Global Cities Index 2025: Dubai takes Gulf lead, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh follow
Traditional heavyweights hold firm while new-generation cities climb in new rankings
DUBAI – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is emerging as a regional powerhouse in the international urban rankings, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi among the standout performers across the Middle East and North Africa in the 2025 edition of Kearney’s Global Cities Report.
Both cities are benefiting from strategic investments in infrastructure, human capital and digital connectivity, while neighbouring Riyadh in Saudi Arabia posted one of the strongest year-on-year advances globally.
‘Intelligence age’ in Gulf cities
Dubai retains its position as the leading city in the Gulf region in the Global Cities Index (GCI) compiled by Kearney, ranking 23rd globally and maintaining its MENA leadership. According to a regional summary of the 2025 report, the city marks the third consecutive year inside the top 25 globally.
Abu Dhabi climbed approximately ten places (as noted in regional commentary) and emerged as one of the fastest-gaining cities in human-capital metrics, driven by immigration reforms and educational investment.
Meanwhile Riyadh advanced eight places to reach around the 56th global ranking, supported by economic diversification and enhanced global connectivity.
The region’s urban transformation is clear: Gulf cities are no longer just regional hubs, but rapidly becoming nodes of global flows of talent, capital and ideas. The GCI criteria measuring business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience and political engagement reveal a shift away from legacy advantage towards adaptability and smart investment. Gulf capitals appear to be among those aligning for the “intelligence age” that Kearney emphasises.
Dubai on Global Cities Index
Dubai’s global performance is notable. Holding the 23rd position in 2025 (and ranked 24th in earlier evaluations) puts the city firmly within the world’s top 25 urban players. Among the MENA region, it continues to lead in terms of global connectivity and attractiveness. One of the most striking achievements: Dubai and Abu Dhabi ranked first globally in the “Ease of Entry” metric – a new sub-category of human capital assessment introduced by Kearney, underlining their success in attracting foreign talent through visa reforms and open immigration.
In the human-capital dimension, Dubai’s performance reflects a broader strategy to retain and attract skilled professionals, bolster digital infrastructure and create a cosmopolitan environment. Its standing in information exchange and business activity remains strong, placing it ahead of many regional peers. The city’s sustained appearance inside the top 25 signals that it is not simply riding prior momentum, but reinforcing its global positioning through systematic reform and infrastructure upgrade.
Global Cities Index 2025
On the broader stage, Kearney’s 2025 Global Cities Index continues to show that the long-established global hubs remain formidable. The top five cities globally – New York City, London, Paris, Tokyo and Singapore – retain their positions, but new entrants and rising cities are disrupting the middle-rank landscape.
Emerging cities like Taipei, Almaty and Rio de Janeiro are climbing the rankings, reflecting investments in logistics, connectivity and services. In the Global Cities Outlook (GCO) – which focuses on future potential via dimensions of personal well-being, innovation, economics and governance – cities such as Munich, Seoul and Singapore took the top three spots, but Gulf cities posted steady upward movement. The report notes that innovation remains the strongest predictor of future city performance.
While global city leadership remains anchored to the most connected global hubs, the relative rise of Gulf and other emerging cities is reshaping the competitive landscape. Connectivity and talent are now reshuffled: cities are increasingly judged on adaptability, digital readiness and environmental resilience rather than scale alone. The GCI measures a city’s ability to attract, retain and generate global flows of people, capital and ideas; while the GCO assesses how well a city is building the conditions for future success in an era of geopolitical volatility and technological disruption.
For the UAE’s capitals and Gulf cities in general, the 2025 results affirm a crucial point: strategic alignment of talent policies, infrastructure investment and livability upgrades can accelerate their progression in the global rankings. Dubai’s continued top-25 listing, Abu Dhabi’s jump, and Riyadh’s climb all reflect this trend.
In the ever-shifting geography of global urban leadership, momentum matters. Cities that anticipate change, not just react to it, are gaining ground. Gulf capitals may still be working to match scale and legacy of older global powerhouses, but their trajectory demonstrates they are serious contenders in the evolving map of global cities.