The UAE has been ranked highest in the Arab region for gender equality, in the UN's Gender Inequality Index (GII).
The index, which measures disparities in health, empowerment and labour market participation, places the UAE well ahead of its regional peers — and even above the global average.
Between 2000 and 2021, the UAE's inequality score decreased by 91.8 per cent, the steepest decline in gender inequality in the region. This reflects the country's heavy investment in women's education, health and labour force participation over a two-decade period.
Gulf countries, such as Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, were also ranked at the more balanced end of the scale, reflecting the impact of reforms in education, employment, and representation. At the other end, countries facing years of conflict and instability, including Yemen, Iraq and Syria, had the widest gender gaps.
The regional picture is mixed. North African countries such as Tunisia and Morocco are in the middle of the rankings, while Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon sit just below the global average. The data underscores how local contexts, ranging from legal reforms and economic diversification to conflict and displacement, shape women's opportunities differently across the Middle East and North Africa.
This week's chart underlines two realities: some states are closing the gap with global levels of equality, while many others still face steep barriers.
