Dubai beats Toronto, Milan and Vienna in World's Best Cities Index

Claiming 13th place ahead of Los Angeles, Dubai also had the highest number of Facebook check-ins by visitors and residents in the global survey

Dubai saw off LA, Toronto, Seoul, Milan and Vienna to claim 13th place in the World's Cities Index. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Dubai has beaten Los Angeles, Toronto, Seoul and Milan in the latest World's Best Cities Index, claiming 13th place in the rankings compiled by the marketing and brand strategy company Resonance. The report is recognised as the most comprehensive of the world's leading metropolitan areas with a population greater than one million.

Although Dubai slipped seven places compared to last year, Chris Fair, president and chief executive of Resonance told The National that the city still ranked “quite strongly as a desirable place to live. Perception in Dubai, globally, is still very strong”, he said.

For the first time the element of perception was introduced in the World’s Best Cities report, as market research company Ipsos surveyed more than 22,000 people in 31 countries. “The phrase ‘perception is reality’ is often used when developing reputation management strategies for companies, but the same holds true for destinations,” says Jason McGrath, executive vice president at Ipsos. “By merging the top-of-mind destinations where people tell us they want to live, work and visit with the rigorous evaluation of places that Resonance has been conducting for nearly a decade, we have created a more comprehensive evaluation of cities and can better advise destinations on how to strengthen their reputation.”

The addition of the Ipsos perception data meant other cities moved down the rankings as well. Doha dropped from 36th place last year to 73rd, while Hong Kong fell from 46th spot to 97th, narrowly missing being removed from the top 100 altogether. “That’s not that people necessarily had a negative perception of Hong Kong, just that it was not top-of-mind when we asked people what three cities would you most like to live in, what three cities would you most like to visit and what three cities do you think offer the best job opportunities,” Mr Fair told The National. “Hong Kong can still be very successful and have a strong brand perception on a regional basis, but on a global basis it’s no longer top-of-mind and that affected its ranking significantly this year.”

Aside from perception, overall the methodology analyses liveability metrics as diverse as housing affordability, air quality, transport and greenery, as well as data from sources such as Instagram and Trip Advisor. London topped the World’s Best Cities list for the tenth year in a row, and more than 30 US cities made the top 100, as New York moved up one place to take the number two slot from Paris.

“London’s edge comes from its constant reinvention,” Laura Citron, chief executive of London and Partners told The National. “London never stands still, it’s always changing. In a world that’s changing enormously fast – post-Covid-19, with artificial intelligence, geopolitics and climate change, a city that stands still can very quickly become irrelevant.”

Liveability, lovability, prosperity

Within the three different metrics of liveability, lovability, and prosperity, cities were scored according to various criteria. Within liveability, factors such as parks and green spaces, density of cycle paths and quality of air were all taken into account. Lovability covered restaurants and nightlife, attractions and museums, as well as the total number of Facebook check-ins by visitors and residents, a metric on which Dubai scored very highly. Prosperity concentrated on GDP per capita, unemployment, poverty rates, how the universities were ranked, the business environment and the connectivity of the city’s airports.

While Dubai came first for the number of Facebook check-ins, London was found to be the Instagram-mentioned city in the world. Elsewhere, Barcelona topped the nightlife league, while Tokyo led the tables in both shopping and restaurants. Auckland in New Zealand, while coming in 47th overall, was the best city for air quality, while Vienna was the best for cycling and Chicago came first in the parks and recreation category.

In terms of trade relations, Ms Citron pointed to the rapidly growing business connectivity between London, Dubai and beyond. “We’ve seen a lot of our Indian investors using Dubai and London in a kind of triangle to conquer the world,” she told The National. “A lot of our Indian investors will set up an operation in Dubai and one in London and run their global operation from India. That’s been really exciting and a trend we’ve been leaning into, working in a three-way with India and Dubai.”

At 73rd, Doha ranked just below Glasgow and one place above Warsaw in Poland. At number 85, Cape Town was the only African city on the list, while Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro was placed at the bottom 100th spot.