This edited volume explores the prospects for entrepreneurship and digital transformation across the Persian Gulf and Arabian Gulf (Red Sea) economies. Through in-depth scholarly discussions, it highlights the significance of these twin forces in shaping economic and social development within a region that occupies a critical position in global trade and international interdependence.

Chapter contributions to this volume investigate diverse themes relevant to digital and entrepreneurial ecosystems in the PGAG (Persian Gulf and Arabian Gulf) region. Topics include: consumer adoption of contactless payments; government initiatives supporting digital readiness; the role of emerging technologies in entrepreneurship education; challenges in digital entrepreneurship; comparative analyses of artificial intelligence practices; the impact of digital transformation on youth entrepreneurship; bibliometric insights into digital sports marketing; and sociological analyses of social exploitation and agency.

Together, these chapters offer a comprehensive and interdisciplinary understanding of how entrepreneurship and digital transformation can advance regional development, economic resilience, and global partnership. As such it will be of particular interest to students and scholars in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation, development economics, Middle Eastern politics, and political economy, as well as practitioners and policymakers interested in strengthening entrepreneurial systems, advancing economic diversification, and promoting social inclusion in an era of rapid technological change.

Nezameddin Faghih is an UNESCO Chair Professor Emeritus, and the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research (Springer). He has published more than 70 books and 100 fully refereed research articles, and presented more than 120 invited talks in academia, industry, and professional meetings.
Ebrahim Bonyadi is an applied statistician in the areas of business and economics, and is an independent researcher, whose scholarly research focuses on factors influencing entrepreneurship, business and economic growth. He has published 3 books and several fully refereed research articles on entrepreneurship since 2017. 
Lida Sarreshtehdari is an applied statistician focusing on entrepreneurship, with expertise in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) dataset. She is a researcher at the Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran (Iran). She has published 3 books, several fully refereed research articles and reports on domestic entrepreneurship since 2011.