Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: Saudi Arabia ranked 13th globally among 70 countries in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2026, published by the International Institute for Management Development, climbing four spots from 17th place in 2025.
According to the report, the Kingdom ranked third among the G20 economies, driven by the continued efforts of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence (SDAIA) to support the adoption of AI technologies, raise awareness, and strengthen confidence in advanced technologies among society and the business sector.
These achievements underscore the Kingdom's growing leadership in data and AI and support its transition toward a knowledge- and technology-driven economy.
The IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2026 found that Saudi Arabia ranked fourth globally in societal access to AI, fifth globally in corporate AI investment and AI trust indicators, and seventh globally in AI skills for the business sector.
The results reflect SDAIA’s pivotal role in strengthening Saudi Arabia's position in data and AI and reinforcing its standing as a global model for adopting advanced technologies, in line with Vision 2030’s objectives of enhancing the Kingdom’s competitiveness across international indicators.