JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia ranked first among G20 nations as the safest country, outperforming the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC). The ranking was based on five global security indicators included in the Global Competitiveness Report 2019 and the Sustainable Development Goals Index 2020. The SDG Index 2020 ranked the Kingdom first among G20 nations, and ahead of the five permanent UNSC members, in the percentage of the population who feel safe walking alone at night. Saudi Arabia performed better than China and Canada within the G20, and China and the United States among the five permanent UNSC members. Saudi Arabia also ranked first in the reliability of police services index, an indicator that measures public confidence in law enforcement and its success in achieving order and safety. The Kingdom topped the G20 and surpassed the five permanent UNSC members in this index as well. Saudi Arabia also outperformed the five permanent UNSC members in an index measuring the effectiveness of combating organized crime, as stated by the Global Competitiveness Report 2019, outranking France, and the US. Saudi Arabia came in second in the same index among G20 nations. Saudi Arabia ranked third among G20 nations, after Australia and Japan, in the security index issued by the Global Competitiveness Report 2019, ahead of Canada and South Korea. The Global Competitiveness Report issued by the World Economic Forum also showed that the Kingdom advanced three positions, now ranking 36 internationally in international competitiveness. The report pointed out Saudi Arabia's energetic steps forward to diversify its economy, with expectations of growth in the non-oil sector. The report also discussed the emergence of more investments outside the mining industry within the public and private sectors in the next few years. The report commended the Kingdom's strong determination to undertake structural reforms, its widespread adoption of communication technology, and its high potential for innovation, especially in terms of patent registration.
