UAE tops MENA region in the World Justice Project's 2025 Rule of Law Index

The UAE topped the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in the World Justice Project's 2025 Rule of Law Index, ranking 37th out of the 143 countries surveyed worldwide. It scored 0.64 points on the overall index, an increase of 0.7% on last year, making it one of the few countries in the world to have improved its performance this year.

The report is based on an extensive database comprising over 215,000 family surveys conducted in 143 countries, as well as over 4,100 specialised surveys of lawyers, university professors and legal experts. This makes it one of the world's most comprehensive and reliable indicators.

The report evaluates countries' performance in eight key areas, namely: constraints on government power, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, and the effectiveness of the civil and criminal justice systems. This provides an accurate picture of countries' commitment to justice, transparency, and the rule of law.

The report indicated that the UAE performed strongly in terms of security and order, effective law enforcement and government transparency, achieving a score of 0.50 points higher than the regional average.

According to the report, the UAE is the region's leading country in terms of its commitment to justice, judicial independence and fighting corruption, surpassing nations such as Qatar (0.62 points), Kuwait (0.58 points) and Jordan (0.55 points). It also indicated that the UAE's improvement of 0.7% in one year placed it among the world's top improving countries in terms of the rule of law by 2025.

The UAE achieved a score of 0.91 for security and law enforcement, ranking 11th globally. This component measures factors that threaten public order and security, including traditional crimes and political violence.

Without a corruption component to measure the low level of perceived corruption in the government, the UAE ranked 19th globally with a score of 0.78. This component is based on three factors: low levels of bribery; the influence of public figures on the legal process; and the misappropriation of public funds or resources.

The country also ranked 22nd in terms of criminal justice, achieving a score of 0.68. This component measures the effectiveness of criminal investigations and correctional systems, as well as the absence of corruption, favouritism, racism, and the efficiency of the legal and judicial processes.

In the civil justice component, which assesses the effectiveness of judicial systems and their freedom from racism, corruption, favouritism and the influence of public figures on the judicial process, the UAE ranked 25th, scoring 0.67 points.

The UAE ranked 25th in the law enforcement and implementation category, achieving a score of 0.70 in the ranking which measures the effectiveness with which judicial rulings are implemented without any influence from government officials or private interests.

This result cements the UAE's standing as one of the most stable, secure and transparent countries in the region, as evidenced by indicators from international research institutions. It also reflects the success of its strategy to establish a modern legal system that supports sustainable development and ensures justice for all members of society.

Denmark was ranked as the country most committed to the rule of law, followed by Norway in second place and Finland in third. Venezuela ranked last. The report revealed that 68% of countries worldwide experienced a decline in their Rule of Law Index this year. However, the UAE and a few other countries demonstrated significant improvement thanks to their efforts to consolidate justice, enhance transparency and strengthen judicial independence.

The report described the current situation as 'an accelerating global decline in the rule of law', attributing this to weak controls on the executive branch and a decline in civil liberties in over 70% of countries. The UAE, however, represents a contrasting model in strengthening the justice system, having continued to improve institutional performance and transparency in public administration, as well as developing legislation to keep pace with global developments.