RIYADH: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has maintained its position as the highest-ranked country in the Middle East and North Africa in the 2025 Government Electronic and Mobile Services Maturity Index, issued by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.
Saudi Arabia secured first place for the fourth consecutive year, with the highest maturity rate of 99 percent.
Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Suwaiyan, governor of the Digital Government Authority, said this achievement reflects the unwavering support provided by Saudi leadership to the digital government ecosystem in developing an integrated government model that places beneficiaries at the center of its services, enhances the competitiveness of the national economy, and improves government performance in line with a sustainable approach.
Al-Suwaiyan added that this achievement mirrors the significant efforts exerted by government entities to develop procedures and digital platforms while adopting emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, leading to the positioning of the Kingdom as a global model for business efficiency and digital economy competitiveness in line with the Vision 2030 objectives.
Saudi Arabia topped the index that covered 17 countries based on the maturity assessment of 100 government services of priority. These services are provided to individuals and the business sector through digital platforms and smart applications. The assessment was based on three sub-indicators, with the Kingdom scoring 100 percent in Service Availability and Development, 99 percent in Service Usage and User Satisfaction, and 100 percent in Public Access to Services.
In civil services, digital platforms have streamlined the issuance of official documents, including passport and national ID renewals and birth registrations, among other services. Digital services enabled beneficiaries to complete various procedures online with ease in the justice sector, facilitated remote medical appointments and improved efficient access to healthcare in the healthcare sector, and accelerated procedures and enhanced transaction processing efficiency in the customs clearance sector.
Topping GEMS Index builds on a series of strong performances by the Kingdom in international indices.
Most recently, Saudi Arabia ranked second worldwide in the 2025 GovTech Maturity Index released by the World Bank, covering 197 countries. Furthermore, Riyadh was selected to serve as the headquarters of the Global Center for Digital Government in partnership with the United Unions, to strengthen research and innovation capacities and promote international cooperation. Together, all these results underscore the Kingdom’s leading position in digital government and government services development, in support of the sustainable development goals.
