Global launch of ‘FREI 2023’ emphasises importance of digital policies for future readiness

The 21st Doha Forum hosted the global launch of the third edition of the ‘Future Readiness Economic Index (FREI) 2023 Report’.Titled ‘Digital Policies are the Lynchpin of Future Readiness’, the report was commissioned by Google Cloud and prepared by the Descartes Institute for the Future, in collaboration with the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA). The report provides a global measurement of future readiness and digital transformation in 124 countries, evaluating key aspects of digital transformation, including relevant policies and regulations.The FREI Index serves as a crucial resource for governments, businesses, and analysts, offering comprehensive metrics to evaluate digital transformation readiness. The 2023 edition highlights global digital readiness with Singapore, Denmark, and Switzerland leading the pack, particularly noted for their achievements among smaller, developed economies.The top 10 performers include the US, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, the UK, and Australia, while Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, and Japan feature in the top 25. In ‘Digital Policies’, the UK, Australia, and Estonia stood out for their proficiency in ICT regulations, cybersecurity measures, and emerging technology policies.During the session ‘Building a Digital Economy: Is Your Country Future-Ready?’ held on the sidelines of Doha Forum, which showcased the unveiling of the FREI 2023 Report, HE the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohamed bin Ali al-Mannai initiated the session with a keynote address.The minister commended Qatar’s performance in the FREI 2023 Report, notably its eighth ranking in the ‘Digital Policy’ sub-pillar, as well as its standings in the ‘Physical Capital’ and ‘Competitiveness’ indicators. He highlighted how these achievements align with Qatar's forthcoming Digital Agenda 2030, demonstrating the nation’s commitment to digital governance. Moreover, he recognised the Middle East’s progression as a leading future-ready region.Moderated by CNBC anchor and correspondent Dan Murphy, the panel discussion brought together Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar and chairperson of the Revolutionary Council; Arnoldo André Tinoco, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica; Engineer Ahmad Abdulla al-Muslemani, president of CRA; Dr Bruno Lanvin, founder and president of the Descartes Institute for the Future and author of the report; Keyzom Ngodup Massally, head of Digital Programmes, Chief Digital Office at the UN Development Programme (UNDP); and Selim Eddé, director of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Emerging Markets at Google Cloud.The panel discussed the report’s findings, focusing on the necessity of combining traditional growth-promoting measures with forward-looking digital initiatives, the impetus for countries to shape their digital future, the link between future readiness and digital technology opportunities, and the crucial role of multilateralism in digital technology.Al-Muslemani lauded Qatar’s 10-year progress in digital policy as outlined in the report’s case study. He stated, "Our strong performance in the FREI 2023, particularly in AI regulation, cloud governance, and data privacy, is crucial for our national digital transformation endeavours.”Lanvin said, "Future-readiness should not be reduced to a competition among more technologically advanced economies. Governments, businesses and civil society at large should consider future-readiness as a global imperative. Making our planet more sustainable, less unequal and more peaceful is an urgent task, in which digital transformation has a central role to play.”Eddé said, "With the FREI’s coverage of 124 economies and the inclusion of a dedicated interactive online tool, policymakers and analysts can visualise what impact a targeted policy would have on the overall future readiness (and ranking) of their economy."The FREI 2023 report offers a roadmap towards sustainable and inclusive digital growth. FREI quantifies pillars of the Digital Sprinters Framework, which Google launched in 2020, and suggests that countries need to invest in key areas of physical infrastructure, human capital, state-of-the-art digital policies and government services to support their digital transformation journeys. Only then can countries benefit from the latest technologies such as AI and cloud and be future-ready.”The launch of FREI 2023 at the Doha Forum marks a pivotal step in understanding the influence of digital policies on global economic futures. The full report and its accompanying digital tool are available at https://futurereadinessindex.com/2023, providing invaluable insights into the digital readiness of nations.In addition, Qatar’s commitment to technological innovation and thought leadership is further exemplified by its selection to host the Web Summit in February 2024, a leading global technology conference, which will be hosted five times from 2024 to 2028. This summit supports Qatar’s goal to be a central hub for technological advancement and digital economy, aligning perfectly with the nation's forward-thinking digital strategy and economic diversification goals.