Dubai retains top slot on the Global Power City Index 2022, improves ranking

Dubai retained its top position in the Mena region on the Global Power City Index (GPCI) 2022, issued by the Mori Memorial Foundation’s Institute for Urban Strategies in Japan, and climbed up three spots globally to rank 11th overall on the Index.

The city stood first regionally and fourth globally in the Cultural Interaction parameter of the 2022 report, improving from its fifth rank overall on the parameter in last year’s Index.

The GPCI ranks the world’s major cities according to their ‘magnetism’, or power to attract people, capital and enterprises from around the world.

The rankings are derived from scores on six parameters: Economy, research and development, cultural interaction, liveability, environment, and accessibility.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, said the improvement in the city’s rankings reflects the leadership’s vision to make the emirate the world’s best city to live, visit and work. “Driven by the farsighted policies of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the emirate has emerged as one of the world’s great metropolises and a prominent global cultural centre, a dynamic hub for creativity and a destination for talent,” he noted.

“The progress in rankings on ‘Cultural Interaction’ shows Dubai’s emergence as a unique bridge between cultures and markets and its ability to promote engagement between people and institutions worldwide,” he added.

City of the future

Commenting on the rankings, Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, and member of the Dubai Council, said: “The successful hosting of Dubai Expo 2020, one of the world’s biggest cultural events, and the growth in visitors have added to the city’s cultural dynamism. The city saw more than 11.4 million overnight international visitors in just the first 10 months of the year. The number of new businesses in Dubai’s cultural and creative industries has also seen significant growth. The progress achieved in the ‘Cultural Interaction’ parameter validates the success of our strategic plans and represents a major milestone in our efforts to achieve our leadership’s vision for Dubai.”

Top five rankings

The rankings of the top five cities in the ‘Cultural Interaction’ parameter have seen significant changes in the latest GPCI. Dubai has made rapid strides in this category over the last few years.

The issuer of the Index, the Mori Memorial Foundation’s Institute for Urban Strategies, said GPCI 2022 rankings were significantly impacted by how cities responded to the Covid-19 pandemic, which transformed working methods, lifestyles, and economic and cultural activities in cities. Cities in the Middle East significantly strengthened their performance on various parameters.

By tracking changes in international flight frequencies of cities since 2019, the GPCI analysed the responses and strategies of cities and countries to the pandemic. Dubai was the first city to reopen for international visitors since the onset of the pandemic. It also created a safe environment for holding Expo 2020 from October 2021 to March 2022. Both achievements contributed to the emirate’s rise to third ranking in the ‘Tourist Attractions’ sub-parameter within the ‘Cultural Interaction’ parameter. The emirate also saw significant growth in other sub-parameters, including ‘Number of Foreign Visitors,’ ‘Cities with Direct International Flights,’ ‘Attractiveness of Shopping Options,’ and ‘Attractiveness of Dining Options.’

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