Arifah Sharifuddin
Ms. Arifah Sharifuddin is the Head of Digital Tourism at the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), a public entity under the Ministry of Communications & Digital Malaysia. A graduate of Massey University, New Zealand, Arifah is a forward-thinking leader who focuses on creating and implementing national-level programs for digital adoption and ecosystem development.
In her role, she oversees the growth of Digital Tourism as a key sector within the Malaysia Digital initiative. She works closely with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture (MOTAC), its agencies, and various public and private sector stakeholders to enhance the resilience and progress of Malaysia’s tourism industry. Beyond fostering the development of digital tourism products, Arifah also leads DE Rantau, Malaysia’s digital nomad program, which aims to position the country as the preferred digital nomad hub in ASEAN. Before this, she led other key initiatives at MDEC, such as digital government transformation, the Sharing Economy, and digital agriculture.
Before joining MDEC, Arifah gained over 15 years of experience across various corporate sectors. Her diverse background spans corporate philanthropy, financial and project management, systems analysis, customer experience, and business development. She is a strong advocate of evidence-based and interdisciplinary approaches, recognizing the important contributions of science, the humanities, and the arts in driving national development.