Over the past decade, digital transformation has emerged as a central policy agenda across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Governments from the Gulf to the Levant have launched ambitious ‘smart government’ initiatives, artificial intelligence (AI) strategies and e-service platforms.

These efforts are often justified as pathways to efficiency, transparency and modernisation. Yet behind the rhetoric of innovation lies a pressing question: can digital governance promote social justice – or does it risk deepening inequality and exclusion?

This column examines the evolution of digital governance in three sub-regions – Egypt, Jordan and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – highlighting how data practices, transparency mechanisms and citizen trust shape the social outcomes of technological reform.

Data as the new foundation of governance

The shift toward data-driven public administration represents a defining feature of governance modernisation in the MENA region. Governments increasingly treat data as a strategic asset, with open-data portals and national AI centres becoming symbols of progress.

In the Gulf, for example, Saudi Arabia’s Open Data Portal allows public access to thousands of datasets, while the Digital Government Strategy 2025 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) frames data stewardship as key to competitiveness.

Egypt and Jordan have followed similar paths, although with varying institutional capacity. Egypt’s Digital Egypt initiative has expanded access to government services online, yet data interoperability and privacy protections remain uneven. Jordan’s Digital Transformation Strategy 2021-2025 has introduced cloud-based platforms and data-sharing frameworks, but the legal infrastructure for citizen data rights is still developing.

Evidence suggests that countries with strong data governance frameworks tend to achieve higher levels of administrative efficiency and civic engagement (World Bank 2023). But when data are controlled centrally without participatory oversight, they can reinforce asymmetries of power rather than reduce them.

Transparency, accountability and the trust deficit

Transparency is often cited as the moral anchor of digital governance. Yet transparency is not achieved merely by digitalising documents or budgets: it requires accessible, understandable and actionable information.

According to the International Budget Partnership (2023), only a few MENA countries publish detailed, machine-readable fiscal data. The Gulf states score higher on e-service delivery but lower on fiscal openness, while Egypt and Jordan exhibit gradual improvement through donor-supported reforms.

The trust dimension is particularly crucial. OECD (2024) research on informality and structural transformation in Egypt, Iraq and Jordan reveals that public trust correlates strongly with perceptions of fairness in government digital services. When citizens believe that technology enhances – not replaces – accountability, their willingness to engage online increases. Conversely, opaque algorithms or selective data release can erode legitimacy and reproduce existing inequalities.

In short, technology can amplify the quality of governance, but it cannot substitute for genuine accountability. Transparency must be matched by procedural justice: citizens should know not only what data are collected but also how they are used and who benefits.

Country comparisons

GCC

GCC states have advanced rapidly in digital transformation, driven by fiscal capacity and political commitment. Initiatives like Saudi Arabia’s Smart Government Strategy 2025 and the UAE’s AI Council showcase top-down innovation.

PwC (2023) finds that Gulf countries outperform regional peers in digital inclusion indices. But the same report warns that inclusion remains limited for low-income expatriates, rural populations and women in technology fields.

Egypt

Egypt’s digital agenda has focused on administrative reform and anti-corruption, especially through the Egypt e-Government Portal. Yet socio-economic disparities persist: rural areas face weaker connectivity and digital literacy gaps. While online service uptake has increased, citizen feedback mechanisms remain minimal – undermining the participatory aspect of digital governance.

Jordan

Jordan represents a middle case: it has achieved relatively high connectivity rates and has launched Open Government Data projects supported by the World Bank (2022). Nonetheless, institutional fragmentation and limited funding constrain scalability. A case study by the World Bank highlights that local governments often lack skilled personnel to manage data securely and effectively.

Comparatively, the Gulf enjoys technological advantage but limited inclusiveness; Egypt has broad reach but weak feedback loops; and Jordan balances modest innovation with stronger international alignment.

The social justice paradox

Digital transformation promises inclusion but can easily reproduce exclusion. The ‘digital divide’ in MENA is multidimensional – rooted not only in access but also in literacy, gender, geography and governance. As online platforms replace face-to-face services, those without connectivity or digital skills risk being locked out of essential rights, from welfare registration to job applications.

Moreover, algorithmic governance raises new ethical dilemmas. Automated decision-making in welfare targeting or credit scoring can encode biases, particularly where datasets lack representativeness. Without transparent auditing mechanisms, digital tools may inadvertently marginalise the very groups they claim to empower.

In short, digital governance can be both a ladder and a wall – it lifts some while blocking others. The challenge for policy-makers is to ensure that the architecture of governance serves fairness, not just functionality.

Policy directions for equitable digital governance

To align digital transformation with social justice, three policy priorities stand out:

• Equal access to infrastructure and literacy: governments must pair connectivity investment with inclusive digital education, especially for women, rural youth and marginalised communities.
• Open and participatory data governance: national data strategies should include civil-society oversight and independent auditing to balance innovation with privacy and fairness.
• Trust-centred transparency: digital platforms should embed citizen-feedback loops – through open dashboards, participatory budgeting and clear disclosure of algorithmic criteria.

These steps can transform digital governance from a managerial reform into a genuine social contract.

Further reading

Albous, MR, O Al-Jayyousi and M Stephens (2025) AI Governance in the GCC States: A Comparative Analysis of National AI Strategies.

International Budget Partnership, IMF METAC and UNDP (2023) Strengthening Budget Transparency in the MENA Region.

Islam, MA, I Moosa and F Saliola (2023) Data Transparency in the Middle East and North Africa, World Bank.

OECD (2024) Informality and Structural Transformation in Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan.

PwC Middle East (2023) Bridging the Digital Gap: The State of Digital Inclusion in the MENA Region.

World Bank (2022) Data Practices in MENA: Case Study – Jordan.