The UAE ranked 3rd in the Middle East and North Africa Region and 15th worldwide in the retail international programme expansion index issued by EC Harris among 40 countries covered by the latest edition of the index. In its arrangement of countries, EC Harris relied on 5 major sectors, which were effective in making a success of the programme. These sectors included infrastructure (transport and utilities), construction and supply chain capability (local quality and quantity), project delivery, legal framework (property rights, FDI rules, enforceability) and business environment (business, trade and labour freedom, commercial ethics, attitude to foreign entrants). Saudi Arabia came in the first place regionally with 7.6 out of 10 points, followed by Qatar in the second place with 7.48 points, according to the index details published on EC Harris website. The UAE secured 7.15 points at a difference of 0.8 points from Germany, which ranked 1st worldwide with 7.95 points. The UK came second worldwide with 7.93 points, followed by Canada (7.86 points0, The Netherlands (7.82) and Japan (7.79 points). The UAE also secured high points in infrastructure development (7.6 points), supply chain capability (7.2 points), project delivery (6.9 points), legal framework (7 points) and business environment (7 points). From gulftoday