Analyzing sustainability knowledge in the Arab world

Building sustainability knowledge on the web is a vital path towards surpassing the barriers that could hinder sustainable development in any country in general. This paper presents the results of examining digital sustainability knowledge in the Arab world. A thorough examination and statistical analysis were performed on sustainable development websites that exist in all Arab countries during a specific period of time. The Global System for Sustainable Development (GSSD) is the knowledge management system used to store the sustainability knowledge in the region. The system is designed to be used by decision makers, scientists, educators and knowledge seekers. The main strength of the system is that it points users to needed knowledge on sustainable development that exists on the web. The search engine is the main driver and speakers of different languages can use it. Results indicate that most of the Arab countries have the same sustainable knowledge profile by showing existing problems and not solutions. Most of the information deals with issues related to wars and conflicts, migration and dislocation, and unmet basic needs, which reflect the political and social situation in many Arab countries. The paper concludes with some recommendations on how to improve sustainability knowledge on the web in the region.