According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, Abu Dhabi and Dubai remain the most liveable cities in the Middle East and Africa, thanks to a large vaccination effort against the Covid-19 epidemic, which made them two of the safest cities in the area and the first to recover from the pandemic (EIU).
The vaccination campaign helped the country “avoid full-scale lock-downs in 2021 and, so far, in 2022,” EIU said. “Abu Dhabi and Dubai have largely remained open for business since the first wave in 2020. Their relatively quick recovery is one reason why the cities rank first and second respectively,” it said in its latest report.
Dubai was one of the first major cities in the world to reopen during the pandemic. The stringent rules put in place by the authorities managed to contain the outbreak and reopen the city to business sooner.
Because of the two emirates’ high trust, Dubai Airport welcomed 7.12 million passengers during the January-June period, while Abu Dhabi Airport received 6.3 million. Earlier this year, Dubai’s population surpassed 3.5 million for the first time.
Following the two emirates, Tel Aviv, Kuwait City, and Bahrain were named among the best places to live in the region.
Cities in the Middle East and North Africa scored an average score of 58, compared to 50 in Sub-Saharan Africa, the world’s least liveable region.
The least liveable cities are Damascus, Lagos, Tripoli, Algiers and Harare.
