BEIRUT, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) — Gulf states ranked first in the Arab region in a UN index that measures the maturity of government electronic and mobile services, according to a UN statement released on Monday.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar secured the top three spots in the Government Electronic and Mobile Services (GEMS) Maturity Index, which is compiled by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), according to a statement.
The index assesses the availability, sophistication, usage, satisfaction and public outreach of digital services in 22 Arab countries, based on data collected from official websites and mobile applications.
Nawar Al-Awa, the ESCWA GEMS project leader, said there were wide gaps among Arab countries in the level of digital services, and urged more support for those lagging behind.
“We need to support the countries still in the early stages of digital transformation through leveraging cooperation and exchanging knowledge and experiences,” Al-Awa said, adding “this will help them to accelerate digital transformation and maximize the positive impact of digital technologies in government services.”
The statement said most Arab countries had shown interest and progress in implementing digital transformation across public sectors.
The GEMS Index is an essential tool to assist decision-makers in the Arab region in advancing efforts towards digitization of government services and monitoring progress in digital transformation, the statement added.
