Saudi Arabia Leads Arab Region in Digital Economy

Saudi Arabia has taken the top regional spot in digital-economy development, ranking first in the 2025 Government Electronic and Mobile Services Maturity Index with an overall maturity score of 99%. The result reflects years of investment in unified digital platforms serving residents, businesses, and government.

The Kingdom recorded 100% for service availability and development, 99% for service usage and user satisfaction, and 100% for public outreach. These figures point to how deeply digital government services have become part of daily life for both citizens and expatriates.

The wider picture is equally strong. The Saudi telecommunications and technology market reached roughly SAR 190 billion by the end of 2025 and is projected to hit SAR 199 billion by the end of 2026. The digital economy now contributes about 16% of national GDP, while data-center capacity climbed to 467 MW in the first quarter of 2026, up sharply from 68 MW in 2021.

What it means for the community

Everyday services are already digital. نفاذ (Nafath) delivers unified digital identity and authentication through mobile apps, while أبشر (Absher) offers more than 460 electronic services spanning individuals, businesses, and government, including national identity, residence permits, driving licences, and vehicle registration documents.

Businesses benefit from Etimad, the unified platform for government procurement covering tenders, bidding, contract awards, and payments. Electronic invoicing has been mandatory for Saudi taxpayers — other than non-resident taxpayers — since implementation began in December 2020. Municipal needs are handled through Balady, which provides commercial-activity services and fee calculators; its self-services run 24/7, and its customer-care number is 199040.

Together, these platforms show why the Kingdom continues to lead the region: a connected ecosystem where identity, payments, licensing, and public services increasingly happen online.

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