Good news for the UAE: two of its cities have earned a place among the world’s top 15 for artificial intelligence. In the first-ever AI Cities Index, Abu Dhabi ranked 11th worldwide and first in the Middle East and North Africa, while Dubai placed 14th globally. It is a genuinely encouraging result, and one that reflects steady, thoughtful investment over time.
What Is the AI Cities Index?
The AI Cities Index is a new global ranking published by The Observer that measures how well cities can develop, finance, and adopt artificial intelligence. It assessed 57 cities across 36 countries using 50 indicators covering investment, innovation, and real-world AI use.
The Observer defines a city’s AI capacity as its demonstrated ability to originate, build, finance, and absorb the technology. The project was produced in partnership with Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Khalifa University, and the index took eight months to compile.
Both UAE cities placed ahead of several well-established technology centres, including Toronto, Tel Aviv, and Boston.
Abu Dhabi’s Strong Showing
Abu Dhabi’s best result came in the operating environment category, where it ranked fifth globally with a score of 77.9. This category looks at governance and institutions, dedicated AI bodies and strategies, national policymaking, research centres, and the presence of highly ranked computer science universities.
Beyond that, Abu Dhabi also achieved:
- Sixth place globally for public investment, with a score of 36.2
- Seventh place for private investment, with a score of 18.4
- Eleventh place in development, which covers patent activity, model performance, and open-source datasets and models
- Placement among the world’s top seven cities in three of the index’s seven categories
Its other results were 27th in research, 30th for its commercial ecosystem, and 33rd for infrastructure, showing clear room for continued growth alongside its strengths.
Dubai’s Own Impressive Results
Dubai’s strongest showing was in public investment, where it ranked fourth globally with a score of 63.7. It also entered the global top 10 for operating environment, placing 10th with 66.6 points.
The rest of Dubai’s results give a fuller picture:
- 27th for infrastructure
- 33rd for both development and commercial ecosystem
- 42nd for private investment
- 57th for research
Despite these varied results, Dubai’s overall ranking of 14th placed it ahead of several historically prominent technology hubs, which is a genuinely encouraging achievement.
Understanding the State-Built Model
One especially interesting detail is how the index described Abu Dhabi. It grouped the emirate alongside Paris and Seoul as examples of what it called state-built AI centres, where government-led investment is directed towards research, infrastructure, public adoption, and private-sector growth.
The publication also noted that Gulf cities are outperforming some long-established computing research centres, helped by sovereign investment and strong government involvement. This kind of steady, purposeful backing shows how long-term planning can translate into meaningful results.
The Global Picture
To put these results in context, here is how the top of the AI Cities Index looks:
- San Francisco ranked first overall, followed by New York, Seoul, and Beijing
- Paris ranked fifth and London sixth
- Shenzhen, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Singapore completed the top 10
- Abu Dhabi followed in 11th place, with Dubai in 14th
Looking Ahead
The index is designed to establish a baseline for tracking how cities’ AI capabilities change over time. The ranking will be repeated and refined every year, which means future editions of the AI Cities Index will show how each city continues to grow.
Why This Ranking Deserves Appreciation
This first AI Cities Index stands out for several reasons:
- It recognises real, consistent effort in governance, investment, and AI development
- It places two UAE cities among a small group of leading AI hubs worldwide
- It highlights the value of long-term, government-supported planning
- It gives a clear baseline for measuring future progress
Conclusion
The new AI Cities Index offers a warm and encouraging moment for the UAE, with Abu Dhabi and Dubai both earning strong global positions in this first edition. These results reflect years of steady investment, clear planning, and genuine commitment to building a strong AI environment.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How did Abu Dhabi and Dubai rank in the AI Cities Index?Â
Abu Dhabi ranked 11th globally and first in the Middle East and North Africa, while Dubai ranked 14th globally.
How many cities were included in the ranking?Â
The index assessed 57 cities across 36 countries using 50 indicators.
Who produced the AI Cities Index?Â
It was produced by The Observer, in partnership with Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Khalifa University.
Which city topped the overall ranking?Â
San Francisco ranked first overall, followed by New York, Seoul, and Beijing.
Will the index be updated in the future?Â
Yes, The Observer has said the ranking will be repeated and refined annually.