Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE are leading the world in internet penetration, with networks covering 100% of their populations.
There are five core pillars used to assess countries worldwide on Surfshark’s Digital Quality of Life Index (DQL Index), and GCC countries are among the top-ranked, establishing their position in tech advancements and digital innovation.
In terms of internet affordability, Kuwait is ranked 13th globally in terms of the time needed to work to afford the cheapest broadband internet.
In terms of internet quality, the UAE holds the top position overall and ranks first for mobile speed at 310 Mbps. Qatar is among the top 20 globally for the same pillar.
Compared to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain’s mobile internet is 10% faster. Since last year, mobile internet speed in Bahrain has improved by 97%, while fixed broadband speed has grown by 9%.
It is worth noting that the UAE ranked first for fixed broadband speed improvement and, together with Bahrain and Qatar, was among the top 5 globally for mobile internet speed improvement.
The DQL index ranks Bahrain 57th in the world in overall digital quality of life, while the UAE was placed 38th, Saudi Arabia 45th and Qatar 48th. In Asia, Bahrain takes 16th place, with Singapore as the leader in the region.
Furthermore, Bahrain is 68th in the world in terms of e-security, 24 places higher than last year, while Saudi Arabia sits at 42nd and Qatar 67th. Focusing on cybersecurity alone, Saudi Arabia is in 14th place, exemplifying its efforts to keep the Kingdom secure digitally.
Additionally, performing well in e-infrastructure are the UAE at 17th place and Saudi Arabia at 28th place.
The UAE also ranked 17th globally for the e-government pillar, securing spots among the top 30 countries for the online service index (12th) and AI readiness (21st).
Also Read: GCC Countries Revealed Strong Digital Transformation Efforts in 2022
