UAE enters Top 10 Club in ”World Digital Competitiveness 2021”
The United Arab Emirates has made a major global achievement by entering the G10 Club. It was ranked 10th in the world in the World Digital Competitiveness Report 2021, issued by the International Institute for Administrative Development’s Global Competitiveness Center in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The UAE ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa, ranking first in the region and ahead in the world ranking of leading countries such as: Finland, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, China, Germany, France, Japan and Belgium, which is a remarkable achievement during a period of major repercussions that have had a profound impact on most of the world’s economies. It has been able to make significant leaps in many of the indicators in the report.
Mohammed Al Gergawi: ”UAE proves ability to turn challenges into inspiring opportunities”
UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and President of the UAE Council of Competitiveness Mohammad Al Gergawi said that the UAE’s entry into the Global Digital Competitiveness Report 2021, one of the most important global competitiveness reports, is a new achievement in its journey towards establishing the UAE as one of the best countries in the world.
He added: “The State has proved its exceptional ability to overcome challenges and turn them into inspiring opportunities, thanks to the visions of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa ben Zayed Al Nahyane, Head of State, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed ben Rachid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of Dubai and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed ben Zayed Al Nahyane, Crown Prince of Abou Dabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, which enhance the State’s ability to achieve positive results in many competitive reports and indicators, and make the State on the map of the most competitive countries in the world.”
He continued: “This achievement adds to the UAE’s balance in the global competitive process, keeps pace with the major developments and new methodology of government work that the country is witnessing, reflects the government’s aspirations for the future, reflects its strategic goals aimed at achieving further progress and prosperity at all levels, and strengthens the UAE’s leadership in global competitiveness indicators.”
Omar Sultan Al-Olama: ”Digital transformation leverages smart platforms”
Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Action Applications, said the UAE government supports pilot projects that promote innovation and strengthen strategic partnerships and digital initiatives in the government and private sectors.
The UAE’s new achievement in the “World Digital Competitiveness Report”, which was ranked 10th in the world, is one of the best countries in this field, he said, and is a product of the leadership’s vision that places the knowledge-based economy, smart solutions and innovative digital initiatives at the top of its current priorities and future plans.
The UAE government is pursuing a digital transformation policy that enhances the efficiency of smart platforms and contributes to successful projects in the areas of digital economy and artificial intelligence that reflect positively on the government and society, he said.
Sara al Amiri: ”Advanced technology key to boosting future readiness”
In the same context, Minister of State for Advanced Technology, Sara bint Yousef Al-Amiri, said that the Government of the United Arab Emirates adopts advanced technology and the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution as a main axis in its directives aimed at enhancing readiness for the future, as embodied in the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed ben Rachid Al-Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in developing an integrated technological structure based on innovation and digitization, which supports the State’s efforts in preparation for the next 50 years.
Al-Amiri praised the progress made by the UAE in the “Global Digital Competitiveness Report” and its fifth ranking in the Technology Framework Index. She noted the qualitative leap achieved in the Digital and Technological Skills Index, with the country ranking seven, ranking 10th in the world.
Majed Sultan Al-Mesmar: ”Report embodies state capacity to adopt digital solutions”
Majed Sultan Mesmar said: This achievement naturally reflects the spirit of solidarity and unity in the adoption of digital services at the national level, both in federal and local governments and in the private sector, which aims to ensure the highest level of well-being and happiness to the society of the United Arab Emirates. The report also highlights the state’s ability to adopt the best digital solutions and different technologies that promote digital transformation, adoption of the digital knowledge economy and application of the concepts of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which enhances the economic attractiveness of our beloved country and leads to a happier and more prosperous society.
He added: ”This result confirms that under our leadership we have achieved the objectives of digitization in its successive phases so far. This gives us encouragement and determination to move towards a new summit and new achievements in the next 50 years, with God’s agreement.”
Mohammed Hamad al-Kuwaiti: ”Digital security is integral to the national security of developed nations”
Dr. Mohammed Hamad al-Kuwaiti, head of cybersecurity for the UAE government, said the digital transformation has affected all aspects of life in the country’s society. It has become a culture and a modus operandi in the UAE government, and with the technological advances that our world is witnessing today, digital security has become an undaunted part of the national security of developed countries, where innovation, ability to innovate and adapt play an important role in protecting digital communities and proactively countering any cyber threats.
Al-Kuwaiti said the UAE is moving forward steadily according to the 50-year plan to become one of the best countries in the world in various sectors through a strong vision and an effective government capable of dealing with future changes with flexibility and efficiency, which would enhance its position at the regional and international levels among the most important and competitive knowledge-based economies in the world.
Hanan Mansour Ahli: ”Improving competitive performance to reach global levels”
Hanan Mansour Ahli, acting director of the Federal Center for Competition and Statistics, said: “Our wise government in the United Arab Emirates attaches great importance to the role of effective partnerships between all federal and local government agencies and the private sector to support the issue of competitiveness. Under the generous guidance of wise leadership, the wheel of continuous improvement of legislation and laws to ensure human well-being in the United Arab Emirates and in all vital sectors, such as the economy, health, education, advanced sciences and others, contributes to accelerating the growth of economic activities in the country and to improving the competitive performance of the United Arab Emirates to reach the ranks of the countries of the world in accordance with the Emirates Percentage 2071.”
Report methodology
This year’s World Digital Competition Report presents the results of 64 countries around the world in three key areas: knowledge, technology and preparation for the future. The three main axes are divided into 9 sub-axes, including 52 indicators, and the methodology used for the report is based on 20 opinion polls and 32 indicators of statistical data.
In this year’s report, the United Arab Emirates ranked first in all major areas, fifth in the world on the axis of technology, 12th on the axis of preparation for the future and jumped 13 steps on the axis of knowledge, becoming 18th globally.
In the nine sub-themes of the report, the United Arab Emirates ranked first in the world for the “Talent” component, rising to four times last year’s report, ranking second in the world for the “Regulatory Framework” component, becoming fifth in the world for the “Technology Framework” component, taking a major step towards the “Education and Training” axis, which was 25th in the world, and tenth in the world for the “Labor Sector Flexibility” and “Information Technology Integration” sub-themes.
Global leadership
The UAE ranked first globally on four indicators: “Cyber Security”, “Net Flow of International Students”, “Flexibility of Residency Laws”, and “Wireless Broadband Subscriptions”.
The country also claimed second place in the world in the following indicators: “Availability of global expertise”, “Presence of international experts” and “Trends towards globalization”.
It also ranked third globally in the indicators of “city management”, “corporate use of big data and analytical tools” and “opportunity and absence of threats”.
UAE leaps
The United Arab Emirates has made significant strides in many of the indicators in the report, with a one-time jump of 31 places in the Internet Users Index, which ranked fourth in the world, and a jump of 31 places in the Percentage of People With Higher Education Index, which ranked 16th globally.
The country also posted a jump of 22 places in the index: “Mobile Broadband Subscribers” ranked 12th worldwide, and a nine-ranking jump in the “Percentage of University Women with Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees” index, which ranked 10th worldwide, in addition to many other indicators, which made great strides. The country also ranked 10th in the world in 25 out of 52 indicators.
