Among the GCC countries, Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd, closing the gaps quickly with the UAE (1st). Last year, the total score gap between them stood at more than six times. This year, the gap narrows to less than 2.5 times.

In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia ranks 3rd — the only country in the region to record a double-digit global climb, rising from 7th to 3rd between 2020 and 2025.

Saudi Arabia now ranks 38th globally after jumping 27 spots — the largest leap of any country in the top 100. It’s also the only one to record a growth rate above 200% among the global top 100.