Abu Dhabi and Dubai have been ranked as the best cities in the Gulf in a new league table, emphasising their growing international influence and economic power.
Both have again been listed inside the top 50 of the annual Global Cities Index, compiled by the Kearney Foresight Network, due to the infrastructure investment and their success in embracing digital strategies.
Dubai remains the top-ranked city in the Gulf, rising one place from last year to 23rd on the global list. Abu Dhabi has climbed 10 places to 49th.
Qatar's capital Doha has retained its position at 51st in the international table, while the Saudi and Bahraini capitals have also improved their standings. Riyadh has moved up eight places to 56th, with Manama jumping 10 spots to 125th. Saudi cities Dammam and Madinah have also moved up the league.
Established urban hubs lead the way again this year, with New York followed by London, Paris, Tokyo and Singapore in an unchanged top five. Cities such as Almaty, Taipei and Rio de Janeiro made notable gains.
The Global Cities Index report is an annual two-part assessment of growth in the world’s leading metropolitan areas and seeks to understand how cities connect, compete and adapt to global change.
It evaluates five criteria across 158 metropolitan areas, including business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience and political engagement.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been considered the best cities for ease of entry, thanks to a tranche of new long-term visa options, as well as gradual societal reforms.
Kearney Foresight principal Brenna Buckstaff said Gulf cities are well-placed to shape the next era of global leadership through their systemic reforms and forward-looking strategies.
“Gulf cities continue to translate long-term transformation agendas into measurable progress,” she said. “Their rise reflects the results of sustained investment in talent, infrastructure, and environmental resilience – foundations that are strengthening their global competitiveness in the intelligence age.”
Potential performance
Gulf cities have also been ranked prominently in Kearney's Global Cities Outlook (GCO) report, which projects potential future performance.
Dubai, is the region’s highest-ranked city in the GCO, surging 19 places to rank 25th on the strength of its innovation environment and improvement in personal well-being.
Government services in the UAE have been streamlined for ease of use, with more remote access to everyday necessities via online apps and technology to reduce bureaucracy.
Expanding urban growth with investment in infrastructure projects such as major highways, bridges and the Dubai Loop, an underground connecting tunnel for autonomous transport, are examples of urban evolution, the report found.
Saudi Arabia also stood out on Kearney’s GCO list for the scale and breadth of its progress. Riyadh moved up eight places in the GCO rankings to 68th thanks to urban transformation such as the $195 billion investment pipeline for mega projects, including huge parks, entertainment districts and improved neighbourhoods, green spaces and public services.
Makkah, Madinah and Dammam also moved up the GCO rankings when compared to last year.
Gulf cities are continuing to attract new talent to bolster growth, the report said. Welcoming immigration programmes, alongside targeted investments in education, workforce development and inclusive opportunities have helped Dubai become an attractive destination for workers, it stated.
Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Manama were also highlighted for leveraging their reputations for safety, business opportunities and global connectivity.
“What’s striking in this year’s results is not just which cities moved up or down, but why,” said Rudolph Lohmeyer, senior partner of the Global Business Policy Council and head of the National Transformations Institute of the Kearney Foresight Network.
“Cities are no longer defined by legacy advantages or sheer scale. Their competitiveness now rests on how well they can cultivate talent, build trust in digital systems, and design liveable environments that can withstand volatility.
“The Gulf’s trajectory is a clear example of how aligning these factors can change a city’s global standing in just a few years.”
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Five hymns the crowds can join in
Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday
Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir
Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium
‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song
‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar
‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion
‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope
The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’
There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia
The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ
They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening
WITHIN%20SAND
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Moe%20Alatawi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Ra%E2%80%99ed%20Alshammari%2C%20Adwa%20Fahd%2C%20Muhand%20Alsaleh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
What%20is%20Dungeons%20%26%20Dragons%3F%20
%3Cp%3EDungeons%20%26amp%3B%20Dragons%20began%20as%20an%20interactive%20game%20which%20would%20be%20set%20up%20on%20a%20table%20in%201974.%20One%20player%20takes%20on%20the%20role%20of%20dungeon%20master%2C%20who%20directs%20the%20game%2C%20while%20the%20other%20players%20each%20portray%20a%20character%2C%20determining%20its%20species%2C%20occupation%20and%20moral%20and%20ethical%20outlook.%20They%20can%20choose%20the%20character%E2%80%99s%20abilities%2C%20such%20as%20strength%2C%20constitution%2C%20dexterity%2C%20intelligence%2C%20wisdom%20and%20charisma.%20In%20layman%E2%80%99s%20terms%2C%20the%20winner%20is%20the%20one%20who%20amasses%20the%20highest%20score.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Bridgerton%20season%20three%20-%20part%20one
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nicola%20Coughlan%2C%20Luke%20Newton%2C%20Jonathan%20Bailey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out now.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Dir: Ron Howard
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson
3/5
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
