These elements are interconnected and will require a holistic approach, implemented in conjunction with private-sector ICT players. The end result will be a stronger innovation environment, not only for the ICT sector but for the national economy.
Read more: Stimulating innovation: Building the digital advantage for MENA countries
Regional leaders have acknowledged that nationwide high-speed broadband - enabled by a combination of fixed and wireless networks - is a crucial foundation for socio-economic development, and they are pushing forward to construct such "digital highways".
Etisalat, in which the UAE Government owns a majority stake, has announced it will invest Dh55 billion (US$15bn) in upgrading its broadband infrastructure.
“To successfully implement e-government, MENA nations must take a customer-centric approach, and governments must create comprehensive, sustainable development plans,” said its recent study.
This has left the region vulnerable to inefficiencies: employees standing in line at the end of the month to receive their salaries in cash; contractors issuing cheques to pay suppliers; and residents travelling to collection centres to pay their utility bills by cash or cheque.
But in recent years, government officials, business executives and consumers in these “cash and cheque” environments have increasingly been exposed to online payment channels, payment kiosks, and other electronic options.
Read more: Mena Region: Old method costs the paper it is printed on
Internet users in the Mena region comprise 5.2 per cent of the world's users and numbered 85.5 million in 2008, compared to 16 million in 2003, said the report. Their share of the world's total users rose from two per cent to 5.2 per cent over the same period.