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The Tracker Culture & Public Policy | Special Issue n°2 : Regional Perspectives | Arab States
The digital transformation has been a concern for many Arab States in recent years, particularly regarding heritage. During the Arab States Regional Consultation for MONDIACULT 2022, the role of digital technologies was cited particularly for the digitalisation of archives to support cultural institutions, including libraries, in the preservation of the knowledge and of documentary heritage. However, there was also agreement that the COVID-19 pandemic had accelerated the digital transformation of the creative sector and that the development of the sector and the digital transformation need to be addressed simultaneously through national institutions. Participants advocated for the development of new cultural policies with long-term cultural projects that reduce of the digitalisation gap and ensure equitable access to culture, as well as disseminate a wider diversity of cultural products. Furthermore, there was a call to extend legislation related to the protection the creators’ intellectual property and copyright within the region, particularly in the digital environment. One of the recommendations for regional inter-governmental organizations was to financially support countries to migrate cultural products to online platforms.
Everything linked to the digital transformation changes the equation; we have not yet absorbed the new opportunities in terms of developing policies which utilize culture as a vehicle for change. Culture represents a percentage of GDP and can be used to develop our resources, so when we talk about the digital transformation we need to talk about these new fields and how culture cuts across all industries…The State must encourage and support innovation in the private sector. We must raise awareness in governments about these developments and innovate to raise budgets for cultural activities.”
