Dubai, UAE–Ohood Al Roumi, the UAE’s Minister of State for Government Development and the Future and Vice Chair of the World Government Summit (WGS), has stressed the importance of data and data protection in shaping future governments and businesses.
During a session titled “The Role of Data in Government Development”, within the Global Policy Platform, held at the pre-Summit day of the WGS 2023, Al Roumi said that the future belongs to those who succeed in employing data to drive progress and innovation.
She confirmed the growing role of data in supporting government decision-making around the world, highlighting the UAE’s successful experience in this field, which positioned the country as the 1st in the Arab world and 25th globally on the Global Knowledge Index for the year 2022.
Al Roumi stated, “Thanks to the futuristic vision of our leadership, the UAE has become a global model for establishing effective measures for data protection, through adopting advanced technologies and best practices. This led us to maintain our position as the first in the Arab world for the seventh year in a row on the United Nations E-Government Survey.”
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She stressed the importance of establishing joint efforts between governments, decision makers, and societies to protect data and enhance data regulations in the evolving digital world.
During a session entitled “Data-driven Behavior: Is it a Myth”, Raja Al Mazrouei, Managing Director of Etihad Credit Insurance, and Prof. Arturo Bris, Director of IMD World Competitiveness Center, referred to the significant role of the UAE’s legislations in protecting data as high value assets for governments and institutions.
Jon Clifton, CEO of Gallup, stated that decision-making is driven by data, highlighting the role of data as a measurable source that reduces errors, and increases proactivity.
Yoon-Seok Ko, Executive Principal & Leader of Data Department, National Information Society Agency, (NIA) and Chief, Korea Data Dam Project, Republic of Korea, stressed the importance of promoting data quality as a major factor of businesses success and a main contributor in avoiding budget deficits.