Saudi Arabia accelerates shift to a unified digital government

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has made striking advances in digital governance, propelled by an ambitious vision to modernize government services and make them smarter, faster, and easier to use. This vision is at the heart of the Kingdom’s broader digital transformation agenda — a national priority aimed at improving the daily lives of citizens, residents, and businesses while driving efficiency across government operations.

A new KPMG report highlights the scale of these achievements, the challenges still ahead, and a roadmap toward a unified government platform that could redefine how people in Saudi Arabia interact with public services.

A record of progress

The Digital Government Authority (DGA) has been steering the Kingdom’s digital evolution, rigorously evaluating government platforms through the Digital Experience Maturity Index. In 2024, the index scored an impressive 85.04 percent, reflecting the quality of user experiences across evaluated platforms — up from 24 platforms in 2023 to 39 in 2024.

“This isn’t just about building websites or apps,” says Anas AbuSalah, Director, Customer Experience at KPMG Middle East. “It’s about reimagining the relationship between government and citizens — making services so seamless and accessible that they become a natural part of people’s daily lives.”

The results are already visible. Platforms like Absher, Tawakkalna, and Musaned have transformed everything from digital IDs to health records to labor services. Saudi Arabia has also climbed to fourth place globally in the UN’s E-Government Development Index, outpacing many advanced economies.

Anas AbuSalah, Director, Customer Experience at KPMG Middle East

The challenge of fragmentation

But while these platforms excel individually, their very success reveals a deeper issue: fragmentation. In 2021, Saudi Arabia had 817 different digital government platforms, each offering its own services and interfaces. This variety reflects strong digital engagement but also creates duplicated services, inconsistent user experiences, and confusion for citizens.

“When you have too many touchpoints that don’t talk to each other, you create unnecessary complexity,” notes AbuSalah. “A unified approach would not only save time and resources, it would make the entire system more resilient and secure.”

The report points to Estonia as a model of what’s possible. With a population of just 1.3 million, Estonia runs all government services through a single digital backbone — the X-Road platform — enabling citizens to complete nearly all official transactions online.

Opportunities for a unified platform

The KPMG report outlines a “Whole-of-Government” vision — a unified platform integrating identity verification, service delivery, and secure data exchange. Such a system would allow citizens to log in once and access all services, from renewing a passport to paying utility bills, without repeating steps or re-entering information.

Key benefits would include:

• One-stop access to services for citizens, residents, and businesses.

• Faster transactions by eliminating duplicate data entry and verification.

• Better security through centralized, AI-enhanced cybersecurity measures.

• Improved policymaking using aggregated, anonymized data insights.

Global examples — from Singapore’s LifeSG to Denmark’s Borger.dk — show how centralizing access and design can improve satisfaction, cut costs, and reduce bureaucracy.

The human factor

Yet technology alone won’t deliver these benefits. the report stresses that workforce capability and cultural transformation are equally vital. this means upskilling government employees in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, customer experience design, and data governance.

“It’s not enough to have the best tools — you need people who know how to use them in ways that truly serve the public,” says AbuSalah. “This is about building a culture where public servants see themselves as service designers, problem solvers, and innovators.”

KPMG recommends comprehensive training programs, continuous citizen feedback loops, and proactive change management to smooth the transition to a unified system.

Tackling security and trust

Security is a cornerstone of digital governance, and the report calls for clear national standards for data protection, encryption, and authentication. This includes adopting zero-trust architecture, multi-factor authentication, and real-time threat monitoring to guard against cyber risks.

Trust also hinges on transparency. Proactive citizen engagement — through consultations, co-design workshops, and open communication — can ensure the unified platform reflects real needs and earns public confidence.

Six strategic enablers

KPMG identifies six interconnected enablers that will drive the transition:

1- Citizen-centric service design – making services intuitive, inclusive, and accessible.

2- Technological infrastructure and integration – building a secure, scalable backbone.

3- Governance and data security – enforcing standards and accountability.

4- Workforce capability and cultural transformation – equipping staff with future-ready skills.

5- Strategic leadership and change management – steering reform from the top.

6- Citizen engagement and transparency – ensuring the public’s voice shapes solutions.

The road ahead

The transformation will be phased, starting with foundations (alignment, governance, and unified identity), moving to integration and innovation (AI-driven personalization, IoT-based services), and culminating in predictive governance — where government anticipates citizen needs before they are expressed.

In its final stage, the vision is for a fully proactive government, where services operate in real time, issues are addressed before they arise, and interactions are seamless across all channels.

A vision beyond borders

Saudi Arabia’s push toward a unified digital government is not just about convenience — it’s about global leadership. By implementing best practices from Estonia, Singapore, Denmark, and Finland, the Kingdom can position itself as a benchmark for next-generation governance.

“Saudi Arabia has embarked on a transformative journey toward an interconnected, unified digital government,” says Ismail Alani, Partner and Head of Government and Public Sector at KPMG Middle East. “Driven by the ambitious goals of Vision 2030. This transformation is reshaping the citizen-government relationship, delivering seamless, proactive experiences for every interaction, from renewing identification to accessing critical public services.”

The potential is immense: streamlined public services, reduced operational costs, improved policy outcomes, and a citizen experience that is personalized, efficient, and secure. But realizing it will require not only investment in technology, but also a sustained commitment to collaboration, standards, and human-centered design.

Ismail Alani, Partner and Head of Government and Public Sector at KPMG Middle East.