Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Saudi Arabia leads the MENA nations in e-Government services for a third time in a row
Among MENA (Middle East and North Africa) nations, Saudi Arabia ranked highest in the Government Electronic and Mobile Services Maturity Index for 2024, released by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), an affiliate of the United Nations. Trending: New penalty for violating Hajj
With a high maturity rate of 96% in the overall assessment of the index, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia secured top place for the third consecutive time.
This achievement, according to Eng. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Suwayan, Governor of the Digital Government Authority, is a reflection of the wise leadership's substantial investment in and focus on the digital government system, which has helped to elevate the Kingdom's standing on global metrics.
He also highlighted the development of digital projects and solutions aimed at improving the beneficiary experience, along with the essential role of integration between government agencies, reliance on artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies.
The Kingdom has shown tremendous improvement in its results, moving from a lowly fourth place in 2020 to a commanding second in 2021 and then first in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Digital services have greatly improved important areas like smart cities, education, and health, which is why we are seeing this growth. Read: 911 operations center launched in Madina
Digital prescriptions, online appointment scheduling through government platforms, and remote healthcare are all examples of electronic healthcare technologies that have helped expand service availability and improve satisfaction among beneficiaries.
Another way that digital educational services have improved the accessibility and quality of government services for citizens and residents is through the rise of distant learning platforms and online university admission services. The use of digital platforms for paying municipal fees and other smart city services has helped streamline processes and save time for those who benefit from them.
The kingdom achieved a perfect score of 99% in the "service availability and development" index, a score of 93% in the "service use and beneficiary satisfaction" index, and a score of 99% in the "access to the public" index.
These sub-indicators measured the maturity of government services offered to individuals and businesses through smart applications and electronic portals. The index was based on evaluating 16 countries. See Also: Four pilgrims arrived for Hajj on horseback from Europe to Saudi Arabia
Notably, the kingdom has lately accomplished a qualitative jump, rising to the ranks of the world's leading nations in the United Nations E-Government Development Index for the year (2024), with a score of 25.
Aside from placing seventh globally in the E-Participation Index and third for the city of Riyadh out of 193 cities worldwide, it also rated fourth internationally, first regionally, and second at the G20 level in the Digital Services Index. Join our Telegram channel for latest updates; hurry up before it reaches to its full capacity
Saudi Arabia leads the MENA nations in e-Government services for a third time in a row
