ESCWA Publication: E/ESCWA/CL4.SIT/2026/2
Country: People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Kingdom of Bahrain, Republic of Iraq, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, State of Kuwait, State of Libya, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Sultanate of Oman, State of Palestine, State of Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Republic of Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Republic of Yemen
Publication Type: Flagship publications
Publication Subject: Government Electronic and Mobile Services (GEMS) maturity index
Cluster: Statistics, Information Society and Technology
Focus Area: Statistics, Technology & innovation
Initiatives: Arab Digital Inclusion Platform, Government electronic & mobile services
SDGs: Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Keywords: Algeria, Artificial intelligence, Bahrain, Digital technology, E-government, Ict indicators, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Mobile telecommunication services, New technologies, Oman, Open government, Public services, Qatar, Saudi arabia, State of palestine, Sudan, Syrian arab republic, Tunisia, United arab emirates, Yemen
Government Electronic and Mobile Services Maturity Index GEMS-2025
July 2026
The Government Electronic and Mobile Services (GEMS) Maturity Index measures the level of maturity of government services delivered through electronic portals and mobile applications in Arab countries. It serves as a tool for decision-makers and policymakers to monitor progress in digital transformation programmes. GEMS is designed to highlight certain aspects not fully captured by many international indicators, namely the level of service availability and sophistication, the service usage and user satisfaction and the extent of government efforts to achieve public outreach.
To this end, 100 government services have been identified that each country should provide electronically to both individuals and businesses. A life-cycle approach was adopted in selecting these services, ensuring they cover the needs of individuals throughout different stages of life and of institutions from establishment to closure. These services are updated annually to align with the evolving needs of individuals and institutions.
This report presents the results of the 2025 assessment of the maturity of electronic and mobile government services at the regional and national levels, across 17 countries in the Arab region. It also offers policy recommendations to support the digital transformation of government services at the national level and ensure their availability through digital channels (electronic portals and mobile applications). Overall, the results point to a transitional phase in the digital transformation of government services in the Arab region, where the focus is gradually shifting from expanding the scope of service digitalization to maximizing service maturity and value.
Related content
Statistics, Technology & innovation
The Government Electronic and Mobile Services (GEMS) Maturity Index measures the level of maturity of government services delivered through electronic portals and mobile applications in Arab countries. It serves as a tool for decision-makers and policymakers to monitor progress in digital transformation programmes. GEMS is designed to highlight certain aspects not fully captured by many international indicators, namely the level of service availability and sophistication, the service usage and user satisfaction and the extent of government efforts to achieve public outreach.
To this end, 100 government services have been identified that each country should provide electronically to both individuals and businesses. A life-cycle approach was adopted in selecting these services, ensuring they cover the needs of individuals throughout different stages of life and of institutions from establishment to closure. These services are updated annually to align with the evolving needs of individuals and institutions.
This report presents the results of the 2025 assessment of the maturity of electronic and mobile government services at the regional and national levels, across 17 countries in the Arab region. It also offers policy recommendations to support the digital transformation of government services at the national level and ensure their availability through digital channels (electronic portals and mobile applications). Overall, the results point to a transitional phase in the digital transformation of government services in the Arab region, where the focus is gradually shifting from expanding the scope of service digitalization to maximizing service maturity and value.
