Abu Dhabi and Dubai remained the top live able cities in the MENA Region in 2024. These cities have improved their scores in healthcare and education, according to this year’s Global Liveability Index from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
Abu Dhabi took the first place with Dubai ranked second, these cities were ranked based on the progress made by them in key areas.
As per the Numbeo’s Crime and Safety Indices, Abu Dhabi is one of the safest cities globally. With a score of 88.2 points Abu Dhabi ranked first globally as the safest city to live meanwhile, Dubai ranked fifth on the list of the world’s safest cities.
Vibrant Healthcare sector
As per the recent data available from the Dubai Health Authority total number of licensed and operational healthcare facilities in Dubai stood at 5,020 during the first quarter of 2024, while the number of licensed doctors reached 13,370.
The number of healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi, during the same period reached 3,323, including 67 hospitals, 1,136 health centers, 765 clinics, 1,068 pharmacies, and 287 other facilities classified as healthcare establishments. In addition, the number of licensed doctors in Abu Dhabi reached 12,922 by the end of 2022.
One of the major factors which determine the future of the city is education and the number of schools in Abu Dhabi reached 459, including private, public, and mixed schools, during the 2023-2024 academic year. Whereas, the number of private schools in Dubai reached 220 during the same period.
GCC Cities leading the ranking
The increasing influence of the GCC Cities on the world stage can be seen from the fact that eight of the top 10 cities in the region were in the GCC region.
Other cities which took the center stage besides Abu Dhabi and Dubai were Kuwait City, Doha and Bahrain in the 3rd, 4th and 5th spots, respectively.
The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is one of the world’s economic powerhouses, drawing talent from around the world and deploying vast pools of capital to it.
Cities on the global index includes 173 cities and utilizes five categories to rank cities: stability, health care, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.
