The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), in cooperation with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), organized the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) E-Government Digital Workshop 2023, on 7 - 8 March 2023, at Marsa Malaz Kempinski Hotel, in the presence of international experts in the digital economy field, and several ICT specialists, UN representatives, and government officials from the MENA region.

The Workshop focused on the E-Services Index of the UN e-Government Survey, composed of five pillars: Institutional Framework, Online Service, Content Provision, Technology, and E-Participation. The UNDESA also presented global trends affecting digital transformation and emerging technologies related to those pillars.

The Workshop also addressed issues related to the different challenges that face the least developing countries, emerging countries, and developed countries, such as the value of reliable government open data. This provides a better experience for the evaluation process and the classifications of the UN e-Government Survey, and the importance of supporting countries in improving the means to meet the needs of their people from the technology sector.

In addition, the Workshop sought to provide a platform through which various voices can promote the UN E-Government Survey in the future and exchange successful global, regional, and national practices in the digital government, e-government, and information technology fields. In addition, it provides the establishing partnerships with other participating countries different digital tools, applications, products, and strategies, to meet the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Furthermore, the Workshop provided the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs with a better understanding of the processes and goals of the UN E-Government Survey of national and regional issues facing the countries of the MENA region. It paved the way for the participating countries to facilitate cooperation with the management of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) regarding the three leading indicators of the United Nations E-Government Survey represented in the Online Service Index, the Telecommunications Infrastructure Index, and the Human Capital Index.

The Workshop was concluded with discussions that included the possibility of exchanging information and experiences of UNDESA from the E-Government Survey with participants to enhance the provision of e-services to each country, improve access to information, content, and government open data, as well as meet the challenges accepted by the UN Member States through their pledge to achieve SDGs 2030.