Dubai was ranked amongst other world centres including London, New York and Beijing on eight factors that measured a city’s influence around the globe.
DUBAI // Dubai has been ranked the world’s seventh most influential city by Forbes magazine.
The high ranking was boosted by the city’s top spot in the world for air connectivity, Forbes said, with non-stop flights at least three times a week to 93 per cent of global cities outside of its home region.
Dubai also has the world’s largest terminal and an even larger airport being built.
And the financial capital’s location and “business-friendly” climate make it a favourite for companies interested in establishing a Middle East presence, Forbes said.
The Forbes article said: “As a crossroads of humanity, Dubai is unparalleled among global cities for its diversity: 86 per cent of its residents are foreign-born.”
Dubai ranked behind London, New York, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong, but ahead of Beijing, Sydney, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area and Toronto.
Dubai had a five-year average of 245 foreign direct investment transactions and ranked 25th in last year’s Global Financial Centres Index from the Z/Yen Group, which assessed the competitiveness of the cities.