The United Arab Emirates have solidified their position in global digital competitiveness, ranking 9th worldwide in the 2025 Global Digital Competitiveness Report. This achievement, released by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland, cements the UAE's status as the only country in the region to be ranked among the world's top ten. The Emirates have surpassed several advanced economies, demonstrating their ability to keep pace with rapid technological transformations and build a comprehensive developmental model based on innovation, artificial intelligence, and human capital.
The report highlights the UAE's advanced performance across key pillars of digital competitiveness. The nation secured 5th place globally in the 'Future Readiness' pillar, owing to its high capacity for adopting emerging technologies and developing advanced digital systems. It also ranked 6th in the 'Technology' pillar, thanks to progress in digital infrastructure, expanding investments in advanced technology and government digital services, and 12th in the 'Knowledge' pillar, a result of national programs aimed at developing skills and scientific capabilities and supporting specialized education in future-oriented fields.
Despite global challenges from economic shifts, geopolitical tensions, and changes in technology supply chains, the UAE successfully maintained its digital momentum, reinforcing its position among the world's leading models capable of sustaining digital openness and flexible policies while fostering an innovation-driven environment.
For the first time, the report included data on AI invention patents and private investments in this area, showing the UAE's regional superiority in these indicators. This reflects the direction of the National AI Strategy and its vision for a knowledge-based economy.
These results align with the country's strategic directions, including the UAE Centennial 2071, the National AI Strategy 2031, and the Digital Government Strategy, alongside leading initiatives to develop young talent, such as the 'Million Arab Coders' program, technical education initiatives, and advanced research labs.
The outcomes affirm the UAE's standing as a global model for digital transformation and leadership in the economy of the future. They reflect the leadership's vision in building a leading, developmental digital system capable of competing, creating opportunities, and nurturing national capabilities, all within an economic environment based on innovation, knowledge, and future sciences.
The UAE placed in the top five globally in 15 indicators and in the top ten in 22 indicators, demonstrating the depth and comprehensive nature of its digital development across all sectors. This marks a significant climb from the report's inaugural edition in 2017, where the UAE was ranked 18th, showcasing a consistent upward trajectory and indicating the maturity of the national digital ecosystem and the proactiveness of its government policies.
Hanan Mansoor Al Ali, Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, commented that the UAE's results reflect its distinguished path in digital transformation regionally and globally, confirming the success of national policies in building a sustainable knowledge-based economy. This is achieved by empowering national talent to develop skills and enhance their readiness for rapid technological changes, which strengthens the UAE's position as a leading global model and ensures a sustainable knowledge-based environment and opportunities for future generations.
The UAE ranked first globally in several qualitative indicators, including internet penetration, the expansion of high-speed communication networks, availability of investment capital, efficiency of public-private partnerships, and advancements in digital skills. It also leads globally in attracting international students and accessing global expertise.
Engineer Majid Sultan Al Musmari, Director General of the Digital Government Regulatory Authority, stated that achieving the 9th rank embodies the efficiency of the UAE's digital system and the maturity of its technical infrastructure on both governmental and economic levels. This affirms the country's status as a global model for building a comprehensive, flexible, and secure digital infrastructure capable of accelerating innovation and enhancing the competitiveness of the national economy.
He added: "We view this progress as the fruit of integrated institutional collaboration between government and private entities that worked as one to boost digital performance efficiency and solidify sustainable development in this domain."
