Saudi Arabia Tops Global Digital Government Index for 2025

The Kingdom Achieves Qualitative Leap in Government Digital Transformation

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 20, 2026 - The Digital Government Authority announced that the Kingdom achieved first place in the Arab world and fifth globally in the Digital Government Index issued by the United Nations for 2025.

Notable Digital Achievements

Digital Services

• Absher: More than 500 services available digitally
• Tawakkalna: 30 million active users
• Nafath: Unified digital identity for 25 million citizens
• Ejar: 4 million electronic contracts annually

Achievement Rates

• 97% of government services available digitally
• 85% beneficiary satisfaction rate
• 60% reduction in transaction completion time
• 40% savings in operational costs

Main Digital Platforms

Absher Platform

Absher platform provides a comprehensive range of services:

• Passports: Passport issuance and renewal
• Traffic: Driving licenses and violations
• Civil Status: ID and birth certificates
• Visas: Visit and work visas

Etimad Platform

Serves the business sector through:

• Commercial license issuance
• Electronic commercial registry
• Enterprise credit rating
• Government entity integration

Technologies Used

Artificial Intelligence

• Smart virtual assistants on all platforms
• Predictive analytics for most requested services
• Fraud detection in transactions

Blockchain

• Official document and certificate authentication
• Smart contracts in real estate sector
• Pharmaceutical supply chain

Cloud Computing

• Unified government cloud infrastructure
• National data center with global standards
• Backup and disaster recovery

Cybersecurity

The Kingdom places great importance on data security:

• ISO 27001 certification for all government systems
• 24/7 security operations center
• Global standard data encryption
• Multi-factor authentication

Vision 2030 and Digital Government

These achievements come within Vision 2030 targets:

Achieved Goals

• Digitization of 95% of government services
• 80% reduction in government visits
• 15 billion riyals annual savings

Future Goals

• 100% of services available via mobile
• Zero paper in government transactions by 2030
• Proactive government that provides services automatically

Official Statements

The Governor of the Digital Government Authority stated:

"This achievement reflects the Kingdom's commitment to providing a distinguished digital experience for citizens and residents. We aim to make the government a digital partner in everyone's lives."

Regional Comparison

The Kingdom leads the Arab region:

This achievement represents a model to be followed in government digital transformation worldwide.