The United Arab Emirates has ranked first globally in citizen satisfaction with digital government services, according to the 2026 Digital Government Citizen Survey released by Boston Consulting Group, highlighting the country’s continued progress in transforming the way government services are delivered.

According to the report, 89 percent of respondents in the UAE gave digital government services a high rating. The survey covered 44 countries and approximately 48,500 respondents worldwide, providing a broad international comparison of citizens’ experiences with digital public services.

The findings were announced alongside the Ai Everything Abu Dhabi event, where the report examined the changing expectations of citizens as governments move beyond traditional digitalisation and increasingly adopt artificial intelligence and more responsive digital service models.

The UAE’s position reflects the growing importance of user experience in government transformation. Digital government is no longer simply about placing existing procedures online. Citizens increasingly expect services to be fast, simple, integrated and designed around their actual needs, with fewer complicated steps and less need to move between different platforms.

The report also highlights the rapid transformation of public expectations as generative and agentic artificial intelligence become more widely used. Citizens are becoming increasingly open to governments using AI to improve public services, while trust continues to depend on clear safeguards, security measures, transparency and human oversight.

This shift is particularly important as governments worldwide seek to develop services that can anticipate citizens’ needs rather than simply respond to requests. The UAE’s high satisfaction rating provides a strong foundation for the next phase of digital transformation, in which artificial intelligence could play a larger role in delivering government services.

The UAE’s global ranking therefore represents more than a digital achievement. It reflects a broader shift toward redesigning the government experience around citizens and residents, while combining advanced technology with reliability, accessibility and trust.