Bridging the digital divide, we need a smarter approach to data literacy and skills

Bridging the digital divide, we need a smarter approach to data literacy and skills

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Throughout the entire history of humankind, there has never been an information explosion like the present. Data is all around us, and it’s playing a pivotal, ever-growing role in our lives and livelihoods - even if we don’t always realise it.

The past year and a half in particular has thrust data into the limelight, with scientists and government officials alike making pandemic-related decisions based on the evidence of data. But it’s infiltrated business too, with companies collecting more data than ever before as they race to transform their organisations and adopt data-driven strategies.

Even in our personal lives, much of what we touch now automatically generates data - spurred by the rise of smartphones, sensors, connected vehicles and appliances, among other digital artifacts. Yet, one has to question if we truly understand data and how best to wield it, which becomes ever more pressing in the wake of the looming digital skills shortage across the region.

The state of affairs in the UAE and the Middle East

There is a colossal transition to and increasing dependence on digital transformation in nearly all sectors and industries across the board. The UAE, a country that predominantly relied on gas and oil to