E-government and digital transaction costs in the context of cybersecurity maturity: A comparative approach to Arab countries (2005-2023)

This research examines the correlation between e-government advancement and digital transaction expenses in Arab nations, highlighting the influence of cybersecurity maturity as a moderating factor. The analysis employs panel data from twenty Arab League member states spanning 2005 to 2023, incorporating the United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI) and the International Telecommunication Union’s Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) as principal indicators. A two-way fixed-effects model is utilized to examine whether cybersecurity maturity enhances the efficiency improvements of digital governance. Results show that e-government development cuts down on the costs of searching for information, negotiating, and enforcing rules. This relationship, on the other hand, gets a lot stronger in places where cybersecurity frameworks are well- established and trustworthy. The results show that digital transformation and cyber resilience go hand in hand, and that for digitalization to be sustainable, investments in both cybersecurity capacity building and regulatory coherence must be made at the same time. Policy suggestions call for a coordinated approach to speed up e-government and improve cybersecurity maturity in order to create safe, low-cost digital economies.