The UAE has been ranked first in the Arab region and 12th globally among highly competitive countries in the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2019, issued by the IMD World Competitiveness Center.
According to the report, the UAE has advanced five positions from the previous year’s ranking, to be ranked 12th globally and first in the Arab Region.
In this year’s report, the UAE has also progressed to achieve the first rank in the Arab Region in all three main factors of the report, namely the ‘technology’ factor, in which the country achieved the second rank globally, advancing by five ranks from last year, and the 9th globally in ‘Future Readiness’ factor, progressing from the 12th rank last year. The UAE advanced one rank in the ‘knowledge’ factor to be the first in the Arab Region and 35th globally.
Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director General, said, ‘The UAE progress in the Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2019 is a new global testimony added to the UAE record of achievements and teamwork. I would like to thank our partners in government and private sectors for their efforts and collaboration to enhance the competitiveness of the country and its progress in all global indicators and reports.’
The analysis prepared by the Competitiveness Strategy Team at the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority for the factors and sub-factors of this report showed that the UAE achieved outstanding performance in a large number of factors and sub-factors.
In the ‘Knowledge’ factor, the UAE is ranked first globally in ‘international expertise’ and second globally in ‘management of cities’.
It is ranked third globally in ‘net flow of international students’, fourth globally in ‘employee training’ and fifth globally in ‘foreign highly-skilled personnel’.
The ‘Technology’ factor monitors technological progress through three main sub-factors: ‘regulatory framework’, ‘capital’ and ‘technological framework’.
Moreover, the UAE has achieved advanced positions globally in these sub-factors, ranking first, second and fifth globally. In terms of indicators: the UAE is ranked first globally in ‘immigration laws’ and ‘wireless broadband’, ranked 3rd globally in ‘development and application of technology’, ‘banking and financial services’, and ‘venture capital’, and 4th globally in ‘funding for technological solution’.
The third and last factor, ‘Future Readiness’, which measures three sub-factors – ‘adaptive attitudes’, ‘business agility’ and ‘IT integration’. In this factor, the UAE is ranked first globally in four sub-indicators: ‘Agility of companies’, ‘Use of big data and analytics’, ‘Public-private partnership’ and ‘Opportunities and threats’. The UAE is ranked second globally in ‘Cyber security’ and third globally in ‘knowledge transfer’ and ‘Attitudes toward globalization’.
Al Mansoori, said, “Technology today is the cornerstone of the economic and social development strategies and plans adopted by the world’s advanced economies. Innovation is the key for success and cooperation among individuals, federal and local government entities in the development of solutions, and future foresight plays an accelerating role of this innovation and thus improve the country and society.”
