UAE ranks fourth globally in National Culture Index

Noura Al Kaabi, previously the Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, has now become Minister of Culture and Youth. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The UAE has ranked fourth globally in the National Culture Index as part of the IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, announced.

The National Culture Index ranks countries based on whether "the national culture is open to foreign ideas".

Al Kaabi revealed the ranking on Twitter, thanking the country’s leadership for their support, and acknowledging everyone who works in the cultural sector for their contribution.

“This achievement is a vivid reflection of the efforts made by the UAE to ensure the sustainability of the cultural and creative sector, as well as the promotion of creative industries by building and nurturing national talents,” the minister said in a statement.

The National Culture Index is one of the areas that are rated as part of the World Competitiveness Yearbook, published annually by the Swiss business school IMD.

The report ranked the UAE as the ninth most competitive country in the world. It was the only country in the Mena region among the top 10. The country came in ahead of the US, Germany and the UK in the report.

The UAE ranked first in 23 indicators within the report, including for its immigration laws, low central government foreign debt, absence of stifling bureaucracy, and the percentage of women in parliament.

The rankings are based on data collected from statistics and information provided by the countries, and classifies countries based on their economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure.

“The UAE is moving forward with an ambitious strategy that anticipates the future, nurtures a culture of excellence to be in the lead of world competitiveness at various levels,” said Abdullah Lootah, director-general of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority.

“Thanks to the vision and guidance of the UAE’s leadership, the country managed since 2017 to join the top 10 competitive countries in this report, and to consolidate its well-deserved position among the top ten globally in the overall ranking and regional leadership."