Saudi Arabia rises to 4th position globally in UN e-government index

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's flag

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has jumped 25 places in the UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI) 2024. It was ranked fourth globally, first regionally, and second among Group of Twenty (G20) countries in the digital services index.

Additionally, it secured the seventh position in the e-participation index, while the city of Riyadh ranked third among 193 cities worldwide.

Minister of Communications and Information Technology and Chairman of the Digital Government Authority Abdullah bin Amer Alswaha stated that this leap and the historic ranking of Saudi Arabia reflects the plans and programs of Saudi Vision 2030 and enhances the role of Saudi Arabia as an effective and influential leader in the digital economy at both the regional and global levels. He affirmed Saudi Arabia’s determination to move forward in its journey of leadership and innovation towards a national economy based on innovation.

The report praised Saudi Arabia’s significant development in the field of digital government, achieving the sixth position globally. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has seen quality investments since the launch of Saudi Vision 2030, jumping 53 places in the Telecommunications Infrastructure Index (TII). It also made notable progress in the Human Capital Index (HCI), advancing 31 places.

The report highlighted the Online Service Index (OSI) and the qualitative leap of Saudi Arabia by 67 places, positioning it in the fourth position globally in 2024. Additionally, the maturity of digital government regulations reached 100%, and the accessibility and sharing of open government data for citizens and business sectors also reached 100%. Saudi Arabia advanced by 60 places in e-participation and consultations directed at individuals and business sectors. The EGDI, published every two years, has been one of the most important international indicators for over 20 years. It reflects the impact of structural reforms on increasing productivity, enhancing efficiency, and improving the experience through the development of digital governments in UN member states. The sub-indexes in the report serve as a fundamental reference for measuring government performance among all countries worldwide.