Dubai/Islamabad: Dubai has been ranked the world’s fourth smartest city, according to the IMD Smart City Index 2025, a significant leap of eight places from its previous position.
The latest report by the IMD World Competitiveness Centre places Zurich at the top of the list, followed by Oslo in second and Geneva in third.
Abu Dhabi secured fifth place, while other top contenders included London, Copenhagen, Canberra, Singapore, and Lausanne.
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The ranking reflects Dubai’s strong performance across a variety of key indicators, reinforcing its image as a forward-looking city that prioritizes digital transformation and innovation.
The IMD Smart City Index serves as a globally respected tool for assessing how well urban areas use digital technologies to enhance the lives of their residents.
In this year’s edition, Dubai showed marked improvement in 16 out of 20 technology indicators and demonstrated progress across all four pillars of technology governance, underlining the city’s dedication to building a world-class smart city ecosystem.
Dubai’s evolution into a global tech hub continues to draw comparisons with leading innovation centers such as Silicon Valley and Bengaluru.
The city’s investments in digital infrastructure and emerging technologies have started to yield tangible benefits for residents.
Dubai Residents
For example, 86.5% of Dubai residents reported satisfaction with current internet speed and reliability, while 78.3% acknowledged that free public Wi-Fi has improved their access to essential city services.
A further 85.4% felt that the ability to process identification documents online significantly reduced wait times, and 86.8% agreed that information regarding local government decisions is readily available.
Additionally, 89.3% of residents said that the presence of CCTV cameras has enhanced their sense of safety, and 88.3% noted that online ticketing has made attending events more convenient.
The 2025 edition of the IMD Index also included several new cities, expanding its scope to 146 urban centers.
Among the newly added were AlUla (Saudi Arabia), Astana (Kazakhstan), Caracas (Venezuela), Kuwait City (Kuwait), Manama (Bahrain), and San Juan (Puerto Rico), showcasing the growing interest in smart city development across the globe.
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Dubai’s focus on technology and innovation is also gaining international recognition in other sectors. The city was recently named one of the top five destinations globally for fintech.
According to the FDI Monitor by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), venture-capital-backed foreign direct investment (FDI) in the city surged by 39% in 2024.
This sharp increase reflects growing global investor confidence in Dubai’s innovation-friendly environment.
Notably, 54% of the newly announced FDI projects included medium to high technology components, demonstrating a shift towards more advanced, knowledge-based investments.
Driven by a government-led push to fully integrate artificial intelligence and digital tools into public services, Dubai is positioning itself at the forefront of smart governance and innovation.
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With sustained investment in technology and a commitment to shaping the future of urban living, Dubai continues to set new global benchmarks for what a smart city can achieve.
