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Monday, 1.07.2024
eGovernment Forschung seit 2001 | eGovernment Research since 2001
Qatar leads the fixed line broadband penetration as a percentage of population in the Arab World in 2007, according to research firm Arab Advisors Group.

"While absolute broadband penetration in the Arab World may seem low by industrial countries standards, the effective household broadband penetration is much higher. This is related to higher number of people per household as well as line sharing," said Jawad J. Abbassi, founder and general manager of Arab Advisors Group.

Read more: Broadband penetration rates rise in Arab region

Council of Arab Ministers of Communication and Information ratified Wednesday the Arab new strategy for communication and information from 2007 to 2012.

Concluding its exceptional session held at headquarter of the Secretariat General of Arab League with the participation of the Syrian Minister of Communication and Technology Amro Nazir Salim, the Council agreed to restructure the council of Arab Ministers of communication.

Read more: Arab Ministers of Communication Ratify New Strategy of Communication

The second global Working Group on 'Good Governance for Development in Arab Countries' convened in Dubai today to work out the standard approach to 'E-Government and Administrative Simplification' across the Arab World.

The Dubai School of Government is hosting the two-day forum in co-operation with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and supported by the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP).

Read more: Working Group starts to create action plan for Good Governance in Arab countries

Why, with such a young population, is the Arab world still lagging behind when it comes to the digital revolution? Less than four per cent of people in the Arab world are internet users, according to ITU data. The penetration rate is just 3.7% - in a region with an 8.59% penetration in landline subscribers, and 14.51% in mobile subscribers.

In an interview with AFP, the ITU's regional representative, Ibrahim Haddad, blames infrastructure issues, poverty and illiteracy, particularly digital illiteracy.

Read more: Arab internet woes

Good governance is one of the cornerstones of economic and social development. The launch, under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah, of the Dead Sea Conference on “Good Governance for Development in the Arab countries” on Feb. 6, 2005, was both a historic moment and a dramatic demonstration of the determination of Arab governments to work together on fundamental measures to raise living standards in the Arab world.

Read more: Good governance and the Arab states

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