Dubai one of world’s most influential cities: Forbes

The home to multiple record-breaking feats has been named one of the most influential cities in the world.

According to business magazine Forbes, Dubai, which has more global air connections than any other city in the world and attracts a huge amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) every year, came seventh on the list - and is fast rising.

Dubai outranked other major metropolitan areas like Beijing, Los Angeles, Sydney, San Francisco Bay Area and Toronto. London emerged as the most influential, followed by New York, Paris and Singapore.

To come up with the ranking, Forbes contributor Joel Kotkin, urban geographer Ali Modarres, former Accenture analyst Aaron Renn and demographer Wendell Cox rated 58 cities based on the amount of foreign investment, ease of travel to other global cities, financial services, media power and racial diversity, among others.

Dubai earned the highest score for air connectivity, with its nonstop flights flying at least three times a week to nearly all, or 93 per cent of, global cities outside the region. Dubai World Central was dubbed the world’s biggest airport.

“Much of what we see in the media about Middle Eastern cities are scenes of destruction and chaos. Yet in a relatively quiet corner of the Arabian Peninsula, Dubai is ascending,” the Forbes report said.

Due to its business-friendly climate and proximity to some of the world’s major markets, Dubai has become the ideal headquarters for organisations looking to do business in the Middle East. “As a crossroads of humanity, Dubai is unparalleled among global cities for its diversity: 86 per cent of its residents are foreign born,” the report added.

The World’s Most Influential Cities

1. London 2. New York 3. Paris 4. Singapore 5. Tokyo 6. Hong Kong 7. Dubai 8 (Tie) Beijing 8 (Tie) Sydney 10 (Tie): Los Angeles 10 (Tie: San Francisco Bay Area 10 (Tie) Toronto   Gulf News