Culture and media
Promote Arabic cultural and media content on the Internet.
The media (including print, broadcast, and new media) plays a crucial role in the development of the information society. It should be utilized to bridge the knowledge gap and facilitate the flow of information and knowledge, especially in rural areas. The role of the media in preserving cultural identity and promoting linguistic diversity should be strengthened, especially by increasing the volume of Arab cultural and media content on the Internet.
Targets
5.1.1
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Increase the volume of Arabic cultural and media content on the Internet.
This indicator represents the percentage of digital content in Arabic on the Internet out of the total digital content in all other languages. Digital Arabic content is defined as any content that is digitally available in Arabic on the Internet. It includes websites, portals and e-services as well as audio and video content. It also includes open-source software, databases and products that promote Arabic language functions and tools, such as Arabic interfaces including word processing software, trading software in Arabic, speech and character recognition software, search and translation engines, etc.
Not yet determined. This indicator will be developed in collaboration with partners and stakeholders involved in the ADA development and implementation.
Not yet determined.
5.1.2
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Increase the percentage of web pages in Arabic.
This indicator shows the percentages of websites that provide content in different languages. W3Techs, a division of Q-Success for web-based services, conducts technical surveys of the world’s websites to extract the percentage of websites in the majority of world languages. As part of the survey, a website is relevant if it includes some meaningful content or functionality. The survey excludes websites that do not contain useful content, such as those that only display the default web server page. It also excludes websites that are primarily duplicates of other sites. It includes websites, not individual web pages. Subdomains are not considered separate sites. For example, sub1.example.com and sub2.example.com are the same because the two sites belong to the same root site, which is example.com.
Baseline value: 1 per cent of websites provide Arabic content (as of 3 October 2022).
- Long-term target value: Double the percentage of websites that provide content in the Arabic language.
Proposed actions to achieve Goal 5.1
Work to establish an Arabic digital library available on the Internet.
Organize national and regional competitions to promote digital Arabic content.
Develop applications that use new approaches (gamification & monetization) as they provide opportunities to enhance Arabic cultural and media content.
- Create a framework for measuring digital Arabic content on the Internet.
Activate registration of domain names in Arabic and promote their acceptance.
Activating and promoting the adoption of Arabic domain name registration is crucial for enhancing the presence of Arabic digital content online. Over the past decade, significant efforts have been made to incorporate the Arabic script into domain names as a means of overcoming accessibility barriers for Arabic content on the Internet. While many country-code top-level domains have been registered in Arabic, their usage has been very limited compared to their Latin script counterparts. There are no existing studies on the reasons behind the low adoption of Arabic domain names, but it is certain that one key factor is the lack of support by applications, especially e-mail clients. Therefore, it is necessary to support global initiatives for universal acceptance, which aim to promote support for different script-based domain names. Additionally, launching national programmes to support the universal acceptance and use of Arabic domain names and email addresses is imperative.
Targets
5.2.1
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Register top-level domains in Arabic for all Arab countries.
The country code top-level domains (ccTLDs)in Arabic refer to top-level domains that are used or written in Arabic script, such as السعودية. (.saudi arabia).
Baseline value: 15 countries.
Medium-term target value: All Arab countries have Arabic country code top-level domains.
5.2.2
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Increase the number of domain names for each country in Arabic.
Not defined yet.
Not available.
Baseline value: To be determined.
- Long-term target value: Double the percentage of domain names registered in Arabic in all countries.
Proposed actions to achieve Goal 5.2
Encourage countries to complete the procedures for registering their country code top-level domains in Arabic.
Work to increase accredited domain registrars in the Arab region.
Activate the registration of Arabic country code top-level domains as well as of public domains.
Support global efforts for universal acceptance aimed at enhancing support from various applications to internationalized (non-Latin) domain names.
- Launch national programmes to support the universal acceptance and use of domain names and e-mail addresses in Arabic.
Achieve convergence between ICT and the media.
Achieving convergence between ICT and the media by increasing national readiness for the convergence of television, the Internet and the telephone strengthens knowledge-based societies. This is evident in various aspects, including in the development of strategies for the convergence between ICT and the media; the updating of legislation and legal texts related to online publishing, especially those related to public communication and intellectual property rights; and the issuance of regulations and licenses necessary to enable access to media content via telecommunications networks or TV content via the Internet.
This convergence between ICT and the media maximizes the role of knowledge-based societies in several ways, including by improving access to information, knowledge and content through multiple channels; enhancing communication and interaction in society; providing innovative educational content; enhancing social awareness and participation in social issues; and encouraging innovation and participation through digital communication platforms.
Targets
5.3.1
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Develop strategies to achieve convergence between ICT and the media in Arab countries.
Not defined yet.
Not available.
Baseline value: Unmeasured.
Long-term target value: All countries.
5.3.2
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Establish technological platforms specialized in providing access to media content.
Not defined yet.
Not available.
Baseline value: Unmeasured.
Long-term target value: All countries.
5.3.3
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Complete laws related to publishing on the Internet, especially those related to communication with the public and intellectual property rights.
Not defined yet.
Not available.
Baseline value: Unmeasured.
Long-term target value: All countries.
5.3.4
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Issue the necessary regulations and licenses to provide access to media content via telecommunication networks, through collaboration between telecommunications regulatory authorities and media regulators.
Not defined yet.
Not available.
Baseline value: Unmeasured.
Long-term target value: All countries.
Proposed actions to achieve Goal 5.3
Formulate and implement official ICT and media convergence strategies.
Build specialized platforms to provide dual or triple access services to media content.
Prepare a guiding document on laws related to Internet publishing issues.
Draft a guiding document on the communications licensing system that allows access to media content.
- Develop an Arab guiding model for ICT and media convergence strategies.
Maximize the benefits of social media while reducing its potential negative impacts.
Social media plays a significant role in raising awareness and building the information society. It can be used to preserve the cultural identity of individuals and ethnic and cultural groups, and to promote countries’ linguistic diversity.
There is a general consensus on the benefits of social media in terms of accelerating social interaction, exchanging information, identifying local problems, finding suitable solutions, and fostering knowledge and creativity. However, it is essential to acknowledge the challenges and risks associated with social media use, which necessitate a balanced approach and measures to mitigate potential negative impacts.
It is important to note the growing influence of social media platforms that prioritize user engagement and revenue generation through targeted advertising and promotional campaigns. Numerous pages engage in some form of media activity without adhering to established journalistic standards or relevant regulations.
Targets
5.4.1
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Develop specialized websites and platforms to detect fake news in Arab countries.
Not defined yet.
Not available.
Baseline value: Unmeasured.
- Target value: Determined later after the first measurement.
Proposed actions to achieve Goal 5.4
Launch awareness-raising initiatives and programmes to benefit from social media and reduce its negative impacts.
Develop awareness-raising programmes to address the missuse of ICT such as deepfakes and social engineering.
- Strengthen regional cooperation to develop a unified methodology for handling offensive content on social media.