The UAE offers residents the best quality of life in the Middle East, according to a new ranking from global consultancy Mercer, with Dubai securing the highest rating, closely followed by Abu Dhabi.
In Mercer's latest Quality of Living list, Dubai came in 74th position – leading the region for the seventh year in a row – while Abu Dhabi took 78th place on the ranking of 231 cities, which measures the degree of well-being individuals feel based on 10 lifestyle categories including economic environment, housing and education. Muscat was in third place for the region in 105th position.
Rob Thissen, Mercer's energy sector and talent mobility leader for the Middle East, said the UAE Government “has progressively worked towards enhancing the country’s infrastructure, safety and stability ... to provide a comfortable environment for all residents.
“Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s stability over time has proved that the cities are undergoing steady enhancements, which are attracting foreign investments and demonstrated a popular destination for employee and company relocation. Access to basic necessities are key drivers to attracting and retaining investors,” he added.
The UAE Government has rolled out a slew of reforms and measures over the past year aimed at boosting growth. They include lowering the cost of doing business, waiving corporate fines in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, granting long-term visas to some expatriates and allowing foreign ownership of companies in selected sectors outside free zones.
According to the latest Mercer study, Vienna in Austria topped the rankings for the best place to live for the 10th consecutive year, followed by Zurich in Switzerland in second place and Vancouver, Canada, in third. Baghdad in Iraq was ranked the lowest on the list despite significant improvements in its health and safety services.
Vladimir Vrzhovski, global mobility consultant for the Middle East at Mercer, said Vienna has led the ranking for 10 years because it is a "pleasant place to live" and supplies a safe and stable environment for expatriates to live in.
"It also has a lot of expensive offerings in international consumer goods, has really good public utilities, public transport and recreational facilities [as well as] a good environment," he said.
While Dubai retained the same position as last year and Abu Dhabi dropped one place to 78th, living standards in the two cities have improved dramatically since 1998 – Dubai by 12.2 per cent and Abu Dhabi by 12.1 per cent.
Mercer said the UAE experienced the most pronounced living standard improvements for expatriates in its region. This is due to the country’s continuous efforts to improve its infrastructure, especially its airports and public transportation, attractive economic environment for local and foreign businesses, and focus on creating dynamic new recreational and entertainment facilities that has continued in 2019.
However, other regional cities have also fared well over the past couple of decades.
"Bahrain and Kuwait grew 2 per cent and 5.4 per cent respectively so the region has been developing quite well," said Mr Vrzhovski.
"But Dubai and Abu Dhabi lead from the point of being more attractive for expatriates."
According to Mercer’s 2018 Cost of Living Survey, lifestyle costs for residents living in Abu Dhabi and Dubai dropped in the ranking of the most expensive places to live, due to the depreciation of the US dollar at the time against other major currencies as well as falling rental rates.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Samaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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