Saudi Arabia places 26th in IMD World Talent Ranking

Saudi Arabia made its debut in the International Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) World Talent Rankings this year, ranking 26th overall, the information ministry said in a statement.

The Kingdom beat France, Japan, Spain and Italy in three core categories – Investment and Development, Appeal, and Readiness – that assess how countries perform in areas such as education, apprenticeships, workplace training, language skills, cost of living, quality of life, remuneration, and tax rates.

Saudi Arabia ranked 26th in the Investment and Development category, 31st in Appeal, and 26th in Readiness.

The IMD World Competitiveness Center defines the first category as investment in and development of home-grown talent, whereas Appeal is the ability of the country to tap into the overseas talent pool.

The third category, Readiness, is the availability of skills and competencies in the talent pool, the report said.

“Investment in education is impressive – setting the ground work for future home-grown talent,” it added.

Globally, Switzerland, Denmark and Belgium were named the most competitive countries this year.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates ranked 25th on the list, beating its 2016 score.