Abu Dhabi: Dubai has been identified as the most attractive city in the world to live in terms of professional and private life, according to a survey by INSEAD, the international business school based in France.
Among 15 of the world’s prominent cities, Dubai topped the list for the best place to work, ahead of others such as New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, London, and Paris. The emirate also ranked first in economic dynamism, third in overall attractiveness, and fourth place in quality of life and cost of living.
The study, undertaken for the first time by the INSEAD Alumni Association France, recorded and assessed responses of 835 INSEAD alumni with international work experience.
The study looked into economic dynamism (quality of labour, access to funding), quality of life (cultural facilities, air quality), cost of living (real estate, dining), and the overall attractiveness of the city (young talent, access to technology).
Annalinde Nickisch, human resources consultant at The Thought Factory in Dubai, attributed the high ranking to efforts by Dubai’s leadership in developing a forward-thinking society.
Speaking to Gulf News, she added, “You have very easy regulations as an employee in Dubai. It’s easy to find a job here, get a contract, finish all the legal paperwork, and get your visa. These formalities take much longer in other cities, so it’s much easier to settle down and work in Dubai.”
Nickisch also said that regulations are employee-oriented, which makes workers feel protected at their workplace against employers.
“It’s a safe work environment, and as an employee, you know your salary will come every month. The legal system will also support any problem that employees may have, and this is not as easy in other cities,” she said.
The news supports findings by the 2013 Global Talent Competitiveness Index, created by INSEAD that ranked the UAE ahead of other oil-based economies in the Middle East for attracting and retaining talent. The index placed UAE in 19th place globally.
