UAE stands 1st and 2nd globally in 47 competitiveness indexes

In 2018, the UAE occupied the first and second positions internationally in 47 competitiveness indexes covering around 13 development sectors, reflecting its efforts to achieve comprehensive development and the UAE 2021 Vision.

The UAE’s accomplishments were documented by several leading international organisations.

In the labour sector, the UAE occupied the first position in the “Ease of Employment and Work Productivity Index” in 2018, according to the International Talents Competitiveness Report by the INSEAD Business School, as well as the second position in the “Flow of High Skilled Workers and Intellect Attraction Index.”

In the area of education, the UAE occupied the first position internationally in the category of “Percentage of Foreign Higher Education Student Enrolment,” as well as the “Rate of Completing the Elementary Stage in Schools” and “Presence of International Students,” according to the International Innovation Index of the INSEAD Business School in 2018 and the Legatum Prosperity Index, respectively.

The UAE occupied the first position globally in the economy sector, in the “Lack of Inflation” and “Lack of Threats to Changes of Location of Services of the Future of the Economy” indexes, according to the World Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum while the Annual Competitiveness Report 2018 of the International Institute for Management Development ranked the UAE in the second position in the category of “Promoting Entrepreneurship.”

The International Innovation Index ranked the UAE in the same positions in the “Establishment of Economic Conglomerates Index” and the “Customs Services Sector Index.”

In the telecommunication and information technology sectors, the UAE was ranked first in the category of “Broadband Subscriptions” in the Global Competitiveness Report, an second in the “Digital Transformation of Companies,” according to the 2018 Global Competitiveness Yearbook.

In terms of the environment, the UAE was ranked the first globally in 2018 in the category of “Level of Satisfaction at the Efforts to Protect the Environment,” according to the Legatum Prosperity Report while in the area of finance, the country was ranked second in the category of “Debt Dynamics,” according to the Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum, and the same position in the “Lack of Tax Impact on Investment Incentives” category, according to the Global Tourism and Travel Competitiveness Report.

The UAE was also ranked second globally in the “Ease of Tax Payment Index,” as documented by the Business Practice Report, and the same position in the categories of “Foreign Exchange Rates Supporting Company Competitiveness,” “Reduced Capital Tax” and Real Estate Tax.”

In the industry and innovation sector, the UAE was ranked first in the category of “Lack of Threats to the Future of the Economy Due to Changes to Research and Development Facility Locations,” according to the annual World Competitiveness Index, and was ranked in the same position in the category of “Lack of Threats to Change Production Sites on the Future of the Economy,” according to the INSEAD Business School Global Innovation Index.

The performance of the UAE government also progressed significantly, ranking first internationally in terms of “Efficiency of Government Resolution Implementation,” “Flexibility of Residency Laws,” and “Partnerships Between the Public and Private Sectors.” The UAE was ranked second in the categories of “Tolerance Towards Foreigners,” “Confidence in the Government” and “Ability to Adapt to Government Policies.”

In the area of energy, the UAE was ranked first in the world in terms of “Easy Access to Electricity” while in the infrastructure sector, it was ranked first in the “Roads Quality Index” and second in the “Aerial Transport Infrastructure Quality.”

In the tourism and travel sector, the UAE was ranked first in the “Tourism and Travel Sector Priority Index,” as well as in the “Shopping Efficiency to Attract Tourists Index,” the “Sustainability and Development of the Tourism and Travel Sector Index” and the “Tourism Sector Infrastructure Quality Index.”

In the area of health, the country was ranked first in the categories of “Health Sector,” “Absence of HIV” and “Absence of Malaria,” as well as second in the “Health Care Satisfaction Index.”

The UAE was ranked first internationally with regard to justice and security, in the categories of “Lack of Labour Disputes” and “Low Impact of Crime and Violence on the Cost of Work,” and second in the “Security Index” and the “Gender Balance Index.” It also ranked first in terms of gender equity and literacy rate, and second in terms of equal pay for similar work.

WAM