Saudi Arabia tops region in digital government services

Al-Eqtisadiah from Riyadh

Thursday, 23 July 2026 13:8 | 2 minutes read

Saudi Arabia topped the Middle East and North Africa in the 2025 E-Government and Mobile Government Services Maturity Index, maintaining first place for the fourth consecutive time, with a maturity rate of 99%.

The index, issued by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), measured 17 countries and was based on assessing the maturity of 100 priority government services provided to individuals and businesses through digital platforms and smart applications, according to three sub-indices: Saudi Arabia scored 100% in the 'Service Availability and Development' index, 99% in the 'Service Usage and User Satisfaction' index, and 100% in the 'Reaching the Public' index.

Engineer Ahmed Al-Suwayan, Governor of the Digital Government Authority, confirmed that Saudi Arabia's top ranking in the overall index reflects the leadership's support for the digital government system in developing an integrated government model that places the beneficiary at the center of attention, enhances the competitiveness of the national economy, and raises government performance efficiency in a sustainable manner. He pointed out that this achievement translates the efforts made by government entities in developing procedures and platforms and adopting emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, making Saudi Arabia a global model to be emulated in business efficiency and digital economy competitiveness, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

Thu, 18 2025

This progress reflects the continuous development of digital government services in vital sectors. In the civil services sector, digital platforms have facilitated the issuance of official documents, such as passport renewal, national ID, birth registration, and others. Judicial services have enabled beneficiaries to complete many procedures electronically with ease. In the health sector, digital services have contributed to remote health appointments and easier access to medical services with higher efficiency. Digital solutions in the customs clearance sector have accelerated procedures and increased the efficiency of transactions. This is due to the development of an advanced government digital infrastructure, enhancing service integration among government entities, raising digital inclusiveness and accessibility for people with disabilities, along with utilizing data, emerging technologies, and artificial intelligence to provide more efficient, proactive, and reliable services for citizens, residents, and visitors, while enhancing access security and digital channels to ensure safe and accessible government services for beneficiaries.

This achievement extends a series of advanced results that Saudi Arabia has achieved in international indicators. The most recent was achieving second place globally in the 2025 Digital Government Maturity Index issued by the World Bank Group, which included an assessment of 197 countries. In addition, Riyadh was selected as the headquarters for the Global Digital Government Center in partnership with the United Nations to enable research and innovation capabilities and enhance international cooperation, reflecting Saudi Arabia's advanced position in the fields of digital government and government service development, in realization of sustainable development goals.

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