In a significant boost for the region’s economic landscape, Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been ranked first globally in ease of entry for foreign talent, according to Kearney’s annual Global Cities Index (GCI).

For the fourth consecutive year, Dubai ranked 24th globally, maintaining its leading position in the MENA region.

The latest report highlights a stable performance across Middle Eastern cities, particularly in the ‘business activity’ dimension, where Dammam made notable strides with a 19-rank increase, fueled by a 71 per cent growth in its services sector.

Kearney’s Global Cities Report analyses the connectivity and global influence of major metropolitan areas through the GCI and Global Cities Outlook (GCO). The report measures cities across five dimensions: Human Capital, Information Exchange, Cultural Experience, Political Engagement, and Business Activity.

Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi excelled in the newly introduced ease of entry metric, a reflection of their progressive immigration policies aimed at fostering talent influx. Meanwhile, Riyadh also improved its rankings, particularly regarding its unicorn companies.

Rudolph Lohmeyer, partner at Kearney’s National Transformations Institute, noted, “Our analysis reveals a new form of globalisation — more distributed and networked, yet uncertain. Middle Eastern cities have the opportunity to leverage their strategic positions, robust economies, and attractive immigration policies to spur economic growth.”