The UAE is officially the most innovative country in the region and globally the country ranked in 35th position according to the annual Global Innovation Index 2017 released jointly by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

The research looks at 127 countries and economies. 81 indictors are used to determine the rating including political environment, education, infrastructure and business sophistication. 

Although this year there was a specific focus on agriculture and food as innovation is key to facing the future rise in demand and consumption.

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Switzerland was number one with a score of 67.69

3 D printing, sustainable cities, building on Mars and self-driving taxis

It’s no wonder the UAE ranked first in the region, followed by Qatar who ranked 49th and Saudi who placed 55th.

Yemen is at the bottom of the ranking with an innovation score of 15.5 of a total 100. 

The full study is available for download here

Main image cred: @aerobolt256