Open Government Data Requirements: An Approach to the Sustainability of Smart Cities in Egypt

The UN 2018 e-government Report "New global survey shows e-government supports transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies" offers a snapshot of trends in the development of e-government in countries across the globe. In light of the results of this report, the current study seeks to identify the open government data required for the sustainability of smart cities in the Arab Republic of Egypt, which help in applying the principle of disclosure and transparency in the Egyptian society. Adopting the descriptive approach, the survey was the data collection tool for this study. Some 70 experts (responsible for managing the digital content of the government) were directly chosen from several agencies specialized in information technology systems in the Arab Republic of Egypt. Based on the experts' opinions, the researcher identified (12) points, which, from his viewpoint, are among the most important work requirements on open government data to support smart cities in the Arab Republic of Egypt. This study concludes with key requirements for making open government data available, mainly: data protection against hacking, seizure, or destruction; formulating a policy guide, criteria standards, and enacting laws and legislations regulating the availability and deployment of government data. The study strongly recommends the establishment of a national Internet Platform for open data, research and development centers in each smart city for the optimal utilization of data, resources and capabilities in each city, and for supporting the public and private sectors to be creative and innovative in employing the open data.