The Role of the digital economy in some human development indicators – Experiences of selected Arab countries.
A Thesis submitted by the student
AYAT QAYS MOHAMMED ALI ALETHARI
To the Board of the Faculty of Management and Economics – Karbala University, which is part of the requirements of obtaining a master’s degree in economics
Under the supervision of
Professor Dr. SAFAA ABD AL JABAR ALI AL-MOSAWI
Abstract
The research focused on the fact that the digital economy, or the economy based on the use of information technology and modern means of communication, is one of the results of the communications and information technology revolution or the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and among the areas most affected by the digital transformation are the areas of human development, education and health, and education has become digital in completely new forms, as well as health, which has become digital, relying on the Internet and modern means of communication.
The research was based on the fact that the development in the digital economy has led to development in all areas of the economy in general, and in particular human development and its indicators, and this change was accompanied by positive and negative effects, and it faced many difficulties in general and in particular in the studied application environment, which generated questions including: Does the digital economy affect human development indicators directly or indirectly? Does the impact of the digital economy on human development and its indicators generate positive or negative effects?
The research aimed to identify the nature of the digital economy, study its various aspects, and know its positive effects on human development by studying the experiences of some countries in this field and setting basic principles as a starting point that supports the process of digital transformation, and determining the role of the digital economy in improving education, its services and health facilities.
The research is based on the hypothesis that there is a major role for the digital economy in human development indicators in the sample countries. The research reached a set of related conclusions and recommendations that were consistent with the research objectives and hypothesis. The most important conclusion was the weakness of the information and communications technology infrastructure in Iraq, which leads to the reflection of this weakness on the digital economy as a result of economic and political mismanagement.
As for the most important recommendation, it was necessary to develop and disseminate digital technologies, taking into account their positive effects in the context of the common ambition to achieve digital transformation to achieve development goals, so that the information and communications technology sector is viewed according to its impact on all economic sectors and work to stimulate the digital economy to increase its contribution to the global gross domestic product.
Keywords: Digital economy, human development, cash withdrawals, electronic cards, life expectancy at birth, education enrollment rates.
