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Dubai among world's top 20 strongest cities to drive global growth over next decade
The emirate has been rated as the fourth most connected city in the world by global consultancy Oliver Wyman's The Cities Shaping the Future 2026 report
- PUBLISHED: Tue 2 Jun 2026, 2:44 PM
Dubai has been placed among the world's top 20 strongest cities supporting next-decade growth and the only city from the Middle East and Africa region, according to a study released by Oliver Wyman.
Placed at 12th position, the emirate is ranked along with the world's top financial centres such as Tokyo, New York, Seoul, London, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Paris, Beijing, Singapore, Hong Kong and Chicago.
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Dallas, Houston, Washington, Toronto, Atlanta, San Francisco, Mumbai and Madrid make up the rest of the top 20 list.
The report – The Cities Shaping the Future 2026 – ranked 1,500 cities representing more than 75 per cent of global GDP, worth approximately $88 trillion, across five factors: commercial vibrancy, connectivity, supply chains, innovation and climate resilience. Its findings have clear relevance for the GCC at a time when regional uncertainty has sharpened focus on resilience, business continuity, supply chains and long-term competitiveness.
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"The next phase of global growth will not be defined by a single set of dominant cities. Companies are looking at which combinations of cities give them access to customers, talent, logistics, innovation and resilience. That is where the GCC is increasingly relevant. Dubai's growth and connectivity, Abu Dhabi's institutional and talent strengths, Riyadh's momentum under Vision 2030, and Doha's continued infrastructure development all point to a region investing in capabilities global companies will need in a more fragmented world," said Ben Simpfendorfer, Partner at Oliver Wyman and co-author of the report.
He added that recent volatility reinforces the need for resilience, but it does not remove the region's long-term fundamentals.
"Gulf cities are not insulated from global risk, but many of the investments already underway – from transport infrastructure and industrial capacity to digital ecosystems, talent policy and institutional development – are closely aligned with the way business geography is changing," added Simpfendorfer.
4th most connected city
The Oliver Wyman report placed Dubai as the fourth most connected city globally, thanks to Dubai International Airport, Al Maktoum International Airport and Jebel Ali Port.
Dubai airport continued to sustain global connectivity through a period of regional disruption that significantly constrained airspace capacity and flight schedules across a critical aviation corridor.
Since the war began on February 28 and intensified through March, Dubai's airports remained operational despite constraints, supporting the safe movement of six million guests, over 32,000 aircraft movements, and 213,000 tonnes of essential cargo as of April 30.
The report also pointed to the rapid rise of Dubai as evidence that leadership can compete with established global centres. It also notes that Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Doha are developing transport infrastructure and industrial zones to attract foreign investors looking for fast-growing domestic and regional markets.
Jebel Ali Port is the largest port in the Middle East, serving as a critical gateway for trade across Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. Its four terminals handle over 15 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) a year of container cargo, along with significant volumes of bulk, breakbulk and Ro-Ro cargo.
