JEDDAH: A Saudi water-related business mission, headed by Abdulrahman Jazzar of Abdulrahman A.B. Jazzar for Telecom & IT, Jeddah, recently toured Osaka and Tokyo.
In Osaka, the delegation visited Kubota Corporation’s Hirakata Plant (306,084 sqm), which manufactures valves, pumps (vertical and horizontal), steel casting, construction machine. They were briefed about the advanced technology on the effective use of energy. Kubota’s RO pump systems feature high efficiency, easy maintenance and high reliability, based on their technologies.
At Toray Industries’ Shiga Plant, the visitors were given a presentation on its products, RO/UF membrane and MBR (membrane bio-reactor) and its worldwide supply record.
The mission members discussed their products’ technical features and Saudi water quality.
The members next visited Toray Innovation Plaza, where they learned Toray’s various product lines and new products, including carbon textiles, plastics/chemical, films and materials for IT, and pharmaceutical equipment.
At the Toray Research Center (TRC), the visitors witnessed its engineers and experts doing surface, structural, material characterization, organic/inorganic and environmental analysis.
In Tokyo, the mission visited Yokohama’s Nishiya Water Purification Plant and Hokubu Sludge Treatment Center. In Nishiya, the mission members viewed examination of water leakage detection, utilizing conventional and mechanical equipment (demonstrated by Yokohama’s engineers), which were actually implemented out by Yokohama City’s Environmental Planning Bureau.
In Hokubu, the mission members learned the advanced technology of sludge treatment systems, which focused on the effective use of digestion gas for electricity and fuel, incinerated ash (for cement material and improved soil, and fuelization from sludge by a major Japanese municipality.
Saudi companies gave their presentations before participating in B2B meetings. They included Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden), SAWEA, Skado GOCSA, Abdulrahman A.B. Jazzar for Telecom & IT, Global Solution for Leak Free, Saudi Bio-Acids Company, BMS Factories, WETICO, AAHD ALTAWEER Trading & Construction, and Kindasa Water Services.
Saudi water mission tours Japan
Saudi water mission tours Japan
Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd globally in digital government, World Bank 2025 index shows
WASHINGTON: Saudi Arabia has achieved a historic milestone by securing second place worldwide in the 2025 GovTech Maturity Index released by the World Bank.
The announcement was made on Thursday during a press conference in Washington, DC, which evaluated 197 countries.
The Kingdom excelled across all sub-indicators, earning a 99.64 percent overall score and placing it in the “Very Advanced” category.
It achieved a score of 99.92 percent in the Core Government Systems Index, 99.90 percent in the Public Service Delivery Index, 99.30 percent in the Digital Citizen Engagement Index, and 99.50 percent in the Government Digital Transformation Enablers Index, reflecting some of the highest global scores.
This includes outstanding performance in digital infrastructure, core government systems, digital service delivery, and citizen engagement, among the highest globally.
Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Suwaiyan, governor of the Digital Government Authority, attributed this achievement to the unwavering support of the Saudi leadership, strong intergovernmental collaboration, and effective public-private partnerships.
He highlighted national efforts over recent years to re-engineer government services and build an advanced digital infrastructure, which enabled Saudi Arabia to reach this global standing.
Al-Suwaiyan emphasized that the Digital Government Authority continues to drive innovation and enhance the quality of digital services, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, supporting the national economy and consolidating the Kingdom’s transformation goals.
The 2025 GTMI data reflects Saudi Arabia’s excellence across key areas, including near-perfect scores in core government systems, public service delivery, digital citizen engagement, and government digital transformation enablers. This balanced performance places the Kingdom firmly in the “Grade A” classification for very advanced countries, demonstrating the maturity of its digital government ecosystem.
Saudi Arabia’s progress in the index has been remarkable: from 49th place in the 2020 edition, to third in 2022, and now second in 2025, confirming its status as a global leader in digital transformation and innovation.
The achievement also reflects the Kingdom’s focus on putting people at the center of digital transformation, enhancing user experience, improving government efficiency, and integrating artificial intelligence and emerging technologies across public services.
