The UAE is the second safest place in the world, according to the results of a survey.
Only Andorra ranked higher than the Emirates in the list compiled by online database Numbeo. The Middle East and North Africa region was particularly well-represented in the study with Qatar being named in third place and Oman coming in fifth. Saudi Arabia was named as the 14th safest place in the world with Bahrain also making the top 20, in 16th place.
The UAE's place was unchanged year-on-year, having also come second last year. The same can be said for Andorra, Qatar and Oman. Saudi Arabia saw a big improvement, climbing from 26th to 14th while Bahrain dropped slightly from 13th to 16th. The UK dropped from 84th to 87th while the US maintained its position in 89th place as the western powers languished on the list.
Palestine was named as the world's 61st safest place, despite the war between Israel and Gaza. Ukraine, at war with Russia, was named as the 80th safest place on the planet. There were 147 nations listed in the poll which said Venezuela was the least safe of all.
How does the ranking system work?
Numbeo's data is derived from surveys conducted by visitors to their website. These surveys are exclusively focused on crime levels, with Numbeo putting together a crime index and safety index twice a year annually. The index uses data no more than 36 months old, with cities or countries selected for inclusion based on a minimum number of contributors.
The crime index is an estimation of the overall level of crime in a given city, territory or country with a scale rating that goes from one to 100. The safety index is worked out as the antithesis of this. For instance, earlier this year Abu Dhabi topped Numbeo's list of the world's safest cities for the ninth consecutive year with a score of 88.4 on the safety index, the highest on the list, and 11.6 on the crime index, the lowest on the list.
Numbeo lists the following questions as the key indicators assessed in the survey:
- General perception of crime levels.
- Perceived safety: Survey responses from residents and visitors regarding their feelings of safety while walking during daylight and at night.
- Concerns about specific crimes: Survey questions about worries regarding mugging, robbery, car theft, physical attacks by strangers, harassment in public places and discrimination based on factors like skin colour, ethnicity, gender or religion.
- Property crimes: Assessment of the extent of property-related crimes, such as burglary, theft or vandalism.
- Violent crimes: Evaluation of the perception of violent crimes, including assault, homicide or sexual offences.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
