Gulf scores consistently on development charts

Pace needs to be maintained even as oil revenue gains provide a welcome boost

The Gulf countries experienced a slide in their rankings for the 2018 human development index (HDI) developed by the United Nations Development Programme.

The UAE was 34th, Qatar 37th, Saudi Arabia 39th, Bahrain 43rd, Oman 48th and Kuwait 56th among the 189 countries ranked.

The results place all the Gulf states within the very high human development category, the best sub-group.

This is a departure from past versions of such reports where at times one Gulf country would not make it to the exclusive club.

This performance confirms an established fact, namely the leadership position of the UAE within the GCC in indexes dealing with economic development at large. The UAE leads in economic freedom, transparency and tourism.

The HDI is made up of three variables, namely life expectancy, education and income. Accordingly, it takes into account multiple socioeconomic factors and not solely go by income. Certainly, at stake is the overall quality of life.

The Gulf countries do fine on education thanks to its universal availability. Also, there are no significant differences with regards proliferation of medical services within the group. Nevertheless, there is a slight difference with regard to average life expectancy.

A major variance emerges with regard to level of income. Certainly, the size of the population leaves its imprints on per capita income.

The Gulf countries can improve their positions further on the HDI on the back of steady investments in education and health services. The public sector is leading the initiative and supported by the private sector.

In fact, there is growing appreciation of the possible role and contribution of private sector investors in developing projects in partnership with the public sector.

Streamlining laws by making them more business-friendly should further boost developments and by extension the GDP and per capita income. Stronger oil prices should allow these economies to commit further investments, most notably in infrastructure.

■ Dr Jasim Ali is a Member of Parliament in Bahrain.