Bahrain Shows High Digital Maturity in World Bank GovTech Index
The index assesses governments across four pillars: public service delivery, citizen engagement, core government systems, and enabling frameworks.
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In the latest edition of the World Bank Group’s 2025 GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI), Bahrain ranked second in the Middle East and North Africa region and 15th globally out of 197 countries.
More significantly, the Kingdom was classified in Category A, reserved for governments with “very high digital maturity.” Bahrain’s overall maturity score reached 93.6% in 2025, a sharp increase from 51% in 2020 and 83% in 2022, suggesting not an incremental change, but sustained institutional acceleration over five years.
The index assesses governments across four pillars: public service delivery, citizen engagement, core government systems, and enabling frameworks. Bahrain’s strongest signal this year came from citizen-facing capabilities. The Kingdom ranked fifth globally on the Digital Citizen Engagement Index, scoring 98.3%. This reflects a governance model that treats digital platforms not merely as service portals, but as mechanisms for feedback, transparency, and participatory decision-making—an area where many governments still struggle to move beyond one-way digitisation.
In terms of service delivery, Bahrain achieved a 95.8% score on the Public Services Delivery Index, indicating a broad uptake and efficiency of e-services across ministries. Equally important is the institutional framework that supports these services. The GovTech Enablers Index score of 93.2% points to a mature legislative and regulatory environment that supports digital execution rather than constraining it.
Meanwhile, an 87.1% score on the Core Government Systems Index highlights continued investment in interoperable infrastructure and shared platforms that allow data and processes to move across agencies.
According to the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), these outcomes reflect years of coordination across government entities, rather than isolated technology deployments. Chief Executive Mohammed Ali Al Qaed framed the results as validation of Bahrain’s integrated approach to digital governance, noting improvements in service quality, operational efficiency, and inter-agency connectivity.
The World Bank report also highlights Bahrain’s progress in cross-government data exchange, as well as its national strategies encompassing artificial intelligence, green technologies, and digital innovation. These initiatives have strengthened digital tools available to public sector employees while improving the reliability of the national data infrastructure.
Taken together, Bahrain’s GTMI results suggest that its digital transformation has entered a phase where governance, regulation, infrastructure, and citizen engagement are increasingly aligned.
