The Global Knowledge Index, published through a strategic partnership between the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation and the United Nations Development Programme, continues to cement its standing as one of the most important international analytical tools for measuring countries' readiness to transition to a knowledge economy — at a time when the world is rapidly shifting toward development models built on innovation, technology, and human capital.
The index is grounded in a comprehensive scientific methodology designed to offer a holistic reading of knowledge performance levels across countries, enabling a deeper understanding of the factors that influence sustainable development and identifying strengths and weaknesses within economic, social, and educational structures.
The United Arab Emirates stands as an advanced model in leveraging the outputs of the Global Knowledge Index within its development strategies, reflecting pioneering performance in knowledge infrastructure. The UAE ranked 26th out of 195 countries in the Global Knowledge Index 2025, and also placed 26th out of 74 countries in the very high human development category.
The importance of this approach is particularly evident in the country's ability to confront challenges and emerge safely from crises, driven by its adoption of knowledge as a fundamental pillar for building a sustainable economy based on innovation and technology.
This orientation also reflects the country's firm vision of promoting investment in education, developing human capital, supporting research and development ecosystems, and accelerating digital transformation pathways.
The Global Knowledge Index provides added value for decision-makers by supplying data and indicators covering key sectors including education, information and communications technology, research and development, and the economy, in addition to enabling factors related to governance and a knowledge-supportive environment.
This framework allows countries to diagnose gaps in their knowledge systems and identify strategic priorities, helping them develop more effective responses to crises and emerge from them in a manner that is effective, sustainable, and ensures a safe path to the future.
The index is also used as a benchmark for cross-country comparisons, enabling precise measurement of progress levels and tracking of performance over time — helping governments and institutions improve their responses to evolving development challenges.
In its latest edition, the index covered 195 countries and recorded more than 3 million downloads, confirming its growing importance. It does not merely monitor reality but provides an interpretive reading that helps illuminate the relationship between knowledge, economic growth, and quality of life.
The index highlights the role of knowledge in supporting countries' capacity to adapt to rapidly escalating global crises by reinforcing institutional and societal resilience and stimulating innovation in public policy. It also sheds light on the importance of integration across different knowledge sectors as an interconnected system, where advances in education affect the quality of scientific research.
Likewise, the development of digital infrastructure is reflected in economic productivity and innovation. Data from the Global Knowledge Index 2025 revealed a clear correlation between income levels and knowledge performance, with high-income economies generally recording higher overall scores in the index. Nevertheless, the data shows that high income does not necessarily guarantee advanced knowledge performance unless it is accompanied by sustained investment in knowledge systems.
For example, the gap between Switzerland (67.8) and Guyana (29.5) reached 38.3 points, despite both being classified as high-income countries by the World Bank — indicating that income level alone is insufficient to achieve advanced knowledge performance.
When examining 65 high-income countries, performance gaps appeared across all sub-indicators within the Global Knowledge Index, but were most pronounced in research, development, and innovation, where the gap reached 51 points in that sub-indicator. Countries such as Panama (9) and Guyana (9.4) scored lower in this sub-indicator than many middle-income countries.