Internet and the Arab World: Understanding theKey Issues and Overcoming the Barriers

The evolution of the Internet is affecting many nations around the world and forcing changes to business and socioeconomicdevelopment plans. It has major implications for the realization of the concept of globalization. The Arab world asdeveloping countries with an economy in transition, has been investing in building its communications infrastructure andadopting the use of the Internet since 1995 as a vital tool for development. This paper will provide a deeper understanding ofthe key issues surrounding the Internet use in the Arab world with a focus on the challenges faced that relate to a number ofsocial, technological, financial and legal issues. There are a number of suggested solutions and recommendations having todo with collaboration between the governments and the private sectors in each country and between the specializedinstitutions within the Arabian countries to diffuse the use of the Internet in the Arab world