The Information Revolution in the Arab World: Commercial, Cultural and Political Dimensions

The Middle East Meets the Internet

C. Bryan Gabbard, George S. Park

Expert InsightsPublished 1996

The growth of the Internet has received much attention in recent years. Not surprisingly, most of the attention has focused on Internet growth in the United States, West Europe, and East Asia; after all, these regions have the highest levels of network use and the most lucrative markets. However, many recent developments indicate strong possibilities for Internet growth in the Middle East. In this paper, the authors examine the current and potential growth of the Internet inside that region. They begin by introducing some basic terms regarding the Internet, then draw comparisons and contrasts between networking in the Middle East and networking elsewhere. After this broad regional survey, the authors go on to consider the current status of Internet connectivity in detail in a sample of Middle Eastern countries. By setting this framework, they arrive at some notional predictions of how networking may proceed in the region.

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Gabbard, C. Bryan and George S. Park, The Information Revolution in the Arab World: Commercial, Cultural and Political Dimensions: The Middle East Meets the Internet. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1996. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P7920-1.html.
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