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Dubai ... ‘best city to live in Middle East and Africa’

Dubai ranks top for quality of living in MEA

LONDON, March 12, 2015

Dubai, ranked 74th globally, claims the top spot for quality of living across the Middle East and Africa region, according to Mercer's Quality of Living Rankings in 2015.

It is followed by Abu Dhabi (77), also in the UAE, and Port Louis (82), Mauritius. Ranking 230th, Baghdad is the lowest-ranking city in the region and on the global list.

In South Africa, Durban (85) is an emerging city and ranks higher than the country’s traditional business centres, Cape Town (91) and Johannesburg (94). Durban’s higher ranking is mainly due to its high-quality housing, plentiful recreational offerings and good consumer goods availability. However, the city’s crime problems keep it from reaching the top 50.

Vienna has the world’s best quality of living, according to the rankings. Overall, European cities dominate the top of the ranking along with major cities in Australia and New Zealand. Zurich, Auckland, and Munich are in second, third, and fourth places respectively.

In fifth place, Vancouver is the highest-ranking city in North America and the region’s only city in the top 10. Singapore (26) is the highest-ranking Asian city, whereas Montevideo in Uruguay (78) takes the top spot for South America.

“Taking a short- or long-term work assignment in a new country is both an exciting and challenging experience for employees and their families,” said Slagin Parakatil, principal at Mercer.

“Cultures, societies, and comparatively different climates, as well as political instability, high crime rates, and poor infrastructure can be difficult to navigate and settle down in for employees and their families. Employers need to assess whether their staff and families will encounter any drop in quality of living when relocating and ensure they are fairly compensated for it.

“As with last year’s survey, we continue to recognise emerging cities that are increasingly becoming competitors to traditional business and finance centres. These so called ‘second-tier emerging cites’ are investing, particularly in infrastructure to improve their quality-of-living standards and ultimately attract more foreign companies,” Parakatil added. – TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Dubai | Quality of Living |

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