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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabia Takes 2nd Place Among 'COVID-19 Resilience Rankings'

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia ranked second among the countries that have coexisted with the pandemic in Bloomberg's COVID Resilience Ranking for January 2022, which highlights how the "world's biggest 53 economies are responding to the same once-in-a-generation threat."

The Kingdom has shown qualitative progress that reflects the effectiveness of the health and economic response plans developed by the Saudi government in dealing with the pandemic.

Saudi Arabia scored 77.8 points as it rose 18 places in the classification, while it recorded 154.8 points in the vaccine doses per 100.

The Kingdom's ranking enhances the reliability of its economy and medical efforts at a time when many countries have returned to the policies of economic closure for fear of the collapse of their medical systems.

The progress achieved indicates the effectiveness of the vaccination programs adopted by the government, the high levels of immunization with the first and second doses, and the booster shots that have proven effective in confronting the Omicron variant.

The IHS Markit index expected the Saudi economy to record the highest growth levels among the G20 countries at 11.1 percent during the last quarter of 2021.

The achievement reflects the efficiency of the economic reforms taken by the Kingdom since the launch of its Vision 2030.

The positive figures come in light of the unlimited support and direct supervision of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, deputy prime minister, demonstrating the strength and efficiency of the economic reforms undertaken by the Kingdom since 2016.

It had a significant impact on overcoming the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic with minimal damage despite sharp declines in oil prices.

The Bloomberg index explained that Saudi Arabia followed an approach of a combination of almost full vaccination coupled with consistent openness to travel, alongside what has been a smaller omicron outbreak compared with elsewhere.

Ruling out a return to total lockdown, Bloomberg indicated that the Saudi economy is poised for strong economic growth this year, helped by the rebound in oil prices.

The COVID Resilience Ranking is a monthly snapshot of where the virus is handled the most effectively with the least social and economic upheaval.

Drawing on 12 data indicators spanning virus containment, healthcare quality, vaccination coverage, overall mortality, and progress toward restarting travel, it captures how the world's biggest 53 economies are responding to the same once-in-a-generation threat.

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