The UAE narrowly missed the global top 10 in the latest Logistics Performance Index (LPI) published by the Washington-based World Bank Group.

The UAE scored 3.96 on the index, losing by mere 0.01 point to Finland.

Germany occupied the top rank globally, scoring 4.2, followed by Sweden (4.05) and Belgium (4.04). Austria and Japan were tied in fourth position, each scoring 4.03.

Iran and Oman improved their rankings the most relative to other Middle East countries.

The sultanate advanced five positions to reach 43^rd place among the 160 countries included in the survey, while Iran, ranked 96^th globally in the previous LPI index published in 2016, rose 32 ranks to reach 64^th place.Lebanon and Iraq, advanced 3 and 2 positions, respectively, to place 79^th and 147^th, globally.Qatar, the region’s second-from-top ranked logistics centre after the UAE, maintained its previous position (30^th).

The performance of all the other states, led by Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, deteriorated.

Country	LPI rank		Change in rank
	2016	2018
UAE	13	11	2
Qatar	30	30	0
Bahrain	44	59	-15
Oman	48	43	5
Egypt	49	67	-18
Saudi Arabia	52	55	-3
Kuwait	53	63	-10
Jordan	67	84	-17
Algeria	75	117	-42
Lebanon	82	79	3
Morocco	86	109	-23
Iran	96	64	32
Libya	137	154	-17
Iraq	149	147	2
Source: World Bank Group

The LPI is an interactive benchmarking tool that helps countries identify the challenges and opportunities they face in their performance on trade logistics and what they can do to improve their performance.

It is based on a worldwide survey of global freight forwarders and express carriers, which provide feedback on the logistics “friendliness” of the countries in which they operate, and those with which they trade.

Most countries in the Mena region are aiming to become global logistics centres and aspire to follow Dubai and the UAE’s lead.

Oman’s long-term vision includes becoming one of the world’s top 10 global logistics hubs by 2040.