Government data is no longer just a vehicle for transparency—it is currency. Companies that can transform this raw data into actionable insights will create future value. Across the Arab world, several governments—especially in the Gulf and North Africa—have begun granting access to their databases. This can include anything from population statistics to transport and property records.
While these initiatives are at an early stage, the potential for economic returns is vast. In recent years, the thinking around government data has changed dramatically. Statistics that once lay dormant in bureaucratic archives is now seen as a strategic economic asset capable of driving industry, enhancing decision-making, and strengthening transparency in public governance.
Saudi Arabia, for instance, has developed a national data platform to increase openness and coverage, as highlighted in the 2024 Open Data Inventory report. As the world heads into 2026, the shift towards a knowledge-based economy is gathering pace. Companies that invest now in analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and data integration are powering Saudi Arabia’s data revolution, one that is expansive, rapid, and profitable.
Similarly, the United Arab Emirates has launched Bayanat, a centralised government portal offering a wide array of economic and social datasets, while Egypt maintains a central repository of publications from its Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics, frequently utilised by researchers and private sector actors.
Data generating value
Realising the full economic potential of open data demands advanced analytics, robust cloud infrastructure, clear quality standards, accurate valuation metrics, and an active marketplace for services built upon such data. The OECD, a group of developed nations, has highlighted the importance of methodological frameworks and policy support to measure the economic value of data and enable meaningful comparisons across different national contexts.
In business services and analytics, startups and enterprises are using open data to forecast real estate demand, analyse tourist flows in major cities, and create platforms that allow foreign investors to evaluate opportunities based on employment and consumer spending. Data is also aiding efficiency, with resources being distributed more effectively, and transport systems planned with greater precision.
Technology firms are developing products based on government datasets, such as mapping tools, statistical indicators, weather information, and trade registries. More widely, publishing contract and tender data is increasing competition and reducing corruption, helping to cut public expenditure. In Europe and elsewhere, systematic data publication not only stimulates the emergence of new sectors and services, but makes government spending more efficient.
In Saudi Arabia, a unified national platform for government data has been launched as part of a broader strategy to improve transparency and openness, encompassing data and AI. In the UAE, portals managed by government ministries make economic statistics and investment indicators publicly available. Egypt maintains a central index of census and statistical data. This is frequently consulted by researchers and policymakers to inform decisions in sectors such as healthcare and transport.
While these examples suggest an advanced digital infrastructure, there are also challenges, notably the need to improve data quality and reliability, and to cultivate ecosystems that support the systematic and commercial use of public data. Studies show that this adds value. One study, by the UK’s Open Data Institute, found that the open release of public-sector data creates more economic value than monetising it. The estimated benefit of open-access datasets could be up to 0.5% of GDP annually.
Input and output
The World Bank has noted that the scale of such benefits varies by country, depending on data quality and institutional integrity. Nations with well-developed institutions and advanced data infrastructures are more likely to convert open data into viable businesses and services. Conversely, countries with weaker systems see limited returns unless data quality and accessibility are improved.
Bank reports also show that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing economies frequently rely on government data for product development, particularly in sectors such as transport, real estate, and agriculture. The UAE’s Bayanat and UAE Numbers platforms have been incorporated into broader policy frameworks partly to support digital entrepreneurship.
