Saudi Arabia has officially put itself on the geospatial map — and in a big way!

The Kingdom, represented by the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information (GEOSA), has jumped to 9th place globally in the 2025 Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure (GKI) Readiness Index. That’s up from 32nd place in 2022 — a leap that’s turning heads around the world.

Announced during the Geospatial World Forum 2025 in Madrid, the achievement positions Saudi Arabia as 1st in the Middle East, 6th among G20 nations, and a top player in digital geospatial systems

The GKI Readiness Index, developed with backing from the UN Statistics Division, measures how ready countries are to use geospatial data to boost sustainability, digital transformation, and economic growth.

Saudi Arabia ranked high across multiple pillars:

• 6th in policy thanks to its structured approach to national data governance

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• 7th in infrastructure, credited to its unified national platform

• 8th in geospatial industry for forming strong partnerships across sectors

Thanks to the Kingdom’s massive strides in innovation, Riyadh has also been chosen as the global HQ for the United Nations Global Geospatial Ecosystem Center of Excellence — further confirming Saudi’s spot as a global leader in this fast-evolving field.

The sky’s not the limit — it’s the starting point!