Qatar's progress against corruption

Qatar's reputation as the least corrupt of the Arab states is further enhanced in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index issued by Transparency International. It has moved up to 22nd place out among the 180 countries included in the annual survey – which puts it ahead of France and only fractionally behind Belgium.

Four other Arab countries figure in the top third of the index: the UAE (30), Oman (39), Bahrain (46) and Jordan (49).

Saudi Arabia, which had long been perceived as the most corrupt of the Arab Gulf states, has improved its position this year, moving up to 63 from 80 last year. It is now marginally ahead of Kuwait.

Somalia is bottom of the entire list, with Sudan not far off at 176. Yemen has dropped several places to 154. The top country in the survey is New Zealand.
   

Arab countries in the corruption league table

  2009 2008
Algeria 
Bahrain
Comoros 
Djibouti 
Egypt 
Iraq 
Jordan 
Kuwait 
Lebanon 
Libya 
Mauritania 
Morocco 
Oman 
Qatar 
Saudi Arabia 
Somalia 
Sudan 
Syria 
Tunisia 
UAE 
Yemen 
111=
46
143
111=
111=
176
49
66
130=
130=
130=
89
39
22
63
180
176
126
65
30
154
92
43
134
102=
115=
178
47
65
102=
126
115=
80=
41
28
80=
180
173
147
62
35
141

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 19 November 2009.