Saudi Arabia leads world in public sector AI adoption
New index ranks 10 countries on implementation effectiveness
#SaudiArabia #publicsector – Saudi Arabia has secured first place globally in public sector AI adoption, with approximately two-thirds of government workers using AI tools daily, according to the Public Sector AI Adoption Index 2026 released today by UK-based research consultancy Public First for Washington-based think tank the Center for Data Innovation. The index, based on a survey of 3,335 public servants across 10 countries, evaluates governments on five dimensions: enthusiasm, empowerment, enablement, embedding, and education. Saudi Arabia ranked first across all measures, with 77% of public servants reporting organisational investment in AI and nearly half having used the technology for over a year.
SO WHAT? – The findings position Saudi Arabia as a model for translating AI ambition into practical implementation at a time when governments worldwide struggle to move beyond strategy documents. Whilst 74 percent of public servants globally have adopted AI in the past year, only 18 percent believe their governments are using the technology very effectively, highlighting a significant gap between adoption and impact. Saudi Arabia appears to have bridged that gap through clear policies, integrated workflows, and formal support structures.
Here are some key points about the new index:
Saudi Arabia has secured first place globally in the Public Sector AI Adoption Index 2026 released by UK-based research consultancy Public First for Washington-based think tank the Center for Data Innovation.
Saudi Arabia achieved the highest scores across all five dimensions, with public servants reporting widespread daily AI use, clear organisational policies, and integrated workflows that support consistent adoption throughout government operations.
The index surveyed public servants across the United States, UK, Germany, France, Japan, Brazil, South Africa, India, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia, evaluating AI adoption through five dimensions: enthusiasm for AI, empowerment and confidence in daily use, enablement through approved tools and guidance, embedding in everyday workflows, and education access.
Approximately 77% of Saudi public servants reported that their organisations have invested in AI infrastructure and tools, whilst over one-third indicated their organisation played a primary role in teaching or supporting their AI use.
Nearly half of Saudi government workers have been using AI for more than a year, demonstrating sustained rather than experimental adoption, with enthusiasm remaining high and most public servants optimistic that AI will transform their work.
The index identified 84% of Saudi public servants have received training on AI tools, though half indicated the training focused more on compliance requirements than practical skills development, suggesting room for improvement in translating training into hands-on expertise.
The research categorised countries into three groups:
Advanced Adopters including Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and India with strong leadership and everyday use;
Uneven Adopters such as the United States, UK, South Africa, and Brazil showing progress but facing infrastructure gaps; and
Cautious Adopters including Germany, France, and Japan where AI remains largely confined to limited or specialist applications.
Globally, nearly three-quarters of public servants report using AI, with 74% adopting it within the past year and 80% feeling empowered by the technology in their daily roles, particularly in countries with clear guidance and leadership support.
The index uses a 0–100 scoring scale calculated from respondents’ answers across all five dimensions, enabling direct cross-country comparison, with higher scores indicating more mature and supportive conditions for effective AI adoption in government services.
ZOOM OUT – Saudi Arabia's performance reflects a pattern of strong rankings in global AI governance indices. The Kingdom retained first place for Government Strategy in Tortoise Media's Global AI Index 2024 whilst climbing from 31st to 14th overall amongst 83 countries evaluated. It also ranked top in the Middle East and Africa in the recent Government AI Readiness Index 2025 from Oxford Insights.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
LINK
Public Sector AI Adoption Index 2026 (website)