UAE leads Arab nations in digital economy rankings for 2026
Index highlights progress while identifying gaps in regional digital growth
DUBAI – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has topped the Arab Digital Economy Index 2026, with the latest results unveiled on Tuesday as Seamless Middle East 2026 opened at Dubai World Trade Centre.
The event is being held from 22 to 24 September under the patronage of Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, and Supreme President of the Arab Federation for Digital Economy. The three-day gathering brings together major players from payments, fintech, banking, digital commerce, retail, identity and logistics.
More than 25,000 participants, 800 speakers and 750 exhibitors are taking part in the event, which has attracted government officials, business leaders, technology specialists, investors and representatives of international and regional organisations.
Seamless Middle East 2026
The opening session brought together diplomatic, government and institutional representatives from across the Arab world and beyond. Ambassadors and delegates from Egypt, Oman, Qatar, Lebanon, Mauritania, Tunisia, Syria, Djibouti and Palestine attended, alongside Russian representatives and officials from international and regional organisations.
UAE officials from government, economic, financial and academic institutions were also present, with representatives from the finance, energy, customs and economic development sectors, banks, chambers of commerce, research and innovation centres and international organisations.
The opening programme featured an address by Dr Ali Mohammed Al-Khouri, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Federation for Digital Economy and Advisor to the Council of Arab Economic Unity, followed by the launch of the 2026 index.
The UAE led the highest-performing group, alongside Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. The second group, representing countries with medium levels of performance, included Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria.
A third group comprised countries still building their digital foundations. It included Lebanon, Mauritania, Iraq, Djibouti, Comoros, Libya, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen.
Digital economy
The index measures digital-economy performance through a broad framework covering institutions, infrastructure, workforce, digital government, innovation, knowledge and technology, market forces, capital-market growth and sustainable development.
The 2026 results showed stronger progress across the Arab world in areas including digital infrastructure, government services and cybersecurity. At the same time, the assessment identified continuing gaps in innovation, the data economy, research and development, and the capacity to turn digital investment into greater productivity and economic value.
Al-Khouri said the latest edition puts digital sovereignty at the centre of discussions about the future of Arab economies. He pointed to the growing importance of data, artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, semiconductors and cybersecurity to countries' economic and institutional capabilities.
Addressing the UAE's position, Al-Khouri attributed its ranking to sustained investment in digital infrastructure, government services, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and the knowledge economy. He said these efforts have supported the country's development as a model for an innovation-driven economy focused on translating technological progress into productivity and economic value.
He also thanked the UAE for supporting the development of the Arab digital economy and expressed appreciation to President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his support and patronage of the Arab Digital Economy Vision.
The vision was launched in Abu Dhabi in 2018 with the support and patronage of Sheikh Mohamed and was later adopted at Arab leaders' level in 2022 as a framework for regional cooperation in digital-economy development and technological transformation.
The Arab Digital Economy Index is one of the federation's tools for measuring progress, identifying gaps and setting future priorities.
Meanwhile, Seamless Middle East 2026 is hosting discussions on fintech, digital payments, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, data analytics, cybersecurity and emerging technologies, with government entities, financial institutions, technology companies, investors and experts participating throughout the event.