The Arab Federation for Digital Economy released the fifth edition of its index on 22 September at Seamless Middle East in Dubai. The federation’s announcement placed the UAE first among Arab countries, with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman also in the highest-performing group. It reported that 20 Arab countries improved from the 2024 edition, while two recorded a slight decline.

The index’s nine pillars were reorganised into eight analytical axes covering governance and digital institutions; infrastructure; human capital; innovation and technology; the data economy and artificial intelligence; digital and financial inclusion; cybersecurity and data sovereignty; and economic and social impact. The federation said its database uses published international sources and, where available, official national data, and that results underwent sensitivity and robustness tests. The announcement does not provide country scores and describes the index as a comparative tool for tracking trends and gaps, rather than a definitive or absolute performance measure.