Saudi Arabia moves up five spots in 2017 International Corruption Index

The recent launch of Transparency International’s 2017 Corruption Perception Index showed Saudi Arabia has moved up to the 57th ranking among 180 countries that were analyzed in the report.

The kingdom held the 62nd spot in 2016, but went up five rankings in 2017 and although this was last year’s index, this comes in light of the country’s clear efforts in fighting against corruption.

Saudi Arabia also scored third place among Arab countries, where the average ranking in the region is 33.

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning, Mohammed al-Tuwaijri, said that this confirms that the kingdom is taking concrete steps towards economic improvement and constant development.

He added that King Salman’s vision, including the creation of the anti-corruption committee headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reflects the country’s determination to eliminate corruption and build a policy of transparency, justice and economic stability.

The report also comes in light of the large corruption probe that the kingdom held against several princes, political figures and ministers.

“We are dedicated to achieving the objectives in the Vision 2030 plan, which includes improving transparency and accountability in every facet of our government, and this report shows we're making progress,” he said.

The global anti-corruption organization analyzes 180 countries annually and rates them on a scale of zero to 100. They are rated on corrupt behavior such as bribery, embezzlement of public funds and exploitation of power for personal interests. Some data also measures anti-corruption mechanisms such as holding corrupt officials accountable and if there are adequate laws on financial disclosure among others.

New Zealand, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Switzerland were ranked as the top five countries with the least corruption, while Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan and Somalia were rated as the countries with the most corruption.