The UAE has secured 15th place among 70 economies in the 2026 World Digital and AI Ranking, retaining its position as the highest-ranked country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Published by Swiss business school and research institution IMD, the ranking assesses national readiness for artificial intelligence (AI). It measures how economies develop, adopt and govern emerging technologies.
The UAE scored 91.13 points, down from 93.38 in 2025. Despite the decline, it remains ahead of Australia, the UK and Germany.
Saudi Arabia ranked 20th with 86.55 points, while Qatar secured 30th place with 82.31 points. Bahrain and Oman followed at 33rd and 36th, respectively.
The results highlight the Gulf’s growing presence in global AI development. They also show how national strategies, technology investment and workforce capabilities shape a country’s readiness for AI.
UAE leads MENA despite dropping six places globally
The UAE retained its regional lead despite falling six positions from ninth place in the 2025 ranking.
Its score of 91.13 puts it just behind Norway and ahead of Australia (91.02), the UK (90.88) and Germany (89.95).
The United States topped the global ranking with 100 points. Singapore followed in second place with 99.79, while the Netherlands ranked third with 97.08.
Denmark and Canada completed the top five. Meanwhile, China ranked seventh and South Korea secured tenth place.
The UAE’s performance places it among the leading economies in AI readiness. However, its lower ranking compared with last year highlights the importance of maintaining progress across technology, governance and workforce development.
Saudi Arabia ranks second in MENA for AI readiness
Saudi Arabia secured 20th place globally with 86.55 points, moving up two positions from 2025.
The Kingdom ranked second in MENA, behind the UAE. It also recorded strong results across several AI-related indicators.
Saudi Arabia ranked second globally for company awareness of AI cybersecurity risks and the protection of sensitive corporate data.
It also secured fourth place for national AI strategy implementation, corporate AI adoption and public access to AI technologies.
Furthermore, the Kingdom ranked fifth globally for AI adoption, public trust in AI, regulatory frameworks and corporate investment in AI.
These results point to progress across both public-sector AI strategy and private-sector adoption.
Qatar, Bahrain and Oman complete MENA’s top five
Qatar ranked 30th globally with 82.31 points, placing third in MENA. Its performance included a fourth-place global ranking in the trust sub-factor.
This indicator measures institutional credibility, corporate data protection and public confidence in AI systems.
Qatar also ranked seventh for business practices and 17th in the efficiency factor.
Bahrain secured 33rd place with 80.60 points, followed by Oman at 36th with 79.89 points.
Jordan ranked 40th with 76.77 points, while Kuwait placed 49th.
Overall, seven MENA economies featured in the 2026 ranking. All seven secured positions within the global top 50.
IMD ranking assesses AI readiness across 88 criteria
The 2026 World Digital and AI Ranking evaluates 70 economies using 88 criteria.
These include 51 statistical indicators and 37 measures from IMD’s Executive Opinion Survey.
The assessment covers five broad factors:
- Governance: How economies develop and implement policies for digital and AI development.
- Technology and infrastructure: The technological foundations that support AI development and adoption.
- Efficiency: How effectively economies use digital technologies.
- Workforce development: The skills and capabilities needed to support AI adoption.
- Values: Public trust, responsible technology use and institutional readiness.
Together, these indicators provide a broader view of national AI readiness beyond technology investment alone.
For employers and business leaders across the Gulf, the results also offer insight into the region’s changing digital capabilities. AI readiness increasingly depends on cybersecurity awareness, workforce skills, regulatory frameworks and organisational adoption.
The ranking therefore provides a useful benchmark for understanding how the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar compare with other economies as AI becomes more deeply integrated into business operations.
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