Saudi Arabia’s trajectory on the United Nations E-Government Development Index represents one of the most dramatic ascents in the index’s history. From a rank of 52nd in 2016, the Kingdom has climbed to the top 20, a reflection of sustained and systematic investment in digital government infrastructure, services, and human capital.
The EGDI Framework
The EGDI assesses e-government development across three sub-indices: the Online Service Index (measuring the breadth and quality of digital government services), the Telecommunications Infrastructure Index (measuring connectivity and access), and the Human Capital Index (measuring education and digital literacy).
Saudi Arabia’s improvement has been most pronounced on the Online Service Index, where the Kingdom now ranks among the global top 10, reflecting the DGA’s comprehensive digitization of 6,200 government services. The Telecommunications Infrastructure Index has also improved significantly following the national broadband strategy and 5G deployment.
Drivers of Improvement
Several factors explain the acceleration. First, institutional consolidation through the creation of the Digital Government Authority established clear accountability and eliminated the fragmented governance that previously hampered progress. Second, the government’s willingness to invest at scale — digital government spending has averaged 3.2% of total government expenditure since 2020 — provided the resources necessary for rapid modernization.
Third, the adoption of platform-based approaches rather than agency-by-agency digitization created economies of scale and consistency. Fourth, the integration of user experience mandates into procurement requirements ensured that digitization produced services citizens actually want to use.
Remaining Gaps
The Human Capital Index remains the weakest component of Saudi Arabia’s EGDI score. While digital literacy among urban populations is high, gaps persist in rural areas and among older demographics. The government’s Digital Inclusion Programme, targeting 95% digital literacy by 2030, aims to address this final constraint.