Internet and the Arab World: Understanding the Key Issues and Overcoming the Barriers

Wasfi Alrawabdeh
Kent Business School, University of Kent, UK

Abstract: The evolution of the Internet is affecting many nations around the world and forcing changes to business and socio-economic development plans. It has major implications for the realization of the concept of globalization. The Arab world as developing countries with an economy in transition, has been investing in building its communications infrastructure and adopting the use of the Internet since 1995 as a vital tool for development. This paper will provide a deeper understanding of the key issues surrounding the Internet use in the Arab world with a focus on the challenges faced that relate to a number of social, technological, financial and legal issues. There are a number of suggested solutions and recommendations having to do with collaboration between the governments and the private sectors in each country and between the specialized institutions within the Arabian countries to diffuse the use of the Internet in the Arab world.

Keywords: Internet, infrastructure, barriers, digital divide, Arab world