FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: EVIDENCE FROM GCC COUNTRIES

This paper studies the link between information and communication technology (ICT) diffusion, financial development and economic growth in the panel of 3 Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, namely, Oman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates from 2008 to 2021. Using the system GMM in a panel data analysis, we showed evidence of a positive association between financial development and economic growth. We also showed that ICT acted as a complement in the finance-growth relationship. The study recommends harmonizing public and private sector investments for a synergistic impact on ICT infrastructure and investing adequately in the financial system to promote economic growth in GCC countries. Economic policies would be approved to provide incentives and subsidies to guarantee affordable ICT services to disadvantaged peoples. In addition, training programs focused on improving digital literacy to enable all population groups to use digital platforms for financial services are recommended.