The top 10 cities for expat life in 2021: Dubai ranks third

Dubai has ranked third in a survey of more than 12,000 people about the best cities for expatriates to live and work in.

The new InterNations Expat Insider survey concluded that Kuala Lumpur is the top city for expatriates in 2021.

The Malaysian capital city leads the list which ranks 57 cities around the world. In second place is Spain's Malaga and Dubai comes in at No 3.

Results are based on respondents' satisfaction across five categories, including quality of life, ease of settling in, personal finance, housing and factors related to working overseas.

Participants in 186 countries rated more than 25 different aspects of life overseas in each category.

Kuala Lumpur has topped the list of the best cities for expatriates to live and work. EPA

Dubai scored its highest marks in the Getting Settled index, making it into the top 10 of every subcategory.

The emirate was deemed the easiest city in the world to live in without speaking the local language and more than 80 per cent of those surveyed said the local people in Dubai are friendly towards foreign residents, that's compared to 67 per cent as a global average.

“They are warm, welcoming and friendly,” said an Indian expatriate questioned for the survey.

Dubai also performs very well in the Quality of Urban Living Index, with most people saying that they feel safe in the city, and it was also lauded for its political stability.

The emirate dropped points for job security, work-life balance and affordability, with 41 per cent of respondents saying they find the city unaffordable.

The top 10 cities for expatriates in 2021 are Kuala Lumpur, Malaga, Dubai, Sydney, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Prague, Mexico City, Basel and Madrid.

Abu Dhabi ranks in top 20 cities for expatriates

Abu Dhabi ranks in the top 20 cities for expats to live and work in 2021.

Abu Dhabi didn't make the top 10, but it did rank in the top 20, being listed in 16th position. The report concluded that the UAE capital offers “a good quality of life but a poor work-life balance". Expatriates also feel safe in Abu Dhabi with the city scoring 93 per cent in this subcategory, compared to the 84 per cent global average.

“It is safe for my daughters and me here, and the healthcare is of high quality and efficient,” a Kenyan expatriate said.

Other factors that stood out for the capital include medical care, friendly locals and being able to live in the city without speaking the local language. The emirate ranked less favourable for finances, with three in 10 expatriates unhappy with their financial situation and 31 per cent finding the city expensive.

Two other GCC nations also made the top 20 list, with Doha ranking in 15th position and Muscat in 17th.

Italy's Rome was named the worst city for expatriates to live and work in 2021.

Mane points for safe home colouring

Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Planes grounded by coronavirus

British Airways: Cancels all direct flights to and from mainland China

Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific: Cutting capacity to/from mainland China by 50 per cent from Jan. 30

Chicago-based United Airlines: Reducing flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong

Ai Seoul: Suspended all flights to China

Finnair: Suspending flights to Nanjing and Beijing Daxing until the end of March

Indonesia's Lion Air: Suspending all flights to China from February

South Korea's Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air and Jin Air: Suspend all flights

More from Con Coughlin

The thorn in the side of Biden's foreign policy team

Museum of the Future in numbers

78 metres is the height of the museum
30,000 square metres is its total area
17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
Dh145 is the price of a ticket

The%20specs

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Twin%20electric%20motors%20and%20105kWh%20battery%20pack%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E619hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C015Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUp%20to%20561km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQ3%20or%20Q4%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh635%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A