Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been ranked as the world’s second and ninth best cities, respectively, for expatriates to live and work based on the high quality of life they offer, according to a new report by global network InterNations.

Last year, the survey ranked Dubai in third place and Abu Dhabi in 16th.

Valencia in Spain topped the global ranking for the best city for foreign workers to live, with Mexico City in third place, Lisbon in fourth and Madrid in fifth, InterNations says in its annual Expat City Ranking 2022 report released on Tuesday.

Rounding out the top 10 was Bangkok in sixth place, followed by Basel (seventh) Melbourne (eighth) and Singapore (10th).

InterNations polled 11,970 people in 50 cities, asking questions based on five categories: Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, Personal Finance and an Expat Essentials Index, which covers digital life, administration topics, housing and language.

“Dubai and Abu Dhabi claim the top two spots in the Expat Essentials Index, and both also rank in the top 10 for Quality of Life,” says InterNations, which has more than 4.5 million members.

In September, the UAE ranked number one across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and was among the top 10 countries around the world for expatriates to relocate, a survey by health insurance company Cigna found.

Four per cent of expats around the world want to relocate to the UAE because of its progressive policy changes, recent visa reforms and economic rebound after Covid-19, the 360° Global Well-Being Survey showed.

The UAE, the Arab world’s second-largest economy, has undertaken several economic, legal and social reforms in recent years to strengthen its business environment, boost foreign direct investment, attract skilled workers and provide incentives to companies to set up or expand their operations.

In 2019, amendments were introduced to the golden visa initiative to simplify the eligibility criteria and expand the categories of beneficiaries.