The activities of the regional workshop on e-commerce and digital economy statistics commenced on Monday, organized by the Statistical Centre for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC-Stat).
The event brings together representatives from the GCC General Secretariat, national statistical agencies, ministries of commerce, central banks, and other government bodies across the GCC countries.
The two-day workshop aims to strengthen national statistical capacities in collecting and analyzing data related to e-commerce and the digital economy, ultimately supporting data-driven economic policymaking and advancing GCC statistical integration.
Intisar bint Abdullah Al Wahabi, Director-General of the GCC-Stat, noted that recent years have witnessed rapid changes in the global economic landscape driven by the rise of e-commerce, which is becoming a key engine of the digital economy. She highlighted that the Gulf region has experienced fast-paced growth in this area, fueled by advanced digital infrastructure, a young population, and the adoption of national digital transformation strategies.
She cited UNCTAD reports indicating that global e-commerce sales exceeded $27 trillion in 2022, a nearly 60 percent increase since 2016. Regionally, the GCC e-commerce market is expected to reach $33.3 billion in 2025 and $46.1 billion by 2029, reflecting an annual growth rate of 10 percent.
Al Wahaibi stressed that while this digital boom offers many benefits, it also presents challenges in accurately and effectively measuring such rapidly evolving activity. She emphasised the growing need for reliable, timely data to assess e-commerce’s contribution to GDP, monitor the digital divide, and support sound economic policymaking.
She also explained that the GCC Committee for Commercial Cooperation has tasked the Statistical Centre with developing an integrated mechanism for building e-commerce indicators, publishing information, and enhancing transparency. This effort forms part of the executive plan for achieving the strategic objectives of the GCC’s unified framework for e-commerce.
Dr. Hajar El Haddaoui, Director-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, affirmed that digital data has become the cornerstone for policymaking, sustainable development, and enabling individuals and businesses to participate effectively in the digital space.
The first session of the workshop introduced the concept of measuring e-commerce and the digital economy. It explained that measuring e-commerce, essential for understanding the sector and crafting effective economic and trade policies, involves collecting and analyzing data on commercial activities conducted via electronic channels.
Measuring the digital economy involves systematically assessing the various components of technology-driven economic activity. This includes digital infrastructure, software, artificial intelligence applications, digital platforms, and ICT-based job roles.
The session also addressed the importance of measuring e-commerce and the digital economy in the GCC, the operational definitions of both concepts, and the role of measurement in supporting policy development, economic diversification, and regional cooperation.
The second session reviewed the GCC Statistical Centre’s project on e-commerce and the digital economy. This initiative aims to enhance the quality of digital and economic data across GCC countries by establishing a unified statistical foundation for e-commerce and digital economy metrics.
The project is expected to improve coordination among member states and develop indicators based on established international standards.
