Digital Transformation: Inducing an Innovative Environment for Sustainable Development

Some Arab countries have been successful in building a culture of innovation for socio-economic development, while others have failed to do so. Those that were successful took measures to support science, technology and relevant quality education from childhood to higher education, which resulted in wealth creation and an enhanced quality of life. They concentrated on building rich human resources in a stable political environment, thereby triggering the human-capital potential to develop new frontier areas in science for sustainable development and became leaders among other Arab developing economies. Those that invested more in research and development (R&D), as well as in quality education, harvested an enormous reward, as indicated by major science indicators: more peer-reviewed publications, more patents, higher number of scientists per million of population, higher world-ranked academic institutions, and stronger links of academia with industry in developing hi-tech exports worldwide. Digital transformation, particularly in education, will be essential to maintain this progress. More importantly, educational institutions need to embrace digital strategies and embark on this journey in order to meet the needs of their students, improve their experiences, unlock their potential, and equip them with the skills needed for the future. To alleviate poverty, unemployment, and climate change, and to meet the United Nations 2030 sustainable-development goals (UN-SDGs 2030), Arab countries need a comprehensive stable policy leading to a green economy in a sustainable ecosystem, capitalizing on technology, innovation and creativity as human-based rich resources.