhin iLs educauon sysLem.
    99 unu, 2011.
    100 Ibid.
    101 In Lhis educauon level, age issues are more imporLanL, which explains Lhe usage of CL8.
    102 unLSCC, 2012b.
    103 InSLAu and WIC, 2012.
    104 unLSCC, 2012b.
    105 uSC, 2013b.
    106 unLSCC, 2011a.
    107 unLSCC, 2013.
    108 unLSCC, 2013.
    109 uSC, 2013b.
    110 LSCWA, 2013 (Cman).
    111 LSCWA, 2013 (?emen).
    112 uSC, 2013b.
    113 Ibid.
    114 unLSCC, 2013.
    115 MinisLry of Lducauon, SulLanaLe of Cman, 2008.
    116 unLSCC, 2012b.
    117 WLl, 2013.
    118 unu, 2011.
    119 See: hup://www.asrenorg.neL/abouL/parLners-and-members/nauonal-neLworks.hLml (accessed 10 !une 2013).
    120 ICuL !ordan, available from hup://www.icdl.[o/en-us/sLausucs.aspx (accessed 30 AugusL 2013).
    121 LSCWA, 2013a (Syrian Arab 8epublic).
    122 ICuL Sudan, available from hup://www.icdl.sd/en-us/sLausucs.aspx (accessed 10 !une 2013).
    123 ICuL alesune, available from hup://www.icdl.ps (accessed 21 !une 2013).
    124 See: hup://icdlegypL.gov.eg/inside_AbouL_ICuL_LgypL.aspx (accessed 21 !une 2013).
    125 See: hup://icdlegypL.gov.eg/newsandLvenLs_ar.aspx.
    126 See: hup://www.icdlsaudi.org/icdlsaudi_en.nsf/link/AugusL_14__2010.hLml (accessed 21 !une 2013).
    127 See: hup://www.lpi.org (accessed 20 !une 2013).
    128 See: hup://www. nu.sci.eg (accessed 20 !une 2013).
    129 LSCWA, 2013a (Cman).
    130 LSCWA, 2013a (alesune).
    182 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    131 InSLAu and WIC, 2013.
    132 IL8 is Lhe rauo of Lhe CuLpuL Sub-Index of Lhe CII over iLs InpuL Sub-Index. IL is indicauve of Lhe emciency of such
    innovauon inpuLs as human capiLal and research, infrasLrucLure, business, and markeL sophisucauon for Lhe
    auainmenL of knowledge and Lechnology and creauve ouLpuLs.
    133 WLl, 2013b.
    134 AAC, 2012e.
    135 ew 8esearch CenLer, 2011.
    136 See: hup://www.iLa.gov.om/I1AorLal/MediaCenLer/newsueLail.aspx?nIu=476.
    137 See: hup://iLlaw.wikia.com/wiki/Arab_Convenuon_on_Combaung_Informauon_1echnology_Cences.
    138 8aLchelder eL al., 2012.
    139 See: hup://daLa.worldbank.org/indicaLor/I1.nL1.SLC8.6.
    140 See: hup://cyberlegislauon.escwa.org.lb (2013).
    141 uSC, 2013b.
    142 See: hup://www.ipsos-na.com/download/pr.aspx?id=12693.
    143 See: hup://www.e-aman.com.
    144 1he infrasLrucLure pillar which was parL of Lhe environmenL subindex unul 2011 became parL of Lhe readiness
    subindex in 2012 and 2013.
    145 WLl, 2013a.
    146 See: hup://www.wipo.inL.
    147 8SA, 2012.
    148 See: hup://isper.escwa.un.org/orLals/0/Cyber20Legislauon/uocumenLs/Models20for20Cyber20
    Legislauon20in20LSCWA20region20.pdf.
    149 See: hup://isper.escwa.un.org/orLals/0/Cyber20Legislauon/8egional20Parmonisauon20ro[ecL/uirecuves/
    uirecuves-lull.pdf.
    150 See: hup://isper.escwa.un.org/orLals/0/Cyber20Legislauon/8egional20Parmonisauon20ro[ecL/
    Comparison/uaLa20proLecuon_2013_02_13.pdf.
    151 1he informauon in Lhis secuon is compiled from various LSCWA counLry reporLs on Lhe nauonal role of Lhe
    Informauon SocieLy in Lhe Arab 8egion, 2013.
    152 verisign, 2013.
    153 LSCWA, 2013 (Lebanon).
    154 InSLAu and WIC, 2013.
    155 InSLAu and WIC, 2012, p. 32.
    156 InSLAu and WIC, 2013, p. 23.
    157 See: hup://www.beryLech.org.
    158 See: hup://beiruLdigiLaldisLricL.com.
    159 See: hup://www.un.org/en/developmenL/desa/publicauons/connecung-governmenLs-Lo-ciuzens.hLml.
    160 lor a summarized deniuon of Lhe four sLages of online service developmenL, please see LSCWA, 2011a, box 11.
    161 LxcepL for alesune, which is noL covered in Lhe e-CovernmenL Survey, and Libya, due Lo Lhe lack of daLa in 2012.
    162 See: hups://www.wLo.org/english/LraLop_e/devel_e/wkshop_apr13_e/fredriksson_ecommerce_e.pdf.
    163 See: hup://www.arabianbusiness.com/e-commerce-in-middle-easL-virLual-gold-rush-475229.hLml?page=0.
    164 Sambidge, 2013.
    183
    165 Possain, 8ala and 8hagwaLwar, 2011.
    166 WLl, 2012a.
    167 Ibid.
    168 booz&co. and Coogle, 2012.
    169 See: hup://www.undp.org/conLenL/ahdr/en/home/resources/knowledge-reporLs.hLml.
    170 Ibid.
    171 Ibid.
    172 See: hup://www.universiLyworldnews.com/arucle.php?sLory=20130213164614159.
    173 See: hup://www.icLqaLar.qa/en/deparLmenL/digiLal-socieLy/icL-skills-developmenL.
    174 using Mobile 1echnology for Lnglish 1raining in Lhe CaLar Workplace (ro[ecL Iu: 4 - 125 - 5 - 016), funding agency:
    CaLar nauonal 8esearch lund (Cn8l), awarded under Lhe nauonal rioriues 8esearch rogramme (n8), !une
    2012.
    175 See: hup://www.kingabdullah.[o/index.php/en_uS/iniuauves/view/id/86.hLml.
    176 WPA, 2005.
    177 See: hup://www.digiLalqaLar.qa/en/2012/12/31/whaL-is-e-healLh-and-why-iL-is-imporLanL/.
    178 See: hup://Lechchannelmea.com/Lechchannelmea_l1/research-and-surveys/general_news/gcc-healLh-care-iL-
    spend-Lo-reach-06b-by-2015-frosL-and-sullivan.hLm.
    179 Ibid.
    180 1he nauonal e-PealLh 1oolkiL is available for download from hup://www.iLu.inL/dms_pub/iLu-d/opb/sLr/u-S18-L_
    PLAL1P.05-2012-ul-L.pdf.
    181 See: hup://www.deloiue.com/asseLs/ucom-MiddleLasL/Local20AsseLs/uocumenLs/IndusLries/ublic20secLor/
    me_ps_ePealLh_whiLepaper_062013.pdf.
    182 Ibid.
    183 See: hup://www.digiLalqaLar.qa/en/2012/12/31/whaL-is-e-healLh-and-why-iL-is-imporLanL/.
    184 Angel-urdinola, kuddo and Semlali, 2012.
    185 ILC, 2008.
    186 All gures were calculaLed by LSCWA based on Lhe uniLed nauons opulauon uivision, World opulauon
    rospecLs: Lhe 2012 8evision, available from hup://esa.un.org/wpp/unpp/panel_populauon.hLm.
    187 Angel-urdinola, kuddo and Semlali, 2012.
    188 LMIS are mainly based on sLausucs and aim aL measuring Lhe involvemenL of individuals, households and
    businesses in Lhe labour markeL. 1hey cover shorL-Lerm and sLrucLural aspecLs of Lhe labour markeL in moneLary
    and non-moneLary Lerms.
    189 LSCWA, 2011c, pp. 100-101.
    190 See: hup://www.iseing.org/LgovwebsiLe/LCov2010AccepLedapers/C4.pdf .
    191 League of Arab SLaLes and I1u, 2012.
    192 unCIS and WSIS, 2013.
    193 WSIS, 2013.
    194 uubai ress Club, 2010, p. 165.
    195 See: hup://www.aeda.ae/eng/news.php?id=107.
    196 LSCWA, 2013 (Syrian Arab 8epublic).
    197 Arab 1houghL loundauon, 2013.
    184 REGIONAL PROFILE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE ARAB REGION
    198 LSCWA, 2013 (Cman).
    199 8iblioLheca Alexandrina (2012), p. 29.
    200 CaLar nauonal Library, 2013.
    201 LSCWA, 2013 (?emen).
    202 MinisLry of IndusLry, Commerce and new 1echnologies, 2013.
    203 MCI1, 2012.
    204 See: hup://www.icuund.ae/arabic/Arabic_uigiLal_ConLenL-A.hLml (reLrieved 8 !uly 2013).
    205 Zawya, 2012.
    206 naLure" is published by naLure ublishing Croup. 1he Arabic ediuon is available from hup://arabicediuon.naLure.com/.
    207 See: hup://www.kacsL.edu.sa/ar/abouL/publicauons/uocLib/_-,| ,-=~ -|--- =!| -,-|-~.pdf (in Arabic).
    208 LSCWA, 2013b.
    209 Cueen 8ania CenLer for LnLrepreneurship, 2012.
    210 residency of Lhe Council of MinisLers of Lebanon, 2013.
    211 See: hup://www.wamda.com/2013/05/lebanese-enLrepreneur-named-one-of-Lhe-ve-mosL-powerful-women-in-gaming.
    212 See: hup://blog.wikimedia.org/2013/05/02/wikipedia-educauon-program-arab-world/.
    213 More informauon on 1aghreedaL is available from hup://www.LaghreedaL.com/.
    214 See: hup://www.wamda.com/2013/05/qordoba-LranslaLed-iLs-5-millionLh-word-challenges-crowdsourcing.
    215 Socialbakers, 2013.
    216 LSCWA, 2013a (Syrian Arab 8epublic).
    217 See: hup://LranslaLe.google.com.lb/abouL/ (accessed 3 !uly 2013).
    218 lor more informauon, see: hup://www.arabicwebdays.com and hup://googleblog.blogspoL.com/2012/11/[oin-
    arabic-web-days-movemenL.hLml.
    219 See: hup://newgLlds.icann.org/en/announcemenLs-and-media/announcemenL-15[ul13-en.
    220 1he lisL of indicaLors on digiLal conLenL developed by dierenL organizauons during Lhe ConnecL Arab SummiL 2012
    is a good sLarung poinL. See: I1u, 2012b.
    221 CuLcome documenLs of Lhe WSIS 2003, Ceneva ueclarauon of rinciples and lan of Acuon, and 2005 1unis
    Agenda for Lhe Informauon SocieLy, available from hup://www.iLu.inL/wsis/index.hLml.
    222 lA!, 2013.
    223 Ibid.
    224 8eporLers Sans lronueres (in lrench), available from hup://fr.rsf.org.
    225 8W8, 2013.
    226 Ibid.
    227 Ibid.
    228 Ibid.
    229 Ibid.
    230 Ibid.
    231 Ibid.
    232 See: hup://www.ebizmba.com/arucles/social-neLworking-websiLes (reLrieved on 19 !uly /2013).
    233 uSC, 2013b.
    234 See: hup://www.irex.org/resource/media-susLainabiliLy-index-msi-meLhodology.
    235 1his increase is consisLenL wiLh Lhe [ump of Lhis counLry in Lhe lI ranking for Lhe same reference years as discussed above.
    185
    236 IL is really inLeresung Lo observe how Lhis polarizauon - considered a raLher posiuve developmenL by I8Lx - is
    dierenLly LreaLed by Lhe lI: evoking Lhe same dramauc evenLs in Syrian Arab 8epublic and Lheir impacL on
    neighbouring Lebanon, Lhe lI reporL downgraded Lebanon by eighL ranks aer iLs media became more polarized
    by neighbouring Syria's civil war", among oLher reasons.
    237 lor more informauon, see: hup://www.igfarab.org.
    238 See: hup://www.escwa.un.org/divisions/pro[ecLs/dac/docs.asp.
    239 See: hup://isper.escwa.un.org/locusAreas/uigiLalArabicConLenL/Labid/260/language/en-uS/uefaulL.aspx.
    240 See: hup://www.escwa.un.org/informauon/publicauons/ediL/upload/L_LSCWA_IC1u_12_1-4_L.pdf.
    241 See: hup://www.escwa.un.org/informauon/publicauons/ediL/upload/L_LSCWA_IC1u_13_1-1_L.pdf.
    242 See: hup://www.econLenL.org.sa/ages/uefaulL.aspx.
    243 See: hup://www.dubaiculLure.ae/en/CurIniuauves/Curro[ecLs/ro[ecLs/ages/unveilsholal.aspx#.ukfg-ScL2dk.
    244 See: hup://www.LaghreedaL.com.
    245 See: hup://www.arabneL.me.
    246 See: hup://www.wamda.com.
    247 lor more informauon, see: hup://isper.escwa.un.org/locusAreas/CyberLegislauon/ro[ecLs/Labid/161/language/
    en-uS/uefaulL.aspx.
    248 See: hup://isper.escwa.un.org/orLals/0/Cyber20Legislauon/8egional20Parmonisauon20ro[ecL/uirecuves/
    uirecuves-lull.pdf.
    249 See: hup://isper.escwa.un.org/locusAreas/CyberLegislauon/1emplaLe/Labid/201/language/en-uS/uefaulL.aspx.
    250 See: hup://www.escwa.un.org/informauon/meeungdeLails.asp?referencenum=1785L.
    251 See: hup://isper.escwa.un.org/orLals/0/Cyber20Legislauon/8egional20Parmonisauon20ro[ecL/uirecuves/
    LSCWA20Cyber20Legislauon20uigesL.pdf.
    252 See: hup://www.escwa.un.org/wsis/proles.hLml.
    253 See: hup://www.ehbp.[o.
    254 See: hup://www.oecd.org/su/ieconomy/2771153.pdf.
    255 See: hup://daLa.worldbank.org/indicaLor/IC.8uS.LASL.xC.
    256 See: hup://www.doingbusiness.org/~/media/lukM/uoing208usiness/uocumenLs/Special-8eporLs/u812-
    ArabWorld.pdf.
    257 See: hup://www3.weforum.org/docs/WLl_AWC8_8eporL_2013.pdf.
    258 See: hup://www.escwa.un.org/informauon/publicauons/ediL/upload/L_LSCWA_IC1u_11_4_e.pdf.
    259 See: hup://www.arabadvisors.com/publishedreporLs.hLm.
    260 See: hup://daLa.worldbank.org/indicaLor/1x.vAL.IC1C.ZS.un.
    261 See: hup://www.egypucundicaLors.gov.eg/en/ublicauons/ublicauonsuoc/IC1208ulleun-20!une202012.pdf.
    262 LSCWA, 2013 (?emen).
    263 See: hup://www.icLqaLar.qa/siLes/defaulL/les/documenLs/CaLar27s20IC120Landscape20201320-20
    8usiness.pdf.
    264 See: hup://info.worldbank.org/eLools/kam2/kAM_page5.asp#c104.
    265 unu, 2011, p. 9.
    266 See: hup://www.escwa.un.org/informauon/publicauons/ediL/upload/L_LSCWA_LuCu_2013_1_L.pdf.
    267 8efer Lo Lhe inLroducuon secuon for addiuonal informauon on Lhe WSIS acuon lines.
    268 See: hup://www.ungis.org/orLals/0/documenLs/!oinLIniuauves/unCIS.!oinL.SLaLemenL.pdf.

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