The UAE has kept its pivotal place in a number of indicators, including global competitiveness indicators related to the information and communications technology (ICT) sector according to the Global Knowledge Index (GKI) 2019, outpacing 134 countries.
The UAE topped the list in the population covered by mobile-cellular networks, Internet and telephony level of competition, and active mobile-broadband subscriptions, along with a remarkable record of fixed-broadband subscribers, International Internet bandwidth per Internet user, ICT Inputs, and Internet users, said a press release on Tuesday.
The country has seen major advance in investment in telecom services, rising to the fourth globally in 2019 from the 86th in 2018, while being the second globally in terms of subscriptions in 2019 after it was in the seventh place in 2018.
The report was released by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation in collaboration with the Regional Bureau for Arab States and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
“These results are the outcome of the great efforts made by TRA team at The Telecommunications Sector, in cooperation with TRA's strategic partners, in line with the directives of the wise leadership and keen to achieve the UAE's vision and future goals,” said TRA's director general, Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori.
He added, “Today we are on the threshold of a new phase of Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital transformation and smart services. This stage requires us to develop new plans and strategy through which we foresee the future, understand its requirements and work to achieve it based on the national human cadres.”
It is worth noting that the GKI 2019 assists leaders in preparing their citizens for the future knowledge setting along with equipping them with sufficient skills. It primarily works for comprehensive and sustainable development, therefore, it measures the knowledge related to different dimensions of contemporary human life and transforms it into intelligent knowledge-based development.