UAE leads Arab Digital Economy Index 2026 at Seamless Middle East

The Seamless Middle East 2026 conference and exhibition has launched at the Dubai World Trade Centre, bringing together over 25,000 participants, 800 speakers, and 750 exhibitors. The event focuses on the future of payments, fintech, digital commerce, and the impact of artificial intelligence and data on the global economy.

During the event, the results of the ‘Arab Digital Economy Index 2026’ were announced, with the United Arab Emirates ranking first among Arab nations. The UAE leads a high-performance group that includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman. Other nations, such as Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, were categorized within the medium-performance group.

Dr. Ali Mohammed Al Khouri, Chairman of the Arab Union for Digital Economy, noted that the index highlights ‘digital sovereignty’ as a critical discussion point for Arab economies. While the region has shown progress in digital infrastructure, government services, and cybersecurity, gaps remain in innovation, data economics, and research and development.