RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has advanced four positions in the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook, including ranking 13th globally among 70 economies and securing third place among G20 countries.Published annually by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), the yearbook is one of the world's leading benchmarks for measuring national competitiveness and is closely monitored by the Saudi Competitiveness and Business Center in collaboration with relevant government entities.The Kingdom's ranking reflects a sustained upward trajectory in recent years, improving from 36th place in 2017 to 13th place in 2026, which was driven by improvements across all four main competitiveness factors.
Figure in IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook showing Saudi Arabia's ranking at 13th place globally.
In addition, Economic Performance improved from 31st to 28th place globally, Government Efficiency advanced from 12th to ninth place, while both Business Efficiency and Infrastructure improved from 17th to 12th place. The Kingdom also enhanced its performance in 15 of the 20 sub-factors assessed by the yearbook.Minister of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of the Saudi Competitiveness and Business Center Majid Al-Kassabi said the Kingdom's continued advancement in the Yearbook and other leading international benchmarks reflects the commitment of Crowm Prince Mohammed bin Salman to achieving the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, particularly those related to economic growth, competitiveness, and sustainable development.According to IMD, other than the Kingdom’s improved performance across the four competitiveness factors, its achievements were supported by notable gains in several sub-factors, particularly International Trade, Employment, and Business Legislation.
