Dubai has earned the fourth position worldwide in the IMD Smart City Index 2025, a major jump from its earlier ranking.
This accomplishment further highlights the city’s growing reputation as a pioneer in digital innovation and smart urban planning, both regionally and globally.
The ranking, published by the IMD World Competitiveness Center, evaluates how effectively cities use digital technologies to enhance the everyday lives of their residents.
The index is based on surveys and measures performance across key areas such as healthcare, transportation, governance, and lifestyle.
Dubai stood out with high levels of public satisfaction in several important categories. Residents gave scores of 86.5% for internet speed, 85.4% for digital ID services, 84.5% for booking medical appointments, and 83.4% for availability of green spaces.
Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Roads and Transport Authority, credited the success to the “collective efforts” of both public and private sectors.
He noted that Dubai surpassed cities like Zurich, Oslo, and Geneva in smart mobility features, including car-sharing, bike rentals, and digital parking solutions.
Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Chief of Dubai Police, described the achievement as a milestone that reflects the city’s advancement in artificial intelligence and its commitment to sustainable digital safety.
Leaders from Digital Dubai, Dubai Culture, and the Community Development Authority also pointed to the city’s people-first approach and joint innovation as key factors behind the achievement.
This leap in global rankings is in line with Dubai’s broader vision under the Dubai Digital Strategy and the AI Strategy 2030, both of which aim to fully digitise public services and create a future-ready, tech-driven urban environment.