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RIYADH: ������Ƶ is making strong progress in digital health and education, with data highlighting key advancements in the Kingdom’s transformation toward a digital-based economy under Vision 2030.

According to the Digital Economy Navigator, a global framework that measures countries’ digital maturity, the Kingdom scored 91.2 in digital for health and education, and 83.1 in workforce training.

Speaking to Arab News, Alaa Abdulaal, chief of digital economy foresight at the Riyadh-headquartered Digital Cooperation Organization, said the Kingdom is highlighted as one of the fastest transforming digital economies, with strengths in digital aspects.

“������Ƶ is doing very well in digital education and digital health, as well as in digital work and training,” Abdulaal said. “(The Kingdom) is considered among the frontier countries in terms of maturity level across these pillars.”

She added that the Digital Economy Navigator is both a measurement and guidance tool, helping countries identify their areas of strength and the sectors that require further development.

“The Digital Economy Navigator is a tool that would help countries understand where they stand from a digital-economy maturity perspective,” she said.

������Ƶ’s strong foundation in digital regulation has also supported its rapid transformation, Abdulaal said.

“From a regulation perspective, ������Ƶ’s score is considered very good,” she added. “They are developing a lot of regulations that are enabling a very strong environment for prosperity, but also with the acceleration of the digital economy and the quick acceleration development in technology, there is always room (for) doing better from a regulation perspective.”

While the Kingdom’s performance in education, health and workforce development is among the strongest globally, Abdulaal said digital innovation remains an area requiring greater focus.

“Still digital innovation needs a lot of investment and a lot of focus, not only in Saudi, but as I said, across a lot of countries that we have assessed.

“It needs a lot of investment research and development. The uncertainty that is behind innovation also may cause a fear in investment in innovation, but as we see with the acceleration of the technology, we see that the need of the research and development areas is really helping in accelerating the growth of the digital economy.”

She said that the framework draws data from both primary and secondary sources, including surveying an average of 500 participants per country, to capture the lived experiences of citizens.

“It means that people have a say in how mature their digital economy is; it reflects their perspective as beneficiaries and contributors,” Abdulaal added.

“We took the societal aspect into consideration as an important pillar in the digital economy. And with this framework, it will help understand where you stand and how you move forward.”

Abdulaal highlighted how human capital development is the foundation of a resilient digital economy.

“Human capital is one of the main pillars of the digital economy,” she said. “When you look at the enabler dimension, there is a pillar called digital capabilities, which is really focused on how much each country is investing in upskilling and reskilling their society with the right skills.”

She added that countries including ������Ƶ are performing well in digital literacy but must now prepare for a more advanced phase of transformation.

“We are in an era (of) AI, Internet of Things. You hear about quantum computing, you hear about all of those digital and technology advancements. We need to make sure that our society is equipped with the right skills that will enable them to be part of this.”

RIYADH: The official celebration of the 13th Arab Manuscript Day was inaugurated on Sunday by Prince Turki Al-Faisal, chairman of the board of directors at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.

Held under the theme “The Arab Manuscript: Life of a Nation and Pioneer of Civilization,” the event was organized in collaboration with the Institute of Arabic Manuscripts at the center’s headquarters in Riyadh.

Prince Turki said: “This day calls upon the memory of thought and allows the soul to listen to the echoes of centuries past.”

He added that Arab Manuscript Day went beyond celebrating paper and ink and honored the consciousness and intellectual legacy that shaped Arab and Islamic civilizations. 

He recalled that the late King Faisal bin Abdulaziz received a delegation from the Institute of Arabic Manuscripts in Riyadh more than 50 years ago, near the site of the current center. 

The meeting, he said, was a moment of “intellectual enlightenment,” during which King Faisal described heritage as a vital part of identity, comparing it to “a rich fountain of culture that never stops flowing.”

Abdulrahman Al-Khunaifer, adviser at the center, said that the day symbolized the convergence of time and place, at which “Damascus, Cairo, Baghdad, and Cordoba meet Riyadh and Diriyah” to celebrate the enduring legacy of the handwritten book.

He added that the center had produced thousands of titles and research projects that had kept the Arab manuscript “alive and beating” throughout history, and that the hosting of this year’s celebration represented the culmination of those efforts.

Three awards were presented during the ceremony: Yahya Mahmoud bin Junaid, a Saudi professor, was named the Heritage Research Personality of the Year in the Arab World.

In his acceptance speech he described heritage as a living tool for understanding modern society and the evolution of intellect, calling for the creation of a comprehensive digital index of heritage books to support researchers. 

The award for Heritage Institution of the Year in the Arab World went to the National Laboratory for the Conservation and Restoration of Parchment and Manuscripts in Kairouan, Tunisia. Its director, Manal Rimah, said the recognition was a tribute to Tunisia’s cultural institutions.

The Heritage Book of the Year went to “The Collection of the Gems of Navigation in the Compendiums of the Benefits of Agriculture,” edited by Ihsan Thannoon Al-Thamiri, a professor from Iraq.

He described the work as an encyclopedic documentation of Arab agricultural knowledge, the result of a long period of dedication.

Since its founding in 1983, the center has become one of the leading global institutions in manuscript care. Its collection includes around 30,000 manuscript titles and 150,000 digitized manuscripts, reproduced in collaboration with major libraries and museums worldwide.

The center has also cleaned and restored about 330,000 books, manuscripts, and documents, reinforcing its position as a key scientific and cultural platform for future generations.

“What King Faisal began five decades ago with the Institute of Arabic Manuscripts is now being continued by his sons and grandsons with modern awareness and cultural dedication,” Prince Turki said as he reflected on the Kingdom’s vision of knowledge and culture as pillars of progress.