WGS 2025: Mohammed Bin Rashid School Of Government Releases Arab Region SDG Index & Dashboards Report

DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 13th Feb, 2025) The Mohammed Bin Rashid school of Government (MBRSG) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) have launched the Arab Region SDG Index and Dashboards Report 2025 on day three of the World Governments Summit. The report launch followed a keynote address by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, President of the UN SDSN.

This year’s edition of the index provides the latest data on the Arab region’s performance in terms of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and highlights sustainable development pathways that enhance the region’s agility in the face of challenges.

Professor Jeffrey Sachs, President of the SDSN stated: “The Arab region is making an extraordinary effort to achieve sustainable development and the SDGs in particular. It is therefore a great honour and privilege for the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network to partner with the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in preparing this important report. We believe that the Arab region will be among the world leaders in the SDGs in the coming years and that the evidence in this report will help guide the extraordinary efforts that are now underway.”

The Arab Region SDG Index and Dashboards Report evaluates regional progress on 115 indicators covering all 17 SDGs. Each indicator is assigned a score from zero to 100, and a traffic light colour to indicate performance levels. The 2025 report includes a special chapter offering data-driven insights, examining resilience in the Arab region from a sustainable development lens.

Dr. Ali bin Sebaa Al Marri, Executive President of MBRSG, said: “As Knowledge Partner for the World Governments Summit 2025, the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government is committed to supporting the event in achieving its objectives to chart a roadmap for the future for leaders and policymakers, one that is rooted in concrete data and empirical evidence to address challenges and ensure progress and sustainability.”

“With that goal in mind, we have released the Arab Region SDG Index and Dashboards Report 2025 at the Summit in partnership with the SDSN,” Al Marri continued. “Using data-driven methods, the report provides a practical tool to guide targeted interventions and facilitate positive change across the region on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The findings of the report support countries around the region in making informed decisions and spearhead joint efforts and calculated strategies to build on strengths and address existing gaps, paving the way towards a more sustainable and prosperous future.

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The 2025 edition of the report incorporates 27 unique indicators tailored to regional priorities, highlighting key challenges, as well as the progress made towards sustainability across the region. The study indicates that while the Arab region continues to make strides towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, significant hurdles remain, creating an urgent need for regional strategies to bridge development gaps and foster a more sustainable future.

On the whole, the region achieved an average score of 60.5 across all SDGs. Among the 22 Arab countries, six have achieved two-thirds of the road toward the SDGs, namely, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and the UAE. On the other end, the lowest scores featured the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and conflict-affected countries, highlighting stark disparities that render some nations more vulnerable to crises.

Moreover, the 2025 Index introduced a new indicator measuring countries’ support to UN-based multilateralism, based on data produced by SDSN, where approximately one third of Arab countries were found to have achieved this target.

Dr. Fadi Salem, Director of Policy Research Department at the MBRSG, and co-author of the report said: "The challenges identified underscore the urgency for accelerated efforts throughout the region. Primarily, the persistent poor scores in SDG 16, related peace, justice and building strong institutions should be the priority as a critical lever for advancing all SDGs across the Arab region, especially in light of major geopolitical transitions.”

Lama Zakzak, Principal Researcher at the MBRSG and lead author of the report, said: “Despite challenges, the report also highlights notable advancements; the accelerated growth in the adoption and use of digital infrastructure means the Arab region improved on certain targets related to SDG 9 (Industries, Innovation, and Infrastructure), with progress also recorded on SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) in areas related to basic health outcomes”

The Arab Region SDG Index and Dashboards Report 2025 offers a critical tool guiding policymakers, international organisations, and stakeholders in implementing targeted interventions that drive sustainable progress across the region. The report’s nuanced assessment of the region’s performance on SDGs highlights a critical need for concentrated efforts and regional strategies to address existing gaps and drive progress towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

The report can be downloaded English from the following website: https://arabsdgindex.com/