دراسة العلاقة بين تكنولوجيا المعلومات و الاتصالات و النمو الاقتصادي في الدول العربية

Abstract EN

The present article aimed at examining the dynamic relationships between foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, information and communication technologies and economic growth in (15) Arab countries over the period 1995-2019.

Besides the significant economic implications of FDI inflows, several studies also document that advances in information and communication technology (ICT) play a crucial role in promoting economic growth in developing economies, implying that ICT should be integrated into a broad relationship between FDI and economic growth.

Many economic theories as well as different international experiences suggest that FDI and ICT are also linked in different ways.

In this context, we selected a sample of (15) Arab countries to participate in some advanced econometric studies using World Bank data (2020).

We have addressed ICT based on three indicators: percentage of Internet users, number of mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 persons, and number of fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 persons.

The results of the estimation of the panel ARDL model revealed that ICT and FDI have a significant positive effect on economic growth in the long run, and ICT indicators have also a positive impact on FDI inflows in the long run in the selected sample of Arab countries.

Therefore, the Arab countries should further improve information and communication technology as an important infrastructure for receiving more foreign direct investment inflows and for better economic growth.