The UAE’s top ranking in the index reflects a long and sustainable trajectory of investment in infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and building a knowledge- and productivity-based economic model.
Article index:
- Opening of Seamless 2026 conference at Dubai World Trade Centre
- Announcement of Arab Index results and UAE’s top ranking
- Classification of the three groups and performance disparities among Arab countries
- Infrastructure and government services axes and the data economy gap
- Dr. Ali Mohamed Al Khouri’s statements on digital sovereignty
- The journey of the Arab vision for the digital economy since 2018
- Frequently asked questions
Opening of Seamless 2026 conference at Dubai World Trade Centre
The new edition of the “Seamless Middle East 2026” conference and exhibition kicked off on Tuesday at the Dubai World Trade Centre, under the patronage of Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, and President of the Arab Union for Digital Economy, with massive international and regional participation exceeding 25,000 visitors and professionals, nearly 800 speakers, and 750 exhibiting entities.
This annual event, the largest of its kind, brings together the sectors of electronic payments, financial technology, digital banking services, e-commerce, digital identity, and logistical supply chains at a time witnessing unprecedented acceleration in the adoption of AI and automation tools in financial and commercial transactions.
Announcement of Arab Index results and UAE’s top ranking
The main opening session of the event witnessed the launch of the updated edition of the “Arab Digital Economy Index 2026” report, in the presence of high-level Arab diplomatic representation including ambassadors and representatives of ministries of finance, trade, and communications across Arab countries. The United Arab Emirates claimed the overall top spot in the index with full merit.
The specialized index measures the performance of Arab countries across a strict set of structural standards, including the strength of digital infrastructure, the power of institutions and regulatory legislation, the level of human skills and personnel, innovation capacity, the size of digital markets, and the extent to which the economy successfully leverages modern technology to raise overall productivity.
Classification of the three groups and performance disparities among Arab countries
The index results showed a noticeable disparity in digital maturity levels, dividing Arab countries into three main groups. The UAE topped the “highest-performing countries group”, followed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Qatar, and the Sultanate of Oman, reflecting the success of Gulf investments in smart infrastructure.
The “second medium-performing group” included Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, while the “third group” comprised countries still in the phase of building foundational digital infrastructure, including Lebanon, Mauritania, Iraq, Djibouti, Comoros, Libya, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen.
Infrastructure and government services axes and the data economy gap
Comprehensive analytical reading of the index data showed that collective Arab progress was brightest in digital infrastructure, telecommunications network coverage, the development of smart government service portals, and indicators of cybersecurity and cybercrime combat readiness.
Conversely, the report monitored the persistence of a wide gap requiring additional efforts in areas of genuine technological innovation, the data economy, allocating sufficient budgets for scientific research and development, alongside disparities in the capacity of Arab economies to translate investment digital spending into tangible industrial productivity and added value supporting gross domestic product.
Dr. Ali Mohamed Al Khouri’s statements on digital sovereignty
HE Advisor Dr. Ali Mohamed Al Khouri, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Union for Digital Economy, emphasized in his opening speech that the index places the issue of “digital sovereignty” at the core of Arab developmental discourse, as data centers, AI, semiconductors, and cloud infrastructures transform into sovereign pillars for the security and stability of nations.
Al Khouri praised the UAE’s developmental model, explaining that its leadership in the index is the fruit of decades of sustainable institutional work and proactive planning in updating legislative and technical infrastructure and attracting global investments, expressing profound gratitude and appreciation to President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan for their generous patronage of the joint Arab digital economy journey.
The journey of the Arab vision for the digital economy since 2018
This initiative is the fruit of a strategic pathway that began in Abu Dhabi in 2018 with the launch of the “Arab Vision for the Digital Economy”, before Arab leaders and monarchs officially adopted it at the Arab League Summit level in 2022 as a comprehensive reference framework for joint technological cooperation and regional economic integration.
The Seamless conference concludes its three-day activities by discussing mechanisms to remove digital customs barriers, unify cross-border payment platforms, and encourage intra-regional e-commerce, empowering startups and Arab entrepreneurs to expand seamlessly into a unified digital market serving over 400 million people regionally and globally.
Frequently asked questions
Question: Which country topped the Arab Digital Economy Index for 2026?
Answer: The United Arab Emirates topped the overall ranking of the index, followed by the GCC countries in the highest-performing group.
Question: How many participants and exhibiting entities are at the Seamless Middle East 2026 conference and exhibition?
Answer: The event features over 25,000 visitors and professionals, nearly 800 international speakers, and 750 companies and exhibiting entities.
Question: What are the areas where Arab countries recorded the highest rates of progress in the index?
Answer: Countries achieved prominent progress in telecommunications infrastructure, digital government services, and cybersecurity indicators.
