emirates7 - The Arab Federation for Digital Economy participated in a series of high-level international events in Geneva, including the Global Forum for Digital Governance Solutions “GovTech Deep-Dive” and the “Trust Valley Day 2025” events, in addition to in-depth meetings with the World Bank to discuss strengthening cooperation on digital economy projects at the Arab level, including the Arab Digital Economy Index and the Arab Digital Projects Platform.
The Federation’s delegation was headed by Dr. Ali Mohammed Al-Khouri, Advisor to the Council of Arab Economic Unity and Chairman of the Federation’s Board of Directors.
The forum examined key global trends in GovTech and digital solutions that enhance institutional efficiency, improve services, raise transparency and strengthen readiness for future technological transformations.
The sessions, organised by the World Bank with the participation of government delegations, international experts, and global technology institutions, emphasised the importance of developing strategic partnerships between governments and the private sector to promote digital transformation projects and exchange expertise in the fields of artificial intelligence, government data, institutional transformation, and digital security.
The Federation also participated in the “Trust Valley Day 2025” event, which addressed topics such as digital trust and data security.
The event showcased the latest applications supporting innovation in cybersecurity, as well as presentations from startups participating in the “Tech4Trust” programme, which accelerates innovation in Europe.
In Geneva, the Federation's delegation also attended the “GovTech Innovation Challenge 2025” awards ceremony, organised by the World Bank in cooperation with the Swiss government. The winners of this global challenge, which aims to develop innovative solutions in the field of digital governance, were announced.
On the sidelines, the Arab Federation for Digital Economy held a joint meeting with a World Bank team to discuss cooperation on Arab digital transformation initiatives, notably the Arab Digital Economy Index and the Arab Digital Transformation Projects Platform.
The World Bank praised the UAE’s initiative to develop the Arab vision for the digital economy and establish the Arab Index, confirming that the UAE has become a leading global model in digital development through its advanced technological infrastructure and innovation-driven strategic vision.
Dr. Ali Al-Khouri explained that cooperation with the World Bank is a pivotal step in developing the Arab Digital Transformation Index methodologies by enhancing the Bank's participation in the technical committees. This contributes to improving the efficiency of assessment tools and ensuring a more accurate reflection of the digital economy in Arab countries.
The two sides also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation on the Arab Digital Transformation Projects Platform, which the Union is developing in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
The platform aims to establish a formal Arab system for compiling and classifying digital economy projects, aligning them with the Arab digital agenda, and improving their access to international funding and partnerships.
Dr. Al-Khouri emphasised that these engagements and meetings provide a practical framework for enhancing international cooperation in the digital economy. They also enable Arab countries to benefit from advanced global experiences in building a resilient and sophisticated digital infrastructure that meets future needs.
He added that the Union will continue working with international partners to support the development of Arab digital policies and projects in accordance with best global practices, thereby promoting economic development and achieving Arab digital integration.
The Federation’s delegation was headed by Dr. Ali Mohammed Al-Khouri, Advisor to the Council of Arab Economic Unity and Chairman of the Federation’s Board of Directors.
The forum examined key global trends in GovTech and digital solutions that enhance institutional efficiency, improve services, raise transparency and strengthen readiness for future technological transformations.
The sessions, organised by the World Bank with the participation of government delegations, international experts, and global technology institutions, emphasised the importance of developing strategic partnerships between governments and the private sector to promote digital transformation projects and exchange expertise in the fields of artificial intelligence, government data, institutional transformation, and digital security.
The Federation also participated in the “Trust Valley Day 2025” event, which addressed topics such as digital trust and data security.
The event showcased the latest applications supporting innovation in cybersecurity, as well as presentations from startups participating in the “Tech4Trust” programme, which accelerates innovation in Europe.
In Geneva, the Federation's delegation also attended the “GovTech Innovation Challenge 2025” awards ceremony, organised by the World Bank in cooperation with the Swiss government. The winners of this global challenge, which aims to develop innovative solutions in the field of digital governance, were announced.
On the sidelines, the Arab Federation for Digital Economy held a joint meeting with a World Bank team to discuss cooperation on Arab digital transformation initiatives, notably the Arab Digital Economy Index and the Arab Digital Transformation Projects Platform.
The World Bank praised the UAE’s initiative to develop the Arab vision for the digital economy and establish the Arab Index, confirming that the UAE has become a leading global model in digital development through its advanced technological infrastructure and innovation-driven strategic vision.
Dr. Ali Al-Khouri explained that cooperation with the World Bank is a pivotal step in developing the Arab Digital Transformation Index methodologies by enhancing the Bank's participation in the technical committees. This contributes to improving the efficiency of assessment tools and ensuring a more accurate reflection of the digital economy in Arab countries.
The two sides also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation on the Arab Digital Transformation Projects Platform, which the Union is developing in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
The platform aims to establish a formal Arab system for compiling and classifying digital economy projects, aligning them with the Arab digital agenda, and improving their access to international funding and partnerships.
Dr. Al-Khouri emphasised that these engagements and meetings provide a practical framework for enhancing international cooperation in the digital economy. They also enable Arab countries to benefit from advanced global experiences in building a resilient and sophisticated digital infrastructure that meets future needs.
He added that the Union will continue working with international partners to support the development of Arab digital policies and projects in accordance with best global practices, thereby promoting economic development and achieving Arab digital integration.