Gulf - Ease of doing business: UAE jumps 10 places to be 11th.

The UAE has expedited its march towards making the economy more attractive for foreign investment and easier to do business as the latest World Bank report ranked the nation among the world's top 20 countries for the ease of doing business.

According to the Ease of Doing Business 2019 report released on Wednesday by the World Bank, the UAE ranked 11th globally, jumping 10 places from last year's ranking of 21. The UAE also maintained its highest ranking in the Middle East and North Africa region, with reforms captured in four areas.

Hailing the UAE's judicial system, the World Bank said the UAE is experiencing improvements in court efficiency and quality of decisions.

The UAE has been particularly active in promoting a coherent system for judicial training with impressive results in court efficiency and quality of decisions. Judges are embracing a culture of continuous learning and development, which allows them to acquire specialised skills.

Sami Al Qamzi, director-general, Department of Economic Development, Dubai, attributed this huge leap in the UAE's ranking to the government's relentless efforts to make the country a global hub for investment at par with advanced countries in the world.

"Jumping to 11th place worldwide and maintaining the first ranking across the Arab countries in Ease of Doing Business Report 2019 is a results of the efforts exerted by the government entities in the UAE and Dubai, in particular," Al Qamzi added.

He noted that the...