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Dubai: Corruption and a lack of transparency remain key challenges for development among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, with Transparency International awarding the UAE a low 5.7 in its annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2007.
Qatar earned a score of six in the perception index, followed by the UAE with 5.7.
The scores ranged from zero to ten, with zero being highly corrupt and increasing up to ten, which indicates that the country is free from corruption.
Bahrain, Jordan and Oman were among countries which fared worse in the 2007 survey than in 2006. The 2007 poll examined 180 countries, with one being perceived as the least corrupt and with the perception of being corrupt increasing, resulting in the country most perceived as corrupt ranking at 180. The UAE ranked 34th.
Qatar was placed at 32.
Perceptions of corruption were high in Saudi Arabia, ranking 70th on the worldwide list, and scoring a CPI score of 3.4.
Kuwait fared little better, ranking 69th on the list and obtaining a 4.3 CPI score. Bahrain ranked 46th with a CPI score of 5, Oman ranked 53, with a score of 4.7.
Analyst Dr Khalid Maniar, a managing partner at Horwath Mak, said investors were likely to look at the county's recent track record, its laws and legislation when investing instead of research reports and material, adding that investor confidence was "at its peak" in the UAE.
According to the organisation's website, the perceptions index ranked countries in terms of the degree to which corruption was perceived to exist among public officials and politicians.
For the purpose of the index, Transparency International defined corruption as: "the abuse of public office for private gain. The surveys used in compiling the CPI ask questions that relate to the misuse of public power for private benefit, for example bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds or questions that probe the strength of anti-corruption policies, thereby encompassing both administrative and political corruption."
According to Transparency International few Middle Eastern countries have ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). Those who had were mostly GCC countries. Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE along with Jordan, Yemen and Libya had ratified the UNCAC.
Jordan was emerging as a leader in its efforts to promote the UNCAC, said the organisation, while others in the region were lagging behind in implementing it.
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