Saudi Arabia leads the digital government revolution

Over the past few years, Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of the world’s most advanced digital governments, reshaping how public services are designed, delivered, and experienced, and setting a new global benchmark for digital governance.

The Kingdom’s digital transformation journey began in 2005 with the launch of the Yesser eGovernment Program, in cooperation with the National Center for Archives and Records. 

The program laid the groundwork for modernizing government operations and connected 62 government entities to the National Unified Government Correspondence System, Morasalat. This was achieved through the integration of several key ministries and authorities, including economy and planning, culture, sport, and tourism, as well as the Capital Market Authority and the Saudi Export Development Authority.

Building on the cumulative successes of Yesser and the government’s shift toward electronic services, Saudi Arabia adopted an institutionalized approach to digital transformation to ensure sustainability and maximize impact. This led to the establishment of the Digital Government Authority in 2021 — a qualitative leap aimed at enhancing digital performance across government entities, improving public service quality, and elevating customer experience, in line with the ambitions of Vision 2030.

The DGA plays a central role in enabling government entities to deliver high-quality, efficient digital services that increase investment returns and enhance the value of the national economy. It also measures and assesses the digital capabilities and performance of entities to ensure beneficiary satisfaction and continuous improvement.

In coordination with relevant stakeholders, the authority developed the Kingdom’s Digital Government Strategy to achieve national objectives and position Saudi Arabia as a global leader in digital government. The strategy seeks to accelerate digital transformation while strengthening governance and regulatory frameworks, achieve excellence in digital services, and secure top rankings in international indicators. Beyond regulation, the DGA aspires to enable a proactive digital government capable of delivering highly efficient services and ensuring seamless integration across entities.

From ranking 49th globally based on 2020 data, to third in 2022, and now first in 2025, Saudi Arabia’s rise in the GovTech Maturity Index reaffirms its position as one of the world’s leading countries in digital transformation and innovation.

Talat Zaki Hafiz

At its core, digital government in Saudi Arabia leverages information and communication technologies, systems, platforms, and portals to enhance access to government information and services, while maximizing quality and security. It also promotes community participation, supports the development of administrative and operational processes, and adopts innovative business models and flexible policies that foster transformation and excellence.

As a result, the Kingdom now provides more than 3,500 digital government services through 530 platforms and portals, reflecting the scale and effectiveness of its digital government strategy in expanding access, quality, and integration.

These efforts culminated in a historic achievement in 2025, when Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in the World Bank’s GovTech Maturity Index, out of 197 countries, with results announced in Washington on Dec. 18, 2025. The Kingdom was classified within the “Very Advanced” category, with an overall score of 99.64 percent — underscoring excellence in digital infrastructure, core government systems, service delivery, and citizen engagement.

The GTMI results highlight Saudi Arabia’s leadership across all sub-indicators, with scores of 99.92 percent in Core Government Systems, 99.90 percent in Public Service Delivery, 99.30 percent in Digital Citizen Engagement, and 99.50 percent in GovTech Enablers. This balanced performance clearly reflects the maturity and strength of the Kingdom’s digital government ecosystem.

Commenting on the milestone, DGA Gov. Ahmed bin Mohammed Alsuwaiyan said national teams have re-engineered government services and built advanced digital infrastructure to achieve this global position. He reaffirmed that the authority will continue to strengthen innovation and enhance the quality of digital products in support of the national economy and the objectives of Vision 2030.

In sum, Saudi Arabia’s steady advancement in digital government since the launch of Vision 2030 places people at the heart of transformation — delivering high-quality services to citizens and residents, enhancing user experience, and improving government efficiency. This progress has been driven by deep integration across government entities, comprehensive digital system development, and the adoption of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

From ranking 49th globally based on 2020 data, to third in 2022, and now first in 2025, Saudi Arabia’s rise in the GovTech Maturity Index reaffirms its position as one of the world’s leading countries in digital transformation and innovation.

• Talat Zaki Hafiz is an economist and financial analyst. X: @TalatHafiz