The United Arab Emirates has ranked sixth globally and first regionally in the Comprehensive Digitalisation Index, surpassing major economies including France, Germany, Japan, Canada and South Korea, according to the "State of the Digital Economy in India 2026" report published by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) in partnership with Prosus, a digital economy and internet company.
The ranking is based on the CHIPS model, which assesses countries' digital performance across five dimensions: digital connectivity, technology adoption, innovation, digital protection, and sustainability, with artificial intelligence indicators incorporated into the evaluation methodology for the first time.
Across the sub-dimensions, the UAE ranked second in digital connectivity, 16th in technology adoption and artificial intelligence, and 25th in innovation.
The model draws on 58 indicators distributed across 16 sub-indicators, combining the size of the digital economy with the intensity of its use into a single composite index that enables systematic cross-country comparison.
The report covered 71 countries selected according to two criteria: a population exceeding 20 million or a GDP surpassing $100 billion in 2025, along with a requirement that available data cover at least 80% of the core indicators.
In the standalone artificial intelligence index, the UAE ranked 11th globally on a list headed by the United States, followed by China and Singapore, confirming that the country combines well-established traditional digital capabilities with rapid advances in artificial intelligence applications.
The report's methodology is distinguished by its emphasis on actual outcomes and operational capacity over infrastructure indicators alone, setting it apart from comparable indices produced by the International Monetary Fund and the International Telecommunication Union, and giving it greater ability to capture the real impact of digital transformation rather than merely the readiness for it.