UAE is world's top in e-infrastructure

The UAE ranks number one with the best e-infrastructure globally, and ranks 31st for digital quality of life in 2020, according to a study that covers 81 per cent of the global population.
The Digital Quality of Life (DQL) study, covering internet affordability, quality, security, online government services, and e-infrastructure, said the UAE is followed by Sweden in the second place and Denmark in the third.
In terms of Internet affordability, the UAE ranks 39th. Countries in the Middle East, including Oman, Kuwait, to name just a few, have a more affordable internet than the UAE, said the study that covers 6.3 billion people.
The DQL study shows that the UAE lags behind in terms of e-security ranked 64. Compared to Bahrain and Kuwait, the UAE surpasses both countries in the final DQL Index - Bahrain is in the 61st position while Kuwait ranks 43rd.
The global index ranks digital quality of life in 85 countries. Scandinavian countries excel in offering high-quality digital well-being to their citizens, according to the DQL index published annually based on research conducted by the privacy protection company Surfshark.
This year's edition of the DQL research concluded that seven out of 10 countries with the highest digital quality of life are in Europe, with Denmark taking the global lead among 85 countries.
The top 20 countries in the index in the descending order are: Denmark, Sweden, Canada, France, Norway, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Israel, Japan, Poland, Finland, Singapore, Estonia, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, New Zealand, Spain, Australia, and Italy.
Dom Dimas, head of DQL research at Surfshark, said the index aims to overlook any country's digital preparedness's status quo and establish a common ground for further conversation.
"The researchers found out that the best quality internet in the world is in Singapore, followed by Sweden and the Netherlands, whereas the internet, combining both mobile and broadband, is most affordable in Canada and Azerbaijan," said Dimas.
"The last pillar examining the countries by their electronic infrastructure development level ranks the UAE, Sweden and Denmark as global leaders in this area," said Dimas.
Regionally, Canada stands out as a country with the highest digital quality of life in the Americas while Japan takes the leading position in Asia.
Among countries in Africa, people in South Africa enjoy the highest quality of their digital lives whereas New Zealand leads in Oceania, outperforming Australia in various digital areas.
Per the key global findings, the Covid-19 outbreak had a significant impact on internet stability as 49 of 85 countries experiencing drops in mobile and 44 in broadband speed due to the WFH setting.
The study found that people in 75 per cent of the researched countries have to work more than the global average to afford the internet.
E-security, e-infrastructure, and e-government have a more significant correlation with the digital quality of life than GDP per capita. "Any country's digital advancement and people's online experiences have tangible relation to its economic potential and population's overall wellbeing," said the report.
issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com