KUWAIT CITY,  Sept 21: Kuwait has been ranked 66th globally and 20th in Asia in the United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI) and its sub-indicators for 2024, marking a drop of five positions from its 2022 ranking. In contrast, Saudi Arabia made a significant leap, securing sixth place globally, first regionally, and second among G20 countries.

Within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Kuwait placed sixth, following Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar, respectively. The UAE achieved 11th place globally, joining Bahrain, which ranked 18th, among the top 20 nations. Oman was positioned 41st, while Qatar ranked 53rd worldwide.

Saudi Arabia's jump to sixth place globally represents an advancement of 25 spots, placing it among the top 10 countries. Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Oman also made substantial progress, with Qatar and the UAE rising 25 and 19 places, respectively, Bahrain advancing 36 spots, and Oman improving by nine places.

Globally, Denmark took the top spot, followed by Estonia, Singapore, South Korea, and Iceland in the second through fifth positions.

According to the report's findings, Kuwait's global ranking of 66th falls within the "Very High" category, as outlined in the 2024 edition of the EGDI, issued by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Kuwait also maintained its standing in the "Very High" category for the Telecommunications Infrastructure Index and earned a "High" rating in the Internet Services Index and Human Capital Index categories.

In Asia, Kuwait ranked 20th among leading e-government countries in 2024. The country's EGDI score improved to 0.7812 in 2024 from 0.7484 in 2022, demonstrating notable progress.

The report highlighted that digital transformation is a critical component of Kuwait's broader strategy to diversify its economy and improve public services. It also praised Kuwait's telecommunications infrastructure and ongoing efforts to enhance online services and human capital development, which have made the government system more efficient and accessible.