The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has achieved a new global milestone by ranking first worldwide in the Digital Readiness Framework 2025 issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The Kingdom scored 94 out of 100 within the “Very High” category, advancing to first place globally, compared to 90 points and fourth place in the previous year.
The Kingdom topped the global ranking, followed by Finland and Germany in second and third place with 93 points each, then the United Kingdom in fourth place with 92 points, Norway in fifth place with 91 points, and France in sixth place with 90 points.
This achievement reflects the rapid progress witnessed by the Kingdom in building an advanced digital ecosystem, founded on mature regulatory policies, effective governance frameworks, and strong institutional capabilities. This progress enhances the competitiveness of digital markets, supports economic and social growth, and aligns with the Kingdom’s objectives in transitioning to the smart era.
The Digital Readiness Framework is one of the specialized international indicators used to measure national readiness of digital ecosystems. It evaluates telecommunications and technology systems, policies, and governance tools, based on analytical outputs that include digital regulatory maturity and the development of sector regulations. The framework comprises 117 indicators distributed across nine main pillars.
The Kingdom’s leading position in this framework reaffirms its global standing as a pioneering model in building an enabling digital environment that adopts best regulatory practices, promotes data-driven decision-making, and supports the integration of roles among relevant entities. This contributes to enhancing the resilience of the digital ecosystem and its capability to keep pace with rapid global technological changes. This progress also highlights the scale of national efforts in developing regulatory and legislative frameworks, empowering digital markets, and improving institutional efficiency—factors that have enabled the Kingdom to reach the “Very High” category, which includes only a limited number of countries worldwide, thereby underscoring its international leadership and the strength of its development trajectory in the communications and technology sector.
This achievement is the result of integrated national efforts among several government and regulatory entities, including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Media, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Economy and Planning, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the Communications, Space and Technology Commission, the Digital Government Authority, the Saudi Central Bank, the Saudi Data & AI Authority, and the National Cybersecurity Authority, in addition to a number of partner entities such as the General Authority for Media Regulation, the Transport General Authority, the Saudi Water Authority, the Saudi Electricity Regulatory Authority, the General Authority for Competition, the National Competitiveness Center, and the Consumer Protection Association.
This accomplishment reinforces the Kingdom’s presence in specialized international indices, strengthens its position as a leading global hub in the digital economy, and enhances its appeal as a destination for investment and innovation, supported by an ambitious vision toward a more prosperous and thriving future.
Source: Riyadh Daily