Abu Dhabi has been ranked the most liveable city in the Middle East and North Africa in the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Global Liveability Index 2026, released on 7 July 2026. The ranking reflects the emirate’s continued investment in safety, healthcare, education and community wellbeing.
The index ranked the emirate 76th among 173 cities worldwide, based on 30 indicators across five categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. The global average liveability score stood at 76.1.
Safety
Results of the sixth Quality of Life Survey by the Department of Community Development (DCD), launched in 2025 with 115,801 citizens and residents, showed that 94.1 per cent of respondents felt safe walking at night.
Healthcare
Eight healthcare facilities in the emirate were included in Newsweek’s Best Specialised Hospitals Middle East 2026 ranking, developed with Statista, as announced in December 2025. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi ranked first in the Middle East for cardiology, gastroenterology and neurology, and second for oncology. The other facilities were Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, Burjeel Hospital, Tawam Hospital, Mediclinic Airport Road Hospital, Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women and Children and NMC Speciality Hospital.
Centres of Excellence designated by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) have provided specialised care for more than 3,000 complex cases since their launch in 2023, enabling 1,664 families to access specialised care in the emirate and contributing to a 60 per cent reduction in the need for treatment abroad. Their specialties include adult and paediatric cardiovascular care, stroke treatment, burn care, haematopoietic stem cell transplantation and adult multi-organ transplantation.
Education
According to the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), the emirate had 220 private schools and 233 nurseries across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra as of October 2025, offering a range of curricula. Two new private schools added 3,610 seats and seven new nurseries added 929 seats.
Under ADEK’s School Fees Policy, schools must publish their fee payment schedules and obtain ADEK approval before increasing fees.
Community wellbeing
The sixth Quality of Life Survey recorded satisfaction with family life at 78.4 per cent, up from 70.9 per cent in the previous cycle, and satisfaction with social relationships at 75.8 per cent. Housing satisfaction reached 71.5 per cent, satisfaction with work-life balance rose from 46.8 per cent to 51.1 per cent, and the average happiness score reached 7.88 out of 10.
DCD launched the seventh cycle of the survey in March 2026, running for three months, to continue capturing the views of the community.
Together, these indicators support the emirate’s data-driven approach to enhancing quality of life for citizens, residents and families.
