The cities in the Gulf deserve far better rankings with regard to the quality of life on offer. And yet, the recently released 2018 Quality of Living Rankings from Mercer continues the practice of granting unfair scores to the leading GCC cities.

The 20th edition ranks Dubai 74th out of 231 cities, and no change from its 2017 standing. This is the best performance for any city across the Middle East and North Africa, further certifying Dubai’s unique position in the whole region.

Abu Dhabi improved its ranking by two notches by climbing to 77th. As such, UAE cities stand out among its counterparts in the GCC and the MENA region at large. In fact, Dubai and Abu Dhabi have scored better than many a EU city.

Infrastructure is a net contributor to the quality of living rankings for Dubai, thanks in large part to the Metro, which is especially popular with expatriates transiting to and back from work. Muscat managed to enhance its ranking by one to be at 105th and ahead of the likes of Bucharest and Brasilia. The opening of the new Muscat International Airport on March 20 should add to quality of life in the sultanate.

Doha lost two positions, to be 110th but still ahead of Tunis and Rabat.

Kuwait maintained its 126th ranking, but behind Lima and Casablanca. Manama conceded two notches and falling to 136th on the index, but ahead of Colombo and Manila.

Riyadh and Jeddah succeeded in improving their rankings by one, advancing to 165th and 168th, respectively.

The Mercer survey is noted for its comprehensiveness, ranking cities on the basis of some 40 variables grouped in 10 categories and deemed essential for expatriates.

The categories are made up of the political stability in a city/country, the crime and law enforcement practices; the economic environment through regulations on currency exchange and banking services; media sources and censorship as well as limitations on personal freedom; and medical and health considerations, notably access to medical supplies and services, besides quality of air pollution.

Other variables relate to schools and education; other public services, sustainability of electricity and water, traffic congestion, and avenues for recreation such as sports and leisure.

Some GCC cities deserve to get higher scores thanks in part to the flourishing aviation industry. For instance, with its massive network and choice of aircraft, Emirates is credited for advancing the cause of Dubai as a premier regional city. The airline is the largest operator of the A380 and Boeing 777 in the world, which is something extraordinary.

The Gulf cities serve as a second home to nationals from all over the world. Expats comprise the bulk of the workforce in all GCC countries and the majority of the population in all except for Saudi Arabia and Oman. And as always, GCC cities are undergoing steady progress in infrastructure projects.

The writer is a Member of Parliament in Bahrain.