The UAE has achieved another global milestone, reflecting its growing appeal to younger generations, as Dubai took first place among the world’s best cities for Generation Z in 2026, with Abu Dhabi securing second place, according to a ranking published by FACT magazine that evaluated 75 cities across six continents.
Dubai received an overall score of 64.1 points, while Abu Dhabi earned 61.1 points. The ranking examined factors that matter to young people when choosing where to live, including living costs, entertainment, population diversity, social life, internet connectivity, and environmental conditions.
Both cities performed particularly well in population diversity, social media presence, and internet speed, helping them secure the top two positions worldwide.
Dubai Named the World’s Best City for Gen Z
Dubai secured the number one position after achieving high scores in several of the categories included in the assessment.
One of its strongest results came from foreign population diversity, where the city received a perfect score of 100 points. The result reflects Dubai’s large international community and the many nationalities represented among its residents.
Dubai also earned 100 points for its presence on social media, giving it the highest possible score in another category. Internet speed was another area of strength, with the city receiving 85.8 points.
These scores played an important role in Dubai’s overall result of 64.1 points, putting it ahead of every other city included in the ranking.
Abu Dhabi Reinforces Its Global Appeal to Young People
Abu Dhabi took second place globally with 61.1 points, placing the UAE capital immediately behind Dubai.
The city received a full 100 points for its social media presence, matching Dubai’s result in that category. It also performed strongly in foreign population diversity, earning 87.5 points.
For internet speed, Abu Dhabi scored 85.8 points, the same result recorded by Dubai.
The capital’s performance across these categories helped it finish ahead of other cities assessed in the ranking, securing second place worldwide.
What Factors Put Dubai and Abu Dhabi at the Top?
The ranking used ten criteria to compare cities and assess how suitable they are for Generation Z.
Among the factors considered were rental affordability, the cost of going out and entertainment, foreign population diversity, social media presence, green spaces, climate, and internet speed.
The assessment also considered the share of residents aged between 20 and 29, a factor used to examine the age composition of each city’s population.
Each criterion was scored separately, with the final results calculated according to the ranking’s methodology and the weight assigned to individual factors.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s performance in digital connectivity, social media presence, and population diversity contributed to their positions at the top of the list.
Global Cities Compete to Attract Generation Z
Several cities from different parts of the world appeared in the top ten, although none matched the overall scores achieved by Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Seoul, South Korea, ranked third with 59 points, followed by Auckland, New Zealand, in fourth place with 58.6 points.
Vancouver, Canada, came fifth with 58.5 points. Santiago, Chile, took sixth place with 57.2 points, while Brisbane, Australia, ranked seventh with 56.8 points.
Doha ranked eighth with 56.6 points.
Toronto, Canada, placed ninth with 56 points, and Tokyo, Japan, completed the top ten with 55.8 points.
The results put Dubai and Abu Dhabi ahead of cities in Asia, the Americas, and Oceania, with the two UAE cities recording the highest overall scores among all 75 destinations evaluated.
