Measuring the Role of Technology and Information Systems in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Middle Eastern Countries
TL;DR
It is argued that relative indices, absolute ICT statistics, and econometric elasticities should not be combined into a single digital-contribution score as a more transparent basis for assessing digitalization and achieve the SDGs.
Abstract
This study examines how the contribution of technology and information systems to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Middle Eastern countries is measured across different evidence systems. Rather than estimating a new country-level regression, the study compares three measurement layers: composite digital-government indices, absolute ICT indicators, and published econometric estimates linking ICT variables with sustainability outcomes. The analysis maps these layers to SDG 16 (institutions), SDG 9 (infrastructure), SDG 5 (gender equality), and SDG 13 (climate action), and compares the direction of reported environmental effects across studies. The results show a substantial digital-government gap between GCC countries and the remaining Arab countries, a persistent gap between network coverage and actual internet use, and a gender disparity in internet use. Environmental findings are the least stable because the sign of the relationship changes with the ICT variable, time horizon, estimator, and environmental proxy. The study therefore argues that relative indices, absolute ICT statistics, and econometric elasticities should not be combined into a single digital-contribution score. A measurement protocol that keeps these layers separate is proposed as a more transparent basis for assessing digitalization and achieve the SDGs.