Building on connectivity to transform financial inclusion in Arab countries Leora KlapperAndrej Popovic June 22, 2026 This page in: English

https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/arabvoices/building-on-connectivity-to-transform-financial-inclusion-in-ara?cid=ECR_E_NewsletterWeekly_EN_EXT&deliveryName=DM284755 A new Global Findex Note, “Digital Connectivity and Financial Inclusion in Arab Countries”, reviews the region’s progress on financial inclusion, assesses financial vulnerabilities, and identifies pathways to build greater economic resilience — drawing on the latest evidence from the Global Findex 2025. High connectivity rates are not yet enabling high financial inclusion in Arab countries Across the low- and middle-income Arab economies in Africa and Asia, 90 percent of adults own a phone, higher than the world’s low- and middle-income average of 84 percent. In countries like Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon, high rates of smartphone ownership are driving higher than average internet use. Social media is popular, with nearly 60 percent of adults across the region engaging on these platforms. People also read news online, access learning materials, and increasingly use government services. The highest share of adults accessing online information to learn, train, or educate is in Lebanon and the West Bank.