Cybersecurity

Capacity to protect digital infrastructure as a prerequisite for responsible AI deployment.

Key messages

Five states score above 94 on the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Egypt and Qatar.
Eight states score below 36, most of them in fragile or conflict-affected contexts.
The ITU index and the National Cyber Security Index agree fairly well (r = 0.83, n = 15) but diverge for several Gulf states.
Strong cybersecurity institutions, as in Oman, can serve as a platform for AI oversight where dedicated bodies are still thin.

Five states score above 94 on the ITU index: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Egypt and Qatar. The ITU index and the National Cyber Security Index agree fairly well across the region (r = 0.83, n = 15). Where cybersecurity institutions are strong and AI bodies are still thin, as in Oman, the former can host early AI oversight functions.

Figure 18Five states score above 94 on the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index; eight score below 36

SAU99.54 UAE98.06 OMN96.04 EGY95.48 QAT94.50 TUN86.23 MAR82.41 BHR77.86 KWT75.07 JOR70.96 SDN35.03 DZA33.95 LBN30.44 LBY28.78 PSE25.18 SYR22.14 IRQ20.71 MRT18.94

Source: ITU Global Cybersecurity Index 2024, table F7.

Figure 19The two cybersecurity indices agree fairly well (r = 0.83, n = 15); the UAE, Oman and Bahrain score far higher on the ITU index than on the NCSI

Source: ITU GCI 2024; e-Governance Academy NCSI; table F7.

Table 7Cybersecurity indices by state

State	Stage	ITU GCI	NCSI	Digital development level
SAU	Advanced	99.54	84.42	63.89
UAE	Advanced	98.06	40.26	68.87
OMN	Emerging	96.04	45.45	59.51
EGY	Intermediate	95.48	57.14	46.93
QAT	Advanced	94.50	58.44	64.99
TUN	Intermediate	86.23	53.25	46.26
MAR	Emerging	82.41	70.13	46.88
BHR	Intermediate	77.86	25.97	65.17
KWT	Initial	75.07	n/a	n/a
JOR	Initial	70.96	28.57	54.07
SDN	Nascent	35.03	11.69	25.50
DZA	Initial	33.95	33.77	42.81
LBN	Nascent	30.44	n/a	n/a
LBY	Nascent	28.78	10.39	41.10
PSE	Nascent	25.18	n/a	n/a
SYR	Nascent	22.14	15.58	33.40
IRQ	Emerging	20.71	5.19	n/a
MRT	Initial	18.94	11.69	11.30
YEM	Nascent	n/a	7.79	n/a

Note. The Cyber Exposure Index shown on the earlier site is withheld until its source is documented. Comoros, Djibouti and Somalia are at the Nascent stage; their indicator values are not displayed in the 2025 release.

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