The UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) has published an overview of progress made on the 17 SDGs, 169 targets, and their associated indicators in the Arab region. The region has made notable gains in areas such as health and sanitation, according to the report. However, major challenges remain in eradicating poverty, reducing inequality, and addressing climate change. In addition, the report highlights, geopolitical and economic instability disrupted development efforts and data production.

Titled, ‘Progress Towards the Sustainable Development Goals in the Arab region in 2025,’ the report highlights key achievements and gaps in SDG implementation and outlines strategies for accelerating progress. It emphasizes the need for robust data collection, policy alignment, and cross-sectoral partnerships to bring about a transformative impact across all 17 Goals.

According to the report, regional SDG progress is uneven across countries and targets. High-income Arab countries have made substantial progress in five SDGs, particularly SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities). At the same time, six of the SDGs suffer from a lack of data, most notably SDG 10 (reduced inequalities).

The report finds that in middle-income Arab countries, no SDG is on track to being met in 2030, progress towards SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) is “off track,” and data are insufficient for six Goals.

The report underscores that in low-income Arab countries, SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals) is not on track to being achieved, while being “the one most closely linked to every single SDG’s chance of success.”

The report provides key messages for each SDG to guide action and inform decision making by governments, stakeholders, and development partners to achieve sustainable development while leaving no one behind. The progress report informed the discussions at the 2025 Arab Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (RFSD), which convened from 14-16 April in Beirut, Lebanon. The Arab RFSD is one of five RFSDs whose outcomes contribute to the July session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). [Publication: Progress Towards the Sustainable Development Goals in the Arab region in 2025] [Publication Landing Page]