The emirate bags #1 spot with the highest ranking for education and an excellent score for climate
Those of us living in the UAE already know the answer to this, but, where in the world would you find living standards as good as in Dubai?
The answer, by global real estate consultancy Knight Frank is… nowhere else.
A new report from the firm assesses culture, education and cost of living in a guide to global living, and finds that Dubai ranks #1 with the highest ranking for education and an excellent score for climate.
The review revealed Dubai as the top location, coming first in 3 out of the 4 categories. Mallorca and the Cayman Islands followed in joint second place, both achieving consistently well throughout.
Asian dynamite Hong Kong came first for its high quality restaurants while Nassau in the Bahamas was top of the table for hours of sunshine.
Ottawa and Auckland shared first place for the availability of leisure pursuits, the report states.
According to Knight Frank, the factors taken into account were: education, climate, leisure pursuits and the availability of top quality restaurants.
Traditional locations – such as London, Paris and New York – scored well in a number of these areas, but the review showed that the key to a high lifestyle ranking was consistency in every aspect across the spectrum.
In the city rankings, Geneva came out on top, closely followed by Hong Kong. Both cities achieved a high score in the education and restaurant categories but had relatively low sunshine hour ratings.
James Lewis, Director Knight Frank Dubai comments: “When comparing each location, it was obvious that there were certain factors that motivate different clients, depending on their reasons for relocating. Hence, for the entrepreneur, Auckland, New Zealand achieved the number one spot scoring highly within political stability, ease of travel, suitable climate and an array of restaurants for personal and business entertainment.
“Geneva was the outright winner for those with family motivations, demonstrating strengths in education, security and leisure pursuits that outranked Singapore, London and Dubai who were 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively.”
Auckland was again the ideal destination for a retired couple looking for quality of life, low cost of living and personal security. It also performed outstandingly in leisure pursuits and travel.
Overall, the result of the review shows Geneva and Auckland ranked highly throughout, helped by their strong positions in Mercer’s Quality of Living rankings and low political risk.
With 370 offices worldwide, Knight Frank says it uses its local knowledge and extensive experience of these offices to provide a global lifestyle overview for clients who are considering relocating or looking to invest.
