Riyadh, February 19, 2024, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its leadership in digital government by securing the top position in the Government Electronic and Mobile Service (GEMS) maturity index for 2023, as published by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). This marks the second consecutive year that Saudi Arabia has achieved this distinction, boasting an impressive overall maturity score of 93%.
Governor of the Digital Government Authority, Eng. Ahmed Alsuwaiyan attributes this accomplishment to the relentless efforts of government agencies, their dedication to digital transformation, and the consistent support from the Saudi leadership. This achievement aligns seamlessly with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, aiming to build a digital society, embrace cutting-edge technologies, and provide the best possible experience for all beneficiaries.
The ESCWA's GEMS index evaluates 17 countries annually, assessing the maturity of 84 essential government services offered electronically and through smart applications. These services are scrutinized across three key sub-indices: service availability and sophistication, service usage and satisfaction, and public outreach. Saudi Arabia secured the top position in all three categories, achieving a score of 98% in service availability and sophistication (a 1% increase over 2022), 84% in service usage and satisfaction (a 4.76% increase over 2022), and 100% in public outreach (a 13.52% increase over 2022).
This accomplishment adds to Saudi Arabia's growing list of accolades in the digital government domain. The Kingdom recently secured the third position among 198 countries in the 2022 GovTech Maturity Index of the World Bank. Moreover, it achieved its highest historical ranking in the UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI), and the city of Riyadh was ranked fourth globally in the use of technology and its applications, out of 193 cities surveyed. Saudi Arabia's consistent success in digital governance highlights its commitment to leveraging technology for the benefit of its citizens and residents.
