A report by PwC urges governments to ‘support and empower’ its young people to lead data economies by engaging them through participatory tools

The new age of data abundance must be shared equally or vast swathes of the Middle East region will face ‘data inequalities’, warns a new report from PwC.

“By engaging with youth as present and future drivers of data economies, governments can ensure that the rewards of the data revolution reach everyone in society,” the management consulting firm said in its ‘Building the Data Economies of the Future’ paper, which was produced in conjunction with Dubai’s World Government Summit.

According to Mona Abou Hana, partner at PwC Middle East and one of the report’s authors, every government in the region ‘can and should’ be promoting the promise of data-driven economies.

“The ultimate goal is a more level digital playing field, where no one is denied the opportunity to benefit from a data-rich world and involving young people must lie at the heart of the response,” said Mona Abou Hana.

The report pointed out that ‘disrupting the education system’ is a must for cultivating a data economy.

“Governments have recognised the need to move towards innovative educational models. Yet such reforms generally do not go far enough in disrupting traditional education systems in preparation for a data economy and in providing all young people with the digital skills and opportunities to build and benefit from the data economies of the future,” it said.

Written by Mona Abou Hana, partner at PwC Middle East
Image: Mona Abou Hana
Publication date: 2019
Source: Arabian Business

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