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Muscat – The Sultanate of Oman has made significant strides in the United Nations E-Government Index 2024 advancing nine positions to rank 41st out of 193 countries.
This marks a substantial improvement from its 50th place in 2022, positioning Oman as the fifth-ranked nation in the Middle East and North Africa and 12th in Asia now.
Created by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the biennial UN E-Government Survey is monitored by E-Government Index, comprising three main sub-indices: Online Services Index, the Telecommunications Infrastructure Index, and the Human Capital Index.
In the 2024 Online Services Index, Oman achieved a ranking of 48th, up from 58th in 2022. This index evaluates the official portals for e-government services and government websites across various sectors, including education, health, social development, finance, employment, environment, and open data initiatives.
The Telecommunications Infrastructure Index measures readiness through four indicators: Broadband Internet penetration per 100 inhabitants, percentage of individuals using the Internet, mobile phone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, and fixed internet subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.
Oman also showed notable progress in the Human Capital Index, climbing 14 spots to 55th place globally, compared to 69th in 2022. This improvement reflects advancements in education levels, assessed through indicators such as adult literacy rates, gross enrollment rates in primary and secondary education, expected years of study, and average years of study.
According to the survey, with robust ICT infrastructure and widespread Internet access, Oman ranks among the top 50 countries in the Government AI Readiness Index. The digitisation of the 2020 census improved data accuracy, and the fully digitised electoral process in recent Consultative Assembly elections showcased Oman’s progress.
The GCC countries too have achieved remarkable progress in digital government transformation.
‘These nations have embraced the digital revolution as part of their broader economic diversification strategies, with significant investments in digital infrastructure, e-services and smart technologies,’ it stated.
Overall Saudi Arabia is ranked 6th, the UAE 11th, Bahrain 18th, Qatar 53rd and Kuwait 66th.
‘A key element of their success has been the strategic importance assigned to digital cooperation among GCC countries, as this approach has facilitated the sharing of advancements and regional integration in digital governance.’
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