The UAE ranks first globally for citizen satisfaction with government digital services, with 89% of respondents rating them highly in Boston Consulting Group's sixth Digital Government Citizen Survey, launched on the opening day of AI Everything Abu Dhabi. The 2026 edition spanned 44 countries and 48,500 respondents.
The UAE also led worldwide on digital service usage at 53%, while 76% of UAE respondents rated public digital services above private-sector equivalents, ahead of Saudi Arabia at 74% and Qatar at 68%. The GCC remains the only surveyed region where government outscores the private sector, though that net margin slipped from 75% in 2024 to 69%.
The GCC is also the most AI-receptive globally, with 79% of citizens open to AI-centred government interactions against 66% worldwide. Some 53% of UAE respondents believe AI's benefits outweigh the risks, compared with 49% across the GCC and 36% globally, and only around 4% of GCC respondents want human-only services.
Gulf Economist Staff Writer