A knowledge gap in “Arab countries” despite human capabilities and scientific wealth

Knowledge indicators for the year 2025 revealed that Arab countries still face a wide knowledge gap, despite possessing young human capabilities and promising scientific potential that was supposed to put them in a stronger competitive position.

Experts at the Knowledge Summit warned that the delay in building a solid knowledge infrastructure, increasing investment in research and development, and adopting policies to transform knowledge into economic value may put the region out of the race for the future, as the digital age does not wait for the hesitant, and countries that do not accelerate their knowledge transformation will find themselves at the back of the global scene.

They told “Emirates Today” that as the world enters the era of artificial intelligence and digital economies, there appears to be an urgent need for Arab countries to adopt new development models based on innovation, skills development, and expanding knowledge markets, to ensure the ability of their economies to compete and catch up with developed countries.

Promising capabilities

In detail: The Executive Director of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, Jamal bin Huwaireb, confirmed that the Arab world possesses promising capabilities that allow it to enter strongly into the knowledge economy system, but the gap is still large between the countries that have adopted clear strategies for the future and those that are still lagging behind in this path.

Bin Huwaireb told Emirates Today: “Based on my in-depth readings and meetings with the United Nations and experts, I see that some Arab countries, led by the United Arab Emirates, have established solid foundations for an integrated knowledge economy, with long-term plans extending for the next hundred years, as the UAE is moving according to a precise and thoughtful vision, and therefore it tops many global indicators.”

He added: “On the other hand, there are countries that have not yet taken the initiative, and have not given the knowledge economy and anticipating the future the required amount of attention, while in the Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, directs the government to anticipate the future, not wait for it, and to seize every opportunity that the coming years bring.”

He pointed out that a number of Arab countries have recently begun to include knowledge in their national strategies, which is an important but insufficient development, stressing: “There is still a long way to go.” We hope that Arab countries will follow the UAE’s example, and benefit from its expertise in infrastructure, management and quality systems, export and import chains, production, and building integrated economic and knowledge environments, as the UAE has successful models that can be replicated in any Arab country.”

A comprehensive Arabic platform

He continued: “Today’s Knowledge Summit is an inclusive Arab platform for everyone who seeks to raise the level of their people and improve their well-being. Without a knowledge economy, people will remain at low levels, but with knowledge people, society and the state will advance, and this is clearly confirmed by global indicators.”

He said: “During the next five years, the UAE will continue its progress, and may surpass many countries in the world as it does today. As for the countries that do not change themselves and do not adopt the knowledge approach in all its sectors, they will remain in place while other countries advance. The future is clear…and knowledge is its most powerful weapon.”

A real battle

In the same context, the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Director of the Regional Office for Arab States – United Nations Development Programme, Dr. Abdullah Al-Dardari, stressed that “the Arabs are facing a real battle related to productivity, and that knowledge represents the main gateway to raising this productivity and enhancing the competitiveness of the region’s economies.”

He added that investment in knowledge is still very limited, as spending on research and development does not exceed 0.02% of the Arab GDP, compared to 2% to 3% in developed countries, which, according to him, shows “how long the road is to an Arab economy built on knowledge and creativity.”

Al-Dardari pointed out that the tenth session of the Knowledge Summit represents an important milestone for re-evaluating the position of the Arab region in the race of artificial intelligence and economic and social development, explaining: “Despite the remarkable progress in countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, we are still far from entering the list of the top ten globally.”

Building knowledge markets

He stressed that “today the UAE is adopting a clear approach in building knowledge markets, not only at the production level, but also in marketing knowledge and enhancing demand for it. This is the path the Arab region needs to overcome the productivity gap and build a more competitive and innovative economy.”

Al-Dardari said that the summit “establishes a clear vision for the coming years, and gives Arab countries an opportunity to move more steadily towards a true knowledge economy,” stressing that change begins with serious investment in knowledge as it is the cornerstone of future development in the Arab world.

Index updates

Regarding developments in the index, the Chief Technical Advisor and Director of the Knowledge Project at the United Nations Development Programme, Dr. Hani Turki, explained to Emirates Al-Youm that the scope of the Knowledge Index witnessed a significant expansion this year to include 195 countries compared to 141 countries in the previous version, that is, an increase of 38.3%, which makes it the most comprehensive since its launch.

He added that the development process included restructuring the main sectors of the index from seven to six sectors, with the aim of enhancing the focus on vital areas related to sustainable development, in addition to integrated development in the system of enabling environments, as it is one of the basic pillars for measuring knowledge readiness.

Turki pointed out that the updates also affected the measurement methodology, as the number of variables was reduced from 155 to 115 variables, to ensure a more balanced mix between comprehensiveness, analytical accuracy, and ease of comparison between countries, which strengthens the index’s position as a global source for monitoring the reality of knowledge and supporting decision makers in adopting policies based on innovation and sustainable human development.

He stressed that periodic review of the index has become an imperative necessity to maintain its accuracy and the realism of its outputs, explaining that the first reviews took place in 2021, before being followed by subsequent reviews that revealed the continued existence of gaps in the data and the failure of a number of basic variables on which it depends.