Over the past fifty years, the UAE has laid a solid foundation for building a diversified and sustainable economy, and after the discovery of oil in the fifties of the last century, the UAE succeeded in radically changing the structure of economic life in the country, while continuing its efforts to move to a knowledge-based economy by encouraging innovation and strengthening the regulatory framework for key economic sectors.

 In the soon-to-be-released UAE Figures 2020 report, the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre reveals the most prominent facts and figures that reflect the growth recorded in the country’s economy over 50 years, on the occasion of the celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of the Union.

The report reveals a significant leap in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), increasing from AED 58.3 billion in 1975 to over AED 1.3 trillion in 2020. Additionally, the contribution of non-oil sectors to the GDP grew from 43% in 1975 to 83% in 2020.

The report also indicates a rise in the total volume of the country’s foreign trade, growing from AED 11.5 billion in 1975 to AED 1.4 trillion in 2020. The value of foreign direct investments into the country increased by 82%, reaching approximately AED 73 billion in 2020 compared to the AED 40 billion recorded in 2005.

The value of foreign direct investments exported from the country also surged from AED 14 billion in 2005 to AED 69.5 billion in 2020.

Furthermore, the report highlights an increase in government spending in the country, rising from AED 1.258 billion in 1975 to AED 442.386 billion in 2019.

The tourism sector in the country has witnessed an exceptional success story, making it one of the world’s leading destinations in terms of growth and the ability to attract tourists from various corners of the globe. It has also firmly established its position as one of the main contributors to the national economy.

The number of hotel facilities surged from 64 in 1978, housing 5,379 rooms, to 1,089 hotel facilities with 180,257 rooms in 2020.

The operational capacity of the country’s hotel facilities has evolved over the years. In 1979, approximately 392,000 guests stayed with a total of 1.02 million nights. In 2020, this number grew to over 14.88 million guests with a total of 54.3 million nights.

In 2020, total hotel revenues exceeded AED 16.6 billion, marking a significant increase compared to 2005 when revenues were AED 1.5 billion.

Electricity and Water:

The UAE has been diligent in keeping pace with the increasing demand for electricity and water in the country, considering the population growth and economic and commercial activities. Sustainable solutions for renewable energy have been adopted.

The capacity of electricity-generating stations in the UAE has grown from 482 megawatts in 1975 to approximately 35,000 megawatts in 2020. The electricity generated witnessed a substantial increase, exceeding 137,000 gigawatt-hours in 2020, compared to 1,467 gigawatt-hours in 1975.

Furthermore, the amount of electricity generated from renewable energy stations experienced significant growth in 2020 compared to 2009, rising from 6 gigawatt-hours in 2009 to 5,476 gigawatt-hours in 2020. The total installed capacity of renewable energy stations was 10 megawatts in 2009, and it leaped to 2,289 megawatts in 2020, a remarkable increase of 22,698 percent.

​The report also highlights an increase in the amount of desalinated water produced in 2020, reaching 2 billion cubic meters, a substantial increase compared to 1983 when it was 256 million cubic meters. The number of wastewater treatment plants in the country reached 125 in 2020, a 145% increase from 2011 when there were only 51 plants. Additionally, the quantity of treated wastewater in 2020 reached 769 million cubic meters, a 55% increase compared to 2011 when it was 498 million cubic meters.

The United Arab Emirates has achieved a significant global accomplishment by entering the top 10, securing the 10th position globally in the overall ranking as one of the best countries in the world in the "World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2021," published by the world Competitiveness Center (WCC) affiliated with the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).

In doing so, the UAE topped the MENA Region, not only ranking first regionally the UAE surpassed leading countries globally such as Finland, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, China, Germany, France, Japan, and Belgium. This achievement is notable during a period marked by major global challenges that significantly impacted economies worldwide. The UAE managed to make significant strides in various indicators in the report.

New achievement

Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the UAE’s Competitiveness Council, Mohammed Abdullah Al Garqawi, said that the UAE’s entry into the Top 10 globally in the World Digital Competitiveness Report 2021, is one of the most important global competitiveness reports, and represents a new achievement in its journey towards establishing the UAE’s position as one of the best countries World.

He added, "The country has demonstrated its exceptional ability to overcome challenges and turn them into inspiring opportunities, thanks to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the State, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the State, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, which enhances the country’s ability to achieve positive results in various competitiveness reports and indicators, making it one of the most competitive countries in the world."

His Excellency continued, "This achievement adds to the UAE’s track record in the global competitiveness journey, keeping pace with the significant developments and the new methodology of government work witnessed by the country. It reflects the government’s aspirations for the future, embodying its strategic goals aimed at achieving further progress and prosperity on all fronts. It also reinforces the UAE’s leadership in global competitiveness indicators."

Digital Transformation

H.E. Omar Sultan AlOlama, the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, stated that the government of the UAE supports innovative projects that enhance the concept of innovation and reinforces strategic partnerships and digital initiatives in both the public and private sectors.

He affirmed that the new achievement of the UAE reaching the 10th position globally in the report among the best countries in this field is a result of the leadership’s vision that prioritizes a knowledge-based economy and embraces smart solutions and innovative digital initiatives among its current priorities and future plans.

He added that the UAE government adopts a policy of digital transformation that enhances the efficiency of smart platforms and contributes to the successful implementation of projects in the fields of digital economy and artificial intelligence, which positively impacts both the government and society.

Ready For The Future

In the same vein, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences, Sarah AlAmiri affirmed that the government of the UAE embraces advanced technology and Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies as a fundamental axis in its future-oriented directions. This reflects the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, to develop an integrated technological infrastructure based on innovation and digitization, supporting the state’s efforts in preparing for the next fifty years.

Her Excellency praised the progress achieved by the UAE in the "Global Digital Competitiveness Report," securing the fifth position globally in the Technology Framework Index. She highlighted the qualitative leap in the Digital and Technological Skills Index, with the country advancing seven positions to rank 10th globally.

Vision 2021

H.E. Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar The Director General of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, stated that the significance of the results achieved by the UAE in the "World Digital Competitiveness Report 2021" lies in the timing, aligning with the accomplishment of the ‘UAE Vision 2021’ to be among the best countries globally.

He added, ‘This result comes to confirm that, with the guidance of our leadership, we have achieved digital transformation goals in successive stages until now. This encourages us and strengthens our determination to move towards new heights and achievements in the next fifty years, God willing.

Work Style

H.E. Dr. Mohamed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity of the UAE Government, that the digital transformation witnessed by the country touches all aspects of life in the state’s society. It has become a culture and a working style in the UAE government. With the technological progress in our world today, digital security has become an integral part of the national security of advanced countries. Innovation, adaptability, and the ability to renew play a crucial role in protecting digital societies and proactively addressing any cyber threats.

Al Kuwaiti affirmed that the UAE is moving steadily according to the ‘Plan 50,’ aiming to be among the best countries in the world in various sectors through insightful vision, an effective government, and the capability to flexibly and efficiently deal with future changes. This enhances its position regionally and internationally within the most competitive knowledge-based economies globally.

H.E. Hanan Ahli, acting director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, expressed her sincere thanks to the strategic partners in the federal and local government entities, national statistical centers, and private sector partners.

She emphasized that the UAE government attaches great importance to the role of effective partnerships between federal and local government entities and the private sector to support the competitiveness file.

Global Leadership In 4 Indicators

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has secured the top spot globally in four indicators in the report: "Cybersecurity," "Net Inflow of International Students," "Resilience of Residence Laws," and "Wireless Broadband Subscriptions."

Additionally, the country has claimed the second position worldwide in indicators such as "Availability of Global Expertise," "Presence of International Experts," and "Globalization Trends."

Furthermore, it has achieved the third position globally in indicators such as "City Management," "Companies’ Use of Big Data and Analytical Tools," and "Availability of Opportunities and Absence of Threats."

Significant Leaps by the UAE

The United Arab Emirates has made significant advancements in various indicators, making a leap of 31 positions in one go in the "Internet Users" index, securing the fourth position globally. Furthermore, it achieved a remarkable advancement of 31 positions in the "Percentage of Population with Higher Education" index, attaining the 16th position worldwide.

In addition, the country experienced a leap of 22 positions in the "Subscribers to Mobile Broadband Service" index, ranking 12th globally. It also made a notable jump of nine positions in the "Percentage of Women University Graduates with Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees," securing the 10th position globally. These achievements are complemented by numerous other indicators in which the UAE has demonstrated substantial progress.

The country has consistently ranked within the top 10 globally in 25 out of the 52 indicators covered in the report.

The ‘Global Digital Competitiveness Report’ assesses the performance of 64 countries worldwide across three main pillars: Knowledge, Technology, and Future Readiness. The three main pillars are further divided into nine sub-pillars, encompassing a total of 52 indicators. The report methodology relies on 20 opinion survey indicators and 32 statistical data indicators.

UAE Leads in the Arab Region

In this year’s report, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) emerged as the top-ranking Arab country, securing the first position in all main pillars. It achieved the 5th position globally in the ‘Technology’ pillar, the 12th position globally in the ‘Future Readiness’ pillar, and experienced a significant leap of 13 positions in the ‘Knowledge’ pillar, landing at the 18th position globally.

In the nine sub-pillars of the report, the UAE claimed the top spot globally in the ‘Talent’ pillar, advancing four positions from the previous year. It secured the 2nd position globally in the ‘Regulatory Framework’ pillar and the 5th position globally in the ‘Technological Framework’ pillar.

Furthermore, the UAE made a substantial leap of 19 positions in the ‘Education and Training’ pillar, achieving the 25th position globally. It also secured the 10th position globally in two sub-pillars: ‘Workforce Flexibility’ and ‘Information Technology Integration.’

​The UAE surpassed countries such as Finland, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, China, Germany, France in the overall rankings.

​Dubai (Union) – The UAE has achieved a new global achievement by being among the best countries in the world in government digital transformation, to be the only Arab country in this group, in the Government Digital Maturity Report "GovTech" issued by the World Bank for the year 2021, which measures the levels of maturity of digital transformation and reliance on modern technology in conducting work in the government sector in 198 countries around the world. The report divided the countries included into 4 groups, the first of which was Group A, which included "the global leaders in government technology maturity", which included 43 countries, including the UAE, Canada, the United States, Switzerland, Britain, France, and Japan, which were ranked "very high" in the maturity of technology adopted in government digital transformation processes, as countries in this category had innovative solutions and distinguished practices. Group B includes countries that have achieved a "high" rank in government technology maturity and have large investments and good practices in government technology in most of the report’s themes, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Russia, China, Jordan, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Ireland. The third group (c) included countries whose governments have improvements in government digital transformation technology and have active efforts in digital government practices, while the fourth group (d) came to express countries with minimal focus on digital government initiatives. UAE Centennial Eng. Majid Sultan Al Mesmar, Director General of TDRA said: "The GovTech report from the World Bank represents a new milestone in the UAE’s march towards a sustainable digital future that includes both government and society, in implementation of the UAE Centennial Vision 2071, which was defined by our wise leadership. These include a forward-looking government, a diversified knowledge economy, and a more cohesive society." He added: "This achievement represents a natural reflection of the spirit of solidarity and one team that prevailed throughout the digital transformation process at the national level, including the federal and local governments as well as the private sector, and we do not forget the role of society through its active participation through digital platforms in the development of services and policies followed, which ultimately aim to achieve the highest levels of happiness for all in the UAE." Ambitious goals For her part, Hanan Mansour Ahli, Acting Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center, said: "The UAE is proceeding thanks to the vision and directives of the wise leadership for the next fifty years with ambitious goals that foresee the future, and consolidate the culture of excellence in being at the forefront of the countries of the world at various levels, and the digital, technical and scientific excellence of the UAE is a key pillar in its development and economic process." Ahli affirmed: "The UAE’s solutions within Group A, which is ranked the highest globally in the GovTech Digital Maturity Report issued by the World Bank, are new evidence of its leadership regionally and globally in the field of government digital transformation, in addition to its rich balance in global competitiveness reports, as the country ranked first globally in 121 competitive indicators, and first in the Arab world in 496 indicators, despite the rapid transformations in the global competitiveness map and the successive developments in the global economy, which makes The UAE experience is an icon from which to inspire the countries of the region and the world in the march of global competitiveness." Discriminate global The World Bank report based its classification on four main axes: "main government systems", "public service delivery", "community participation", and "government enablers for technological transformation", and pointed to the UAE’s global excellence in all axes, under which 48 indicators fall, the UAE achieved the full mark in 31 of them, which qualified it to be in group (A) the highest in the world, which includes countries that obtained a score ranging from 0.75 to 1.00 "full mark" in The maturity of government technologies, the only Arab country to join Group A, and participated with Israel alone in the top of the Middle East and North Africa countries within the same group, achieving a score of 0.80 on the index, knowing that the global average did not exceed 0.52, while countries in other groups obtained a score of 0.74 or less. A pioneering experience The report devoted a special space to reviewing the UAE’s experience in digital transformation, and pointed out that it is one of the most mature countries in the world in the field of digital government services provided to society, and touched on its adoption of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Strategy and the Artificial Intelligence Strategy. The National Innovation Strategy and the UAE Blockchain Strategy 2021. The report pointed out that the digital transformation strategy in the country aims to adopt advanced technologies and use them to convert 50% of government transactions at the federal level to the "blockchain" platform, and expected that government procedures in Dubai will become completely paperless by the end of 2021, which leads to the dispensation of more than one billion papers that were used in government transactions every year. The report concluded by presenting the UAE’s experience by detailing the results obtained in the four axes, and the indicators in which it excelled to exceed global averages, as the country won 0.60 in the "main government systems", noting that the global average is 0.48. The UAE achieved 0.92 in the "Providing Public Services" axis, while the global average did not exceed 0.61, and it won 0.88 in the "community participation" axis, while the global average did not exceed 0.46, and the country achieved 0.79 in the axis of "government enablers for technological transformation", while the global average was 0.53. It is worth noting that the World Bank’s GovTech Digital Maturity Report is the most comprehensive measure For digital transformation in the government sector, as it highlights the most important practices for designing digital transformation projects in the world.​

The National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals has launched its second report on sustainability initiatives in the UAE’s private sector, titled “Data Sharing Plans between Public and Private Sectors.” This is part of the committee’s efforts to accelerate achievements of Sustainable Development Goals in the UAE by highlighting partnerships between the public and private sectors in statistical data exchange.

The new report, prepared in collaboration between the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) on SDGs, and Kearney Consulting, was announced during a conference held by the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals specifically for the report’s release. Dialogue sessions were also conducted during the conference to discuss ways to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals in the country through data exchange partnerships between the public and private sectors.

His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, stated: “The government of the UAE recognizes the importance of data and its representation as a real asset for future governments, considering it one of the most important tools in developing government services. Therefore, we work under the directives of wise leadership to develop an innovative system for government work based on data and artificial intelligence. This system aims to enhance efficiency levels by harnessing artificial intelligence and data in various vital sectors. It focuses on enhancing integration between the government and private sectors in designing and implementing initiatives and projects aimed at building a better future.”

He further added that the world’s ongoing changes present significant challenges for governments, requiring high efficiency in decision-making and ensuring the continuity of their operations, especially in vital sectors. The government of the UAE has provided a unique model in adapting to these changes through strategic initiatives and government programs, particularly in supporting vital sectors in the country. These sectors have benefited from advanced digital and technological infrastructure, emphasizing the government’s investment in their development and utilization to achieve sustainable development goals and the country’s directions for the next fifty years.

Partnerships

The report provides comprehensive studies focusing on the importance of building partnerships and collaboration between the government and private sectors in the areas of data sharing. It addresses companies’ concerns regarding data sharing and ways to overcome them, emphasizing the importance of respecting privacy in data sharing operations and ensuring complete confidentiality. This involves not disclosing private data and limiting its use to support decision-making and design strategic initiatives that enhance societal well-being. Additionally, the report highlights the significance of supporting national statistical data with insights from the private sector, contributing to the development of initiatives and ideas aimed at improving overall performance to achieve sustainable development goals.

During her speech at the conference, Hanan Mansour Ahli, Acting Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center, representing the General Secretariat of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals, welcomed the attendees and thanked all parties that contributed to the report. She emphasized the importance of partnership between the government and private sectors in the field of data exchange.

She stated, “Partnership between the public and private sectors is one of the goals that the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals is committed to achieving, and the process of exchanging and sharing data is one of the most essential elements of that partnership. Governments can adapt to global changes and launch initiatives and plans based on visions that reflect the requirements of both the public and private sectors. The government of the UAE spares no effort to effectively enhance partnership with the private sector and support the exchange of statistical data within a national framework that overcomes challenges.”

Changes 

The report mentions that, in a time marked by numerous and rapid economic, social, and technological changes globally, the importance of partnerships between government and private entities and their joint efforts toward achieving progress and sustainable prosperity for societies become evident. Through successful initiatives and experiences covered in the report, the United Arab Emirates has become a global model in governing the implementation of sustainable development goals and harnessing innovative partnerships in the field of data exchange between the public and private sectors.

Huda Bouhamed, Chief Marketing Officer at Dubai Holding and Deputy Chair of PSAC, commented, “Amid the efforts made by the UAE to achieve sustainable development and economic diversification, commitment to supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 remains a government priority. Here, the role of the private sector comes as a pivotal supporter of the government’s efforts to achieve sustainable development goals, with data sharing being a highly important area that can contribute to this. While most available data belongs to the private sector, enhancing collaboration between the public and private sectors is crucial within these efforts. The research paper we revealed today proposes a framework to overcome current obstacles, identifies facilitators of successful data sharing, and offers recommendations to help us move forward in achieving the desired sustainable development goals.”

​Data

Rudolph Lohmeyer, Partner and Head of the National Transformation Institute at Kearney, stated, “The government’s interest in the private sector is growing more significantly, and the perception of it has shifted as a key player in achieving sustainable development goals, especially regarding data production. Data has become immensely valuable due to digital transformation and increasing technological advancements, turning data into an invaluable asset. Through collaboration between the public and private sectors in the field of data exchange, the UAE possesses outstanding performance in achieving sustainable development goals, and it can enhance this performance.”

Study 

The report includes a study of programs and initiatives supporting sustainability launched by 12 private sector entities within the Advisory Council. These encompass diverse sectors such as renewable energy, real estate development, retail, aviation, land and maritime transport services. They have contributed to supporting the country’s efforts in promoting a culture of sustainability in the private sector and advancing towards achieving the 2030 Global Sustainability Agenda.

​The report concludes with recommendations to enhance and expand data sharing between the public and private sectors to achieve further progress and accomplishments related to sustainable development goals. The full version of the report can be accessed by visiting the website of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre at fcsc.gov.ae.

H.E. Reem Bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and President of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals, said that since its inception, the UAE has placed sustainable development at the heart of its plans and strategies to ensure prosperity and development, noting the importance of cooperation between all parties, integrating the government and private sectors and strengthening partnership with the community to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This came during her Excellency’s participation in the meeting of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals held under the umbrella of the Sustainability Wing of Expo 2020 Dubai in the presence of H.E. Hanan Ahli, Acting Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC), and government officials from the members of the National Committee for SDGs. During which the most important initiatives and steps taken by the members of the Committee were reviewed to ensure that the achievement of the goals in the UAE is strengthened and future efforts and plans are discussed in this regard.

Initiatives

H.E. Reem Al Hashimy said that the UAE government under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, is keen to be at the forefront of active contributors globally in launching initiatives to assist human communities in achieving sustainable development goals. This is based on His Highness’s vision that shaping the future is not merely impromptu decisions, but rather strategic plans based on knowledge and clear objectives grounded in analytical data and accurate realistic information.

She said: “What distinguishes our meeting today is that we meet in this unique place “Expo 2020” in the heart of the UAE sustainability wing at Expo 2020 to link the vision of the past to the efforts of the present and the aspirations of the future and start the “decade of work” in conjunction with the 5th anniversary of the establishment of the National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals.”

Her Excellency stated, “The participating government entities in the committee contribute to enhancing the country’s efforts in supporting sustainable development goals by highlighting the most prominent efforts and initiatives implemented both locally and internationally. The global partnerships adopted by the United Arab Emirates to assist countries and communities worldwide, through the facilitations and logistical support services provided by the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the medical and food aid extended to various countries, all align with sustainable development goals such as eradicating hunger, combating poverty, providing good health, and other objectives.”

She commended the efforts of the committee members and their keenness to achieve the sustainable development goals in the country at the local, regional and international levels, stressing that the Sustainable Development Goals before they be a global approach and a UN agenda are essentially a humanitarian task to improve societies and promote human life, which is the basis of development projects in societies, pointing out that the Sustainable Development Goals represent a large and important part of Expo 2020, where this international event represents an unprecedented opportunity for the world to ensure a sustainable future and bring about change. Positive and looking forward to new prospects in the field of sustainability in the UAE and the world.

She praised the efforts of the committee members and their commitment to achieving sustainable development goals in the country at the local, regional, and international levels. She affirmed that sustainable development goals, before being a global approach and a UN agenda, are fundamentally a humanitarian mission to uplift societies and enhance human life, which is the foundation of development projects in communities. She pointed out that sustainable development goals are a significant and integral part of Expo 2020, where this international event represents an unprecedented opportunity for the world to ensure a sustainable future, create positive change, and envision new horizons in the field of sustainability at the level of the United Arab Emirates and the world.

Her Excellency highlighted that the UAE has made significant strides in the realm of sustainable development. International institutions closely monitoring the country’s performance in various competitive indicators associated with sustainable development have recognized its achievements. The UAE excelled globally in 97 competitive indicators related to sustainable development goals and secured a position among the top ten in 268 other indicators. In its pursuit of regional and international leadership, the government has been actively working to attain the Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, there is a concerted effort to foster partnerships between the government and private sectors to make sustainable development a top community priority in the UAE.

She stated, “Integrated data provided by government and private entities play a crucial role in enhancing the UAE’s efforts to achieve sustainable development goals across various vital sectors. This includes the development of innovative initiatives and making informed decisions based on accurate data.” She emphasized the importance of leveraging the global platform of Expo 2020 and the international events and activities it hosts. This platform serves as an opportunity to showcase the successful experience of the UAE in achieving these goals to the world.

Competitive

​The participants in the meeting reviewed the performance of the UAE in major global competitiveness reports, which include indicators related to sustainable development goals. Committee members also discussed the importance of providing open data through official platforms, emphasizing its contribution to achieving sustainable development goals and enhancing the country’s performance in the Open Data Inventory report. They also delved into mechanisms for identifying priority statistical indicators related to sustainable development goals and their alignment with the timeline for measuring indicators of sustainable development goals.

UAE maintains its ranking in the top ten for the fourth year in a row

June 16th, 2020 – Dubai, United Arab Emirates:

For the fourth year in row, the United Arab Emirates is leading the MENA region in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2020, issued by the WCC (World Competitiveness Center) of the World Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland, which puts the UAE at 9th place in the world among the most competitive countries in the world.

The UAE maintained its position among the top ten competitive countries in the world in 2020, ahead of countries such as the United States, Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, Germany, and the United Kingdom, to be the only Arab country that succeeded in asserting itself in the Big Ten Club in the World Competitiveness Yearbook for 4 years in a row, since joining the top ten in 2017, despite the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic that influenced the 2020 edition.

According to the results of the report, the United Arab Emirates ranked first globally in 23 indicators and sub-factors, while it ranked among the top five globally in 59 indicators and in top ten globally in 106 indicators, out of 338 indicators covered by the report this year.

The IMD World competitiveness yearbook 2020relies on questionnaires collected (33.33%) and on statistics and data provided by countries (66.67%). The report focuses in its classification of the countries on four factors (Economic Performance, Government Efficiency, Business Efficiency and Infrastructure) with 20 sub-factors each that cover 338 competitive indicators in various economic, financial, legislative, management and social fields, along with some new indicators added in this year’s edition of the yearbook. Some of the new additions reflect the importance of achieving sustainable development objectives, and provide a vision of the economy’s position with respect to the various sustainable objectives that must be met within ten years, such as education, environment, empowerment, ageing and health.

UAE takes the lead in 7 factors (The UAE achieves great leaps in 7 factors)

At the sub-factors level, the UAE achieved an improvement in 7 factors, ranking at 1st place globally in the Labor Market factor, and the 5th globally in the Employment Factor, the 6th place in the Pricing Factor. The UAE is also advancing in other sub-factors, such as the social framework, education, and technology, health and the environment infrastructures, while maintaining its rank unchanged in two sub-factors, the factor of Attributes and Values (second in the world) and the factor of Tax Policy (third in the world).

Commenting on the UAE’s performance in this year’s IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook, His Excellency Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Director General of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority said:

“Within the UAE2021 vision and in preparation for the Golden Jubilee, the UAE is moving forward with an ambitious strategy that anticipate the future, nurture a culture of excellence to be in the lead of world competitiveness at various levels. Thanks to the vision and guidance of the UAE’s leadership, the country managed since 2017 to join the top 10 competitive countries in this report, and to consolidate its well-deserved position among the top ten globally in the overall ranking and regional leadership. ”

Rapid changes

Hanan Mansoor Ahli, Executive Director, Competitiveness Sector, said: “The annual change in the ranking of the top ten countries in the yearbook reflects the intensity of the competition between the leading countries in recent years. And thanks to the guidance and support of UAE’s leadership and continuous efforts by the government to enhance the country’s world competitiveness, the UAE has succeeded in solidifying its position among the top ten most competitive economies in the world.”

Fourth in the world in Economic Performance despite the global pandemic

Despite the emergency circumstances that the whole world is going through because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UAE has achieved a balanced performance in the factors of the report, as it moved forward three places in the Economic Performance factor, with the Netherlands topping the global ranking, followed by The United States and Singapore, while the UAE ranked 4th in the world, moving forward three places comparing to last year’s report, ahead of countries such as Germany, China, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Canada, Japan and others.

UAE is leading the world in 23 indicators

The UAE ranked first globally in 23 indicators included in the report within its factors and sub-indicators. In addition, the UAE ranked first globally in the indicators: Bureaucracy Absence, Immigration Laws, Redundancy Costs, low Central Government Foreign Debt, Tax Evasion, Collected Personal Income Tax (%), Collected Indirect Tax Revenues (%), Real Personal Taxes, and the percentage of Females in Parliament, all of which are indicators included in the factor of the Government Efficiency and its sub-factors.

Furthermore, the country ranked first globally in many other indicators such as Labor Force out of the total population, Working Hours, Competent Senior Managers, Industrial Disputes and Foreign Labor Force, all of which are included in Business Efficiency factor. The UAE once again topped the ranks globally in indicators such as Dependency Ratio, Public-Private Partnership and Environmental Laws within the factor of infrastructure and its sub-factors.

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Based on a comprehensive report prepared

By the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority

Dubai, 25 May 2020:The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has recognized the determined efforts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in fighting the coronavirus pandemic and the effective measures taken by the country’s government to limit the fallout of the crisis on different areas, including social and economic sectors.

The commendation followed an ongoing analysis issued by the organization about the possible impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on countries around the world and the ability of their economic systems to deal with the crisis. The OECD’s Covid-19 Policy Hub includes a detailed explanation about the numbers of infected cases in each country and the respective measures they have taken to combat the outbreak.

The OECD based its assessment on a detailed report prepared by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA), which includes the initiatives, efforts and strategic plans made by different government entities at the national level aimed at ensuring the health and safety of the community. Taking into consideration the continuity of work in vital sectors such as energy, education, healthcare, communication and government services, the FCSA report highlights the various steps taken by the UAE to halt the spread of the coronavirus, which includes launching awareness campaigns and implementing practical steps, both of which have served to reduce the number of infected cases.

“The high level of responsiveness and prompt decision-making has led to the swift implementation of national plans to deal with the current crisis and ensured administrative efficiency in all government entities. The level of resilience displayed is proof of the innovation of the government system, which works in perfect harmony and coordination under the guidance of the UAE leadership to serve the country’s sustainable development goals,” said H.E. Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Director General of the FCSA.

“The current crisis has created a real and ongoing challenge. The United Arab Emirates has been able to reduce the fallout from the pandemic in all sectors, thanks to the leadership’s strategy of investing in national qualifications and providing the country’s human capital with all the technical and smart tools to ensure success. Today, we reap the benefits of this investment and are proud of the national integrated team who deserve full praise because of their efforts and ability to collaborate professionally with the OECD – a prestigious global organization,” H.E. Lootah continued.

More achievements

“We are keen to develop an integrated infrastructure for the national statistics system and to continuously update a comprehensive database that enables us to prepare detailed reports and studies that serve to advance the position of the United Arab Emirates on various global competitiveness indicators, in line with the directions of the prudent leadership,” H.E stressed.

“We are proud of the praise from the OECD regarding the United Arab Emirates’ efforts and its efficiency in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. We invite all government entities to redouble their cooperation and coordination efforts across all domains to achieve greater successes and make qualitative advances for the country in all sectors and across different indicators,” H.E concluded.

For His part, Andreas Schaal, Director of Global Relations, OECD, said : ““ The Covid-19 crisis has bluntly reminded us that, as our countries form part of a global interconnected community, international cooperation has never been so important. The UAE has proven to be an important and innovative partner, as we collectively strive to develop the most effective policies to address such an unprecedented crisis. Looking forward, we are convinced that the United Arab Emirates can play an important role in converting this crisis into an opportunity for the MENA region, and we welcome working with the UAE to make this possible.”

On the level of measures

As part of the OECD’s response to the pandemic, a Digital Hub on Tackling the Coronavirus (COVID-19) was launched to provide countries with timely and comprehensive information on policy responses around the world, together with OECD advice, in some cases. Specifically, the Country Policy Tracker is a repository of policy responses and measures from over 90 countries which allows citizens and policy makers to explore the actions taken by each country as we advance through the crisis towards recovery. Beyond immediate responses.

The Digital Hub aims to provide analysis on the longer-term consequences and impacts, paving the way to recovery with coordinated policy responses across countries. OECD analysis underpins the need for decisive action and a coordinated response by governments to kick-start the economy when possible, support the recovery and maintain a lifeline to people. In this way.

The OECD hopes to help governments learn from each other in real time, facilitate co-ordination, and contribute to the necessary global action when confronting this enormous collective challenge.

The United Arab Emirates’ efforts have been recognized and included within the indicator, due to its strategic partnership with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The countries included in the measures’ indicator include the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (a member of the G20 group), Morocco and Egypt (which have a special cooperation known as Country Programmes), in the addition to Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates, which has a close relationship with the Organization through a Memorandum of Understanding.

Innovative efforts

The report issued by the FCSA highlights the efforts of the UAE government in dealing with the crisis on several levels, including containing the spread of the virus through quarantine and movement restrictions, the application of a distance learning system for university and school students, cancelling public events, curtailing air travel and suspending certain economic activities.

The report explains that the efforts to contain the virus are accompanied by a series of supportive, economic stimulators and commercial growth measures for individuals and companies in order to ensure business continuity. These include the launch by the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates of two plans worth AED 256 billion, comprising AED 100 billion to support the economic growth of the retail sector and affected companies, and AED 156 billion to support the national economy. It also draws attention to the Abu Dhabi government’s AED 9 billion support plan and the Dubai government’s economic incentive package worth AED 1.5 billion. Other initiatives highlighted in the report include the United Arab Emirates Cabinet approving federal government financial stimulus packages worth AED 16 billion to support business continuity on top of previously announced economic incentive packages.

The FCSA report outlines that the economic measures have been accompanied by supportive healthcare measures. These include the conducting of the largest number of examinations on the population level compared to the other countries, with the tests ongoing on a daily basis and contributing to the detection of many cases. It also highlights the establishment of 13 drive-in testing centres across the UAE and a number of field hospitals that have been opened to ensure the highest levels of health and safety.

The FCSA report also includes the measures taken to reduce burdens on the private sector, with the various financial stimulus packages amounting to AED 86 million. These include extending automatically expired residencies for employees and workers for a period of three months, cancelling administrative fines for expired permits until the end of the current year, and reducing electricity and water services fees for dealers in the tourism, hospitality and trade sectors by 20% for a period of three months. It concludes with a reference to the regulatory measures taken to raise awareness of preventive measures and to preserve mental wellbeing in society.

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