Saudi Digital Experience Maturity Index Records 77%

The Digital Government Authority (DGA) said the indicator depends on three essential perspectives to measure the maturity of government platforms to achieve user satisfaction, improve the user experience, and enhance the mechanism for handling complaints and reports.
The Digital Government Authority (DGA) said the indicator depends on three essential perspectives to measure the maturity of government platforms to achieve user satisfaction, improve the user experience, and enhance the mechanism for handling complaints and reports.
TT

Saudi Digital Experience Maturity Index Records 77%

The Digital Government Authority (DGA) said the indicator depends on three essential perspectives to measure the maturity of government platforms to achieve user satisfaction, improve the user experience, and enhance the mechanism for handling complaints and reports.
The Digital Government Authority (DGA) said the indicator depends on three essential perspectives to measure the maturity of government platforms to achieve user satisfaction, improve the user experience, and enhance the mechanism for handling complaints and reports.

The general indicator of the Digital Experience Maturity Index of Saudi government services recorded 77.26 percent at the professional level.

Five platforms achieved the highest rating: Absher with 85.59 percent, Tawakkalna and Ehsan with 82.76 and 80.83 percent, respectively, Sehhaty with 80.41 percent, and Najiz with 78.84 percent.

In June, Saudi Arabia launched a Digital Experience Maturity Index for 12 government services to improve people's experiences and increase their satisfaction.

The Digital Government Authority (DGA) said the indicator depends on three essential perspectives to measure the maturity of government platforms to achieve user satisfaction, improve the user experience, and enhance the mechanism for handling complaints and reports.

DGA explained that the Digital Experience Maturity Index is divided into emerging levels, followed by developed, empowered, advanced, and distinguished

DGA governor Ahmed al-Suwaiyan stated that the index aims to boost the digital experience, increase satisfaction, and improve interaction following the strategic directions of the digital government aiming to achieve Vision 2030 goals.

Suwaiyan stressed the importance of the digital government's contribution to achieving national goals by improving people's quality of life, facilitating business, boosting competitiveness, increasing government work efficiency, and bolstering the country's digital ranking in global indexes.

The Digital Experience Maturity Index of government services aims to open communication channels with the beneficiaries of digital government services and listen to the opinions and suggestions of over 18,000 beneficiaries.

The DGA regulates the digital government's platforms, websites, digital services, and government networks.

It also issues measurements, indicators, tools, and reports measuring government agencies' performance and capabilities in the digital government field.



Goldman Sachs, Citigroup Cut China's 2024 Growth Forecast

Citizens in the Chinese city of Shanghai follow repairs to power line in the aftermath of Typhoon Bebinca in Shanghai, China (AFP)
Citizens in the Chinese city of Shanghai follow repairs to power line in the aftermath of Typhoon Bebinca in Shanghai, China (AFP)
TT

Goldman Sachs, Citigroup Cut China's 2024 Growth Forecast

Citizens in the Chinese city of Shanghai follow repairs to power line in the aftermath of Typhoon Bebinca in Shanghai, China (AFP)
Citizens in the Chinese city of Shanghai follow repairs to power line in the aftermath of Typhoon Bebinca in Shanghai, China (AFP)

Goldman Sachs and Citigroup have lowered their full-year projections for China's economic growth to 4.7%, after the world's second-largest economy's industrial output slowed to a five-month low in August.

Weak economic activity in August has ramped up attention on China's slow economic recovery and highlighted the need for further stimulus measures to shore up demand.

The faltering growth has prompted global brokerages to scale back their 2024 projections to below government's target of around 5%.

Goldman Sachs earlier expected full-year growth for the economy at 4.9%, while Citigroup had forecast growth at 4.8%.

China's industrial output in August expanded 4.5% year-on-year, slowing from the 5.1% pace in July and marking the slowest growth since March, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Saturday.

Goldman Sachs said in a note dated Sept. 15, “We believe the risk that China will miss the 'around 5%' full-year GDP growth target is on the rise, and thus the urgency for more demand-side easing measures is also increasing.”

The bank maintained the country's 2025 GDP growth forecast at 4.3%.

However, Citigroup on Sunday trimmed its 2025 year-end forecast for China's GDP growth to 4.2% from 4.5% due to a lack of major catalysts for domestic demand.

“We believe fiscal policy needs to step up to so as to break the austerity trap and timely deploy growth support,” economists at Citigroup said.

In a separate development, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is making “tangible investments” to ensure the Big Four firm has high quality and sustainable business in China, it said in a memo to staff after Chinese regulators on Friday hit the company's mainland unit with a record penalty.

PwC Zhong Tian LLP was hit with a six-month suspension and a record fine of 441 million yuan ($62 million) on Friday over the firm's audit of failed property developer China Evergrande Group .