ICT: Morocco ranked 89th in the World Economic Forum report.
15 April 2013
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Morocco's progress in Information and Communication Technologies is slow. Out of 144 countries ranked by the World Economic Forum, the kingdom is 89th. This is far behind Qatar (23rd) and Jordan (47th).
The World Economic Forum published a report on Wednesday concerning information and communication technologies. Out of 144 countries, Morocco is ranked 89th, gaining only two places compared to 2012. In the Maghreb region, the kingdom can boast of being better off than Algeria (131st). The eastern neighbor lost about ten places; in the previous edition, it occupied 118th place. Libya and Mauritania are 132nd and 135th respectively. Tunisia, which could have claimed a better position, is not included in the World Economic Forum document. The reason: "a significant structural break in the data" that would make "comparison with recent years" difficult. The same fate befell Libya in 2012.
Morocco lags behind Arab countries
While Morocco performs relatively well compared to other Maghreb states, it lags behind other Arab countries. Qatar leads the pack at 23rd, eight places ahead of Israel (15th and 1st in the Middle East). The country of Al Jazeera even performs better than Belgium (24th) and France (26th). The United Arab Emirates (25th), Bahrain (29th), and Saudi Arabia (31st) are close behind. These Gulf states significantly improved their scores from 2012, achieving remarkable progress. And it is not only these wealthy countries that precede Morocco in the World Economic Forum ranking. Jordan, despite its very limited financial resources, occupies 47th place (in 2012, the Hashemite Kingdom was 119th), and Egypt is 80th.
The report acknowledges that the digital divide between developed and developing countries still exists. However, as the document emphasizes, "the advantages of ICT are now widely recognized and represent a method for businesses and the economic sector to optimize productivity, free up resources, and encourage innovation and job creation."
Published April 12, 2013.
Posted online April 15, 2013.
Yabiladi.com
The World Economic Forum published a report on Wednesday concerning information and communication technologies. Out of 144 countries, Morocco is ranked 89th, gaining only two places compared to 2012. In the Maghreb region, the kingdom can boast of being better off than Algeria (131st). The eastern neighbor lost about ten places; in the previous edition, it occupied 118th place. Libya and Mauritania are 132nd and 135th respectively. Tunisia, which could have claimed a better position, is not included in the World Economic Forum document. The reason: "a significant structural break in the data" that would make "comparison with recent years" difficult. The same fate befell Libya in 2012.
Morocco lags behind Arab countries
While Morocco performs relatively well compared to other Maghreb states, it lags behind other Arab countries. Qatar leads the pack at 23rd, eight places ahead of Israel (15th and 1st in the Middle East). The country of Al Jazeera even performs better than Belgium (24th) and France (26th). The United Arab Emirates (25th), Bahrain (29th), and Saudi Arabia (31st) are close behind. These Gulf states significantly improved their scores from 2012, achieving remarkable progress. And it is not only these wealthy countries that precede Morocco in the World Economic Forum ranking. Jordan, despite its very limited financial resources, occupies 47th place (in 2012, the Hashemite Kingdom was 119th), and Egypt is 80th.
The report acknowledges that the digital divide between developed and developing countries still exists. However, as the document emphasizes, "the advantages of ICT are now widely recognized and represent a method for businesses and the economic sector to optimize productivity, free up resources, and encourage innovation and job creation."
Published April 12, 2013.
Posted online April 15, 2013.
Yabiladi.com
