emirates7 - The regional workshop on e-commerce and digital economy statistics began on Monday, organized by the Statistical Centre for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC-Stat).
The event gathers representatives from the GCC General Secretariat, national statistics offices, ministries of commerce, central banks, and various government agencies across GCC countries.
Spanning two days, the workshop’s goal is to enhance national statistical capabilities in gathering and analyzing data related to e-commerce and the digital economy, thereby supporting informed economic policymaking and promoting statistical integration within the GCC.
Intisar bint Abdullah Al Wahaibi, Director-General of GCC-Stat, highlighted the rapid transformations in the global economy in recent years, driven by the growth of e-commerce, which is emerging as a key driver of the digital economy. She noted that the Gulf region is experiencing rapid expansion in this field, supported by advanced digital infrastructure, a youthful population, and national digital transformation strategies.
Referring to UNCTAD reports, she pointed out that global e-commerce sales surpassed $27 trillion in 2022, marking nearly a 60% rise since 2016. Within the region, the GCC’s e-commerce market is projected to grow to $33.3 billion by 2025 and $46.1 billion by 2029, representing an annual growth rate of 10%.
Al Wahaibi emphasized that despite the many advantages of this digital growth, it also brings challenges in accurately measuring these fast-changing activities. She stressed the increasing demand for reliable and timely data to evaluate e-commerce’s impact on GDP, track the digital divide, and inform sound economic policies.
She further explained that the GCC Committee for Commercial Cooperation has assigned the Statistical Centre with the task of creating an integrated system to develop e-commerce indicators, publish relevant data, and increase transparency. This initiative is part of the executive plan to achieve the strategic goals outlined in the GCC’s unified e-commerce framework.
Dr. Hajar El Haddaoui, Director-General of the Digital Cooperation Organisation, affirmed that digital data is now fundamental for policymaking, sustainable development, and enabling effective participation in the digital economy for individuals and businesses.
She added that improving digital economy measurement is not only a technical need but a strategic priority for building an inclusive and dynamic digital economy capable of generating jobs, fostering innovation, supporting SMEs, and ensuring that all segments of society—including women and youth—can benefit from future opportunities.
The workshop’s first session introduced the principles of measuring e-commerce and the digital economy. It highlighted that understanding e-commerce, vital for shaping effective economic and trade policies, requires collecting and analyzing data on commercial transactions conducted via electronic channels.
This includes sales of goods and services through digital platforms in business-to-business, business-to-consumer, and consumer-to-consumer transactions. It also covers transaction volumes and values, types of traded goods and services, the platforms used (websites, apps, social media), and consumer behavior patterns.
Measuring the digital economy involves systematically evaluating the different elements of technology-driven economic activities, including digital infrastructure, software, AI applications, digital platforms, and ICT-related employment.
The session also discussed the importance of these measurements within the GCC, defined operational concepts, and explored how such data supports policy formulation, economic diversification, and regional cooperation.
The second session reviewed GCC-Stat’s project focused on e-commerce and the digital economy. The project aims to improve the quality of digital and economic data across GCC countries by establishing a standardized statistical framework for e-commerce and digital economy indicators.
This initiative is expected to enhance collaboration among member states and develop metrics aligned with recognized international standards.
The event gathers representatives from the GCC General Secretariat, national statistics offices, ministries of commerce, central banks, and various government agencies across GCC countries.
Spanning two days, the workshop’s goal is to enhance national statistical capabilities in gathering and analyzing data related to e-commerce and the digital economy, thereby supporting informed economic policymaking and promoting statistical integration within the GCC.
Intisar bint Abdullah Al Wahaibi, Director-General of GCC-Stat, highlighted the rapid transformations in the global economy in recent years, driven by the growth of e-commerce, which is emerging as a key driver of the digital economy. She noted that the Gulf region is experiencing rapid expansion in this field, supported by advanced digital infrastructure, a youthful population, and national digital transformation strategies.
Referring to UNCTAD reports, she pointed out that global e-commerce sales surpassed $27 trillion in 2022, marking nearly a 60% rise since 2016. Within the region, the GCC’s e-commerce market is projected to grow to $33.3 billion by 2025 and $46.1 billion by 2029, representing an annual growth rate of 10%.
Al Wahaibi emphasized that despite the many advantages of this digital growth, it also brings challenges in accurately measuring these fast-changing activities. She stressed the increasing demand for reliable and timely data to evaluate e-commerce’s impact on GDP, track the digital divide, and inform sound economic policies.
She further explained that the GCC Committee for Commercial Cooperation has assigned the Statistical Centre with the task of creating an integrated system to develop e-commerce indicators, publish relevant data, and increase transparency. This initiative is part of the executive plan to achieve the strategic goals outlined in the GCC’s unified e-commerce framework.
Dr. Hajar El Haddaoui, Director-General of the Digital Cooperation Organisation, affirmed that digital data is now fundamental for policymaking, sustainable development, and enabling effective participation in the digital economy for individuals and businesses.
She added that improving digital economy measurement is not only a technical need but a strategic priority for building an inclusive and dynamic digital economy capable of generating jobs, fostering innovation, supporting SMEs, and ensuring that all segments of society—including women and youth—can benefit from future opportunities.
The workshop’s first session introduced the principles of measuring e-commerce and the digital economy. It highlighted that understanding e-commerce, vital for shaping effective economic and trade policies, requires collecting and analyzing data on commercial transactions conducted via electronic channels.
This includes sales of goods and services through digital platforms in business-to-business, business-to-consumer, and consumer-to-consumer transactions. It also covers transaction volumes and values, types of traded goods and services, the platforms used (websites, apps, social media), and consumer behavior patterns.
Measuring the digital economy involves systematically evaluating the different elements of technology-driven economic activities, including digital infrastructure, software, AI applications, digital platforms, and ICT-related employment.
The session also discussed the importance of these measurements within the GCC, defined operational concepts, and explored how such data supports policy formulation, economic diversification, and regional cooperation.
The second session reviewed GCC-Stat’s project focused on e-commerce and the digital economy. The project aims to improve the quality of digital and economic data across GCC countries by establishing a standardized statistical framework for e-commerce and digital economy indicators.
This initiative is expected to enhance collaboration among member states and develop metrics aligned with recognized international standards.