Leveraging Data to Foster Development: Where Does the MENA Region Stand?
Analytical Insights | May 2022
Greater data flows facilitated by the proliferation of broadband connectivity can serve as a driver for economic recovery and long-term growth of the private sector, modernization of public service delivery, and enhanced transparency. With a focus on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, this article applies findings from the World Development Report (WDR) 2021 on how countries can benefit from a data-driven transformation through a new social contract around data underpinned by three pillars: value, trust, and equity.
MENA countries must first strive to maximize the social and economic value of data by enabling the collection and sharing of data for creative re-use. For this to occur, there needs to be strong commitment to produce public intent data — the kind of data that is used for public good, that improves service delivery, and that measures progress for the most vulnerable. Second, MENA must invest in the legal and institutional safeguards needed to build trust. The lack of strong safeguards for personal data protection, as well as the lack of institutions to effectively implement data protection, stand out as critical gaps in MENA. Finally, the social contract for data must ensure — through infrastructure policies and economic policies — that the benefits of data are shared equitably. A social contract of this nature can help to ensure that all in MENA — individuals and businesses alike — can thrive in the region’s growing digital economy.
Key Findings:
- A strong commitment to producing public intent data and making foundational microdata available will enable MENA to maximize the social and economic value of data
- MENA countries lack adequate legal and institutional safeguards to protect data flows. To enshrine trust, countries must enact and effectively implement data protection regimes, and invest in institutions for data governance and data protection.
- Equitable access to data through efforts to improve affordability, digital skills, and investments in national data infrastructure, can ensure that digital development in the region is inclusive of all, especially the marginalized.
Full Article: Leveraging Data to Foster Development: Where Does the MENA Region Stand?