The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its leadership in the realm of digital governance, securing the highest rank in the Government Electronic and Mobile Service (GEMS) maturity index for 2023, as reported by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). This marks the second consecutive year the Kingdom has accomplished this noteworthy achievement, with an outstanding overall maturity score of 93%.
Eng. Ahmed Alsuwaiyan, the Digital Government Authority Governor, credits this success to the relentless dedication of government agencies to digital transformation and the consistent support from Saudi leadership. This triumph is in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which focuses on cultivating a digital society, incorporating advanced technologies, and enhancing service experiences for all users.
ESCWA’s GEMS index conducts an annual evaluation of 17 countries, scrutinizing the maturity of 84 critical government services provided electronically and via smart applications. The assessment spans three principal sub-indices: service availability and sophistication; service usage and satisfaction; and public outreach. Saudi Arabia achieved the premier spot across all categories, scoring 98% in service availability and sophistication, 84% in service usage and satisfaction, and a perfect 100% in public outreach.
The Kingdom’s dominance in the digital government landscape is further evidenced by its other recent achievements. It ranked third among 198 nations in the 2022 GovTech Maturity Index of the World Bank, rose to its highest-ever position in the UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI), and the capital city Riyadh was recognized as fourth worldwide in leveraging technology and its applications among 193 surveyed cities.