Dubai named world's fourth smartest city
Dubai was named the fourth smartest city, by the IMD Smart City Index 2025, moving up 8 spots from last year. Zurich came in first place followed by Oslo and Geneva.
Dubai scored well in several categories, cementing its position as a digital-first, future-forward city. Abu Dhabi came in fifth place followed by London, Copenhagen, Canberra, Singapore and Lausanne.
The IMD Smart City Index, issued by the IMD World Competitiveness Centre, is a globally recognised analytical tool that assesses how effectively cities leverage digital technologies to enhance residents' quality of life.
In the 2025 report, Dubai recorded progress in 16 out of 20 technology indicators and achieved advancement across all four pillars of technology governance, underscoring its commitment to smart city excellence.
Asia Rising: Dubai's transformation to becoming tech hub draws parallel with Silicon Valley and Bengalaru
The new cities added this year were: AlUla in Saudi Arabia, Astana in Kazakhstan, Caracas in Venezuela, Kuwait City in Kuwait, Manama in Bahrain, and San Juan in Puerto Rico – bringing this year's total to 146.
Findings:
A few of the metrics are listed below
86.5% of Dubai residents were satisfied with the city's current internet speed and reliability, 78.3% of residents find that free public wifi has improved access to city services
85.4% of residents thought processing identification documents online has reduced waiting times
8.3% responded that online ticketing has made attending shows and events easier
86.8% respondents thought that information on local government decisions are easily accessible
89.3% residents found that CCTV cameras has made residents feel safer
Dubai was recently also named among top 5 fintech destinations globally.
According to Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism's (DET) FDI Monitor, venture-capital-backed FDI surged by 39% in 2024, a strong indicator of international investor confidence and Dubai's maturing innovation infrastructure.
Of these investments, 54% of all announced FDI projects incorporated High to Medium technology components.
Dubai is making major investments in technology and AI, aiming to lead innovation and is building capacity to support the ecosystem, so much so that government services are fully embracing and incorporating it.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
20-05-2025
- Business Recorder
Dubai: VFS launches ‘world's largest visa application centre'
VFS Global launched flagship Visa Application Centre in Dubai's Wafi City, which it said is the largest visa application facility in the world. At roughly 150,000 square feet, the centre is equipped to handle up to 10,000 visa applications daily – a capacity that stands as the highest for any single location, according to a statement. The facility will be supported by a team of over 400 trained professionals from more than 25 nationalities, the statement added. 'Visa facilitation is a key enabler of talent attraction, tourism development, and international partnerships — all essential levers of our strategy to position Dubai as the world's most connected and future-ready city,' said Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General of Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism in the statement. 'This milestone is more than an infrastructure achievement — it reflects the strategic direction Dubai is taking to enhance global mobility, unlock access to opportunity, and accelerate growth across our visitor and business economy,' he said, adding that 'strengthening seamless access to and from Dubai remains a priority.' VFS is a visa outsourcing and technology services specialist. It operates 3616 application centres in 158 countries, and has processed more than 311 million applications since 2001, according to its website. It is headquartered in Zurich and Dubai and majority owned through investment funds managed by Blackstone Inc, along with minority stakeholders including Swiss-based Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation, the wesbite states.
Express Tribune
13-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Dubai ranks among top 5 smart cities in IMD Index 2025
Listen to article Dubai has been ranked fourth globally in the IMD Smart City Index 2025, marking a significant leap from its previous position and reinforcing its status as a regional and global leader in digital innovation and smart governance. The ranking, released by the IMD World Competitiveness Center, assesses cities based on how digital technologies improve residents' quality of life. The survey-based index evaluates cities across key pillars, including health, mobility, governance, and activities. Dubai recorded strong resident satisfaction scores in several key areas, including 86.5% for internet speed, 85.4% for online ID services, 84.5% for medical appointment bookings, and 83.4% for access to green spaces. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Roads and Transport Authority, said the result reflects 'collective efforts' by public and private stakeholders, adding that Dubai outperformed Zurich, Oslo, and Geneva in smart mobility indicators such as vehicle-sharing, bicycle rentals, and smart parking. Dubai Police chief Lt Gen Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri called the ranking a milestone that reflects the city's progress in artificial intelligence and sustainable digital security. Officials from Digital Dubai, Dubai Culture, and the Community Development Authority also attributed the achievement to collaborative innovation and the emirate's people-first digital strategy. This progress aligns with the Dubai Digital Strategy and AI Strategy 2030, both of which aim to digitise citywide services and promote autonomous, tech-enabled urban living.
Business Recorder
13-05-2025
- Business Recorder
Dubai named world's fourth smartest city
Dubai was named the fourth smartest city, by the IMD Smart City Index 2025, moving up 8 spots from last year. Zurich came in first place followed by Oslo and Geneva. Dubai scored well in several categories, cementing its position as a digital-first, future-forward city. Abu Dhabi came in fifth place followed by London, Copenhagen, Canberra, Singapore and Lausanne. The IMD Smart City Index, issued by the IMD World Competitiveness Centre, is a globally recognised analytical tool that assesses how effectively cities leverage digital technologies to enhance residents' quality of life. In the 2025 report, Dubai recorded progress in 16 out of 20 technology indicators and achieved advancement across all four pillars of technology governance, underscoring its commitment to smart city excellence. Asia Rising: Dubai's transformation to becoming tech hub draws parallel with Silicon Valley and Bengalaru The new cities added this year were: AlUla in Saudi Arabia, Astana in Kazakhstan, Caracas in Venezuela, Kuwait City in Kuwait, Manama in Bahrain, and San Juan in Puerto Rico – bringing this year's total to 146. Findings: A few of the metrics are listed below 86.5% of Dubai residents were satisfied with the city's current internet speed and reliability, 78.3% of residents find that free public wifi has improved access to city services 85.4% of residents thought processing identification documents online has reduced waiting times 8.3% responded that online ticketing has made attending shows and events easier 86.8% respondents thought that information on local government decisions are easily accessible 89.3% residents found that CCTV cameras has made residents feel safer Dubai was recently also named among top 5 fintech destinations globally. According to Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism's (DET) FDI Monitor, venture-capital-backed FDI surged by 39% in 2024, a strong indicator of international investor confidence and Dubai's maturing innovation infrastructure. Of these investments, 54% of all announced FDI projects incorporated High to Medium technology components. Dubai is making major investments in technology and AI, aiming to lead innovation and is building capacity to support the ecosystem, so much so that government services are fully embracing and incorporating it.
