Arab governments are facing a set of unprecedent challenges to ensure a broad recovery in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic which impacted all sectors and put under pressure all development gains in growth, inequality, labor market, and political participation. Success will depend on the capacity of Arab governments to monitor, encourage, and support entrepreneurial innovation, productivity, and regional economic growth and their ability to harness new technologies to mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic and stimulate the recovery efficiently.

The project aims to 1) enhance member States’ capacities to design scenarios for policy change/reforms in various areas and assess their likely economic and social impacts and 2) build capacities in technology indicators and develop national policies in digital technology and innovation.

The objective will be achieved through 1) the development of a unique platform to simulate the impact of selected indicators for policy development on a set of international indices which greatly influence countries’ economic and human development outcomes, 2) the development of a user friendly interface allowing to extend the user experience in engaging and using these tools (including adding an Arabic interface to the tools) to ensure the largest access possible to all public servants (especially non-technicians), and to 3) the development of trainings and learning material in order to develop and strengthen member States’ capacities to assess and monitor performance, design scenarios, identify bottlenecks and priorities, and learn from international best practices and other countries’ experience by adding new capabilities to the existing tools.