Global Competitiveness Report (WEF)

Global Competitiveness Report (WEF)
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Global and regional ranking

The UAE was ranked first in the Arab region and 25th globally in the Global Competitiveness Report 2019 (PDF, 350 KB), released by The World Economic Forum. According to the report, which assesses the competitiveness of 141 economies, the UAE’s rank went up by 2 positions since the previous edition of the report.

Performance indicators

The report measures countries on 103 indicators which are spread under 12 pillars. The 12 pillars are:

  1. Institutions
  2. Infrastructure
  3. ICT adoption
  4. Macroeconomic stability
  5. Health
  6. Skills
  7. Product market
  8. Labour market
  9. Financial system
  10. Market size
  11. Business dynamism
  12. Innovation capability.

The UAE came 1st globally in macroeconomic stability, 2nd in ICT adoption and 4th in product market. It came in the top 10 globally in the following sub-pillars:

  1. Public-sector performance (4th rank)
  2. Domestic competition (6th rank)
  3. Security (7th rank)
  4. Trade openness (7th rank)
  5. Entrepreneurial culture (8th rank)
  6. Infrastructure and transport (8th rank)
  7. Future orientation of government (9th rank).

The UAE led in the following indicators:

  1. Inflation
  2. Debt dynamics
  3. Mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions
  4. Credit gap.

 

It came 2nd globally in the following indicators:

  1. Electricity access
  2. Mobile-broadband subscriptions
  3. Internal labour mobility.

It took the 3rd place in government's responsiveness to change and 4th in the following indicators: 

  1. Efficiency of legal framework in challenging regulations
  2. Burden of government regulation
  3. Legal framework's adaptability to digital business models
  4. Future orientation of government
  5. Fibre internet subscriptions
  6. Pay and productivity
  7. Venture capital availability.

It came 5th in the following indicators:

  1. Internet users
  2. Growth of innovative companies
  3. Distortive effect of taxes and subsidies on competition.

The UAE occupied the 6th place in Efficiency of legal framework in settling disputes, and the 7th place in place in the following indicators:

  1. Quality of road infrastructure
  2. Attitudes towards entrepreneurial risk
  3. Efficiency of air transport services,
  4. Organized crime impact on businesses

The UAE occupied the 8th place in:

  1. Government ensuring policy stability
  2. Ease of finding skilled employees
  3. Critical thinking in teaching.

The UAE occupied the 9th rank in the following indicators:

  1. Homicide rate per 100,000 population
  2. Prevalence of non-tariff barriers
  3. Hiring and firing practices
  4. Financing of SMEs.
  5. State of cluster development
  6. Companies embracing disruptive idea

Methodology

The assessment is based on the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), which maps the competitiveness landscape of 141 economies through 103 indicators organised into 12 pillars. For each indicator, the index uses a scale between 0 and 100 and the final score shows how close an economy is to the ideal state or being the frontier of competitiveness. The Global Competitiveness Report is a flagship publication of The World Economic Forum.

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Updated on:

30 Dec 2024