DIGITALIZATION PROCESSES IN WESTERN ASIAN COUNTRIES

Abstract

The relevance of the topic is predetermined, on the one hand, by the strengthening of the global trend of digitalization, and, on the other, by the need for individual countries and regions of the developing world to intensify their efforts in the field of the digital economy in order to diversify production and foreign trade. The process under study is considered as one of the opportunities for the transformation of the hydrocarbon specialization of most countries in Western Asia, the development of new high-tech and advanced industries based on regional cooperation and interaction with third countries. An important goal of the digital transformation of the countries of Western Asia remains the need to stabilize national socioeconomic development and reduce dependence on the volatility of the world oil market. In addition, according to the author, the experience of oil-producing and oil-exporting countries of Western Asia in the field of digitalization can be adapted for other resource-rich countries of the world, including the Russian Federation. The purpose of the article is to analyze current trends in the development of digitalization in the Middle East countries, as well as new opportunities opening up to their socio-economic systems. The article substantiates the necessity and possibility of digitalization, shows its main directions in the group of countries under consideration. Based on the analysis, the author argues the point of view that the introduction of digital technologies in Western Asia can bring huge social and economic benefits and contribute to the emergence of new jobs in a region with a high birth rate.