ABU DHABI: The UAE has ranked first globally for citizen satisfaction with digital government services, with 89% of respondents rating the country’s services highly, according to Boston Consulting Group’s 2026 Digital Government Citizen Survey.
The findings were presented on October 6 alongside AI Everything Abu Dhabi and form part of BCG’s latest assessment of how citizens use, experience and view digital public services. The global survey covered 44 countries and 48,500 respondents.
The UAE’s result comes after years of investment in online government platforms and integrated digital services. BCG’s findings indicate that the country’s digital-government experience is now also providing a platform for the wider adoption of artificial intelligence in public services.
UAE leads in digital government usage
The UAE also ranked first globally in the reported use of government digital services, at 53%, according to the survey.
Another measure points to the competitiveness of the UAE’s online public services. Seventy-six per cent of UAE respondents said their latest digital government transaction provided a better experience than they typically receive from private-sector organisations.
That figure is part of a broader GCC trend. BCG found that the Gulf remained the only surveyed region where citizens, on balance, rated public digital services above private-sector services. In the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the respective figures for respondents who considered government digital services better than private-sector alternatives were 76%, 74% and 68%.
The result suggests that digital government in the UAE is no longer simply about moving traditional paperwork online. Service quality, accessibility and the overall user experience have become important measures of how people interact with government.
Digital government prepares UAE for AI services
The latest survey also shows how quickly artificial intelligence is becoming part of everyday technology use in the UAE.
Eighty-two per cent of UAE respondents said they use AI weekly, while 53% said the benefits of using AI in government outweigh the risks. The corresponding figure was 49% across the GCC and 36% globally.
Across the GCC, 79% of respondents said they were comfortable with AI-enabled government interactions, compared with 66% globally.
But the survey also points to a preference for a mixed model rather than completely automated government services. Half of GCC respondents said they preferred AI for simpler services while retaining human involvement for more complex ones. BCG said this preference had risen by nine percentage points over two years.
That distinction could become increasingly important as governments move beyond basic chatbots and introduce AI agents capable of carrying out more tasks on behalf of users.
UAE’s digital transformation has a longer track record
The 2026 BCG result follows years of progress in UAE digital government.
The official UAE Government platform says satisfaction with government digital services rose from 70% in 2017 to 91% in 2024 in its own national satisfaction tracking. The government has also continued expanding its unified digital infrastructure.
In May 2026, the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority said the UAE Government’s official U.ae platform had attracted more than 11 million users over the preceding 12 months, recording more than 18 million visits during that period.
The UAE’s broader international digital-government position is also reflected in the UN’s 2024 E-Government Survey. The country ranked 11th globally in the overall E-Government Development Index and first globally in several Online Services Index sub-components, including content provision and institutional framework.
What comes next for UAE government services?
BCG’s latest findings suggest that the next challenge is not simply increasing the number of digital services. Governments will need to make AI-powered services useful while maintaining public confidence, particularly as systems become capable of handling more complex tasks.
The consulting firm identified job loss and accuracy among the leading AI concerns for GCC citizens and said governments would need safeguards such as testing, certification, documentation and public reporting to build trust.
For UAE residents, that points towards a government-service model in which routine interactions can increasingly be automated, while human judgement remains important for complex or high-stakes decisions.
The country’s first-place satisfaction ranking therefore comes at a transition point: the UAE has established a strong digital-government foundation, and the next measure of success will be how effectively that infrastructure can incorporate AI without compromising reliability, transparency and trust.
What is the UAE’s global ranking for digital government satisfaction?
The UAE ranked first globally, with 89% of respondents rating its digital government services highly in BCG’s 2026 survey.
How many countries were included in the BCG 2026 Digital Government Citizen Survey?
The global survey covered 44 countries and 48,500 respondents.
What percentage of UAE respondents rated digital government services highly?
89% of UAE respondents gave the country’s digital government services a high rating.
How widely are digital government services used in the UAE?
The UAE ranked first globally in reported government digital-service usage, at 53% in the BCG survey.
Do UAE residents prefer digital government services to private-sector services?
According to BCG, 76% of UAE respondents said their latest digital government transaction provided a better experience than their typical private-sector interaction.
How receptive are UAE respondents to AI?
The survey found that 82% of UAE respondents use AI weekly, while 53% believe the benefits of AI in government outweigh its risks.
Do GCC citizens want fully automated government services?
Not necessarily. BCG found that half of GCC respondents preferred AI for simple services while keeping human involvement for more complex services.
What is the UAE’s next challenge in digital government?
The next phase involves expanding AI-enabled services while maintaining accuracy, transparency, safeguards and human oversight where necessary.
