The rankings in a new global survey were released today revealing the best cities in the world for quality of life. Did cities in the UAE cities such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah win any of the top awards?Zurich takes the gold medal for best city in the world. Baghdad takes the wooden spoon, saving second-to-last Brazzaville in the Congo from being lumpedwith this dubious honour.
Sharjah and Fujairah did not appear in the survey of 215 cities in the world. The UAE cities that were surveyed were Abu Dhabi and Dubai which shared top spot for Middle Eastern cities and position 58 overall in the world rankings.
The Worldwide Quality of Living Survey, conducted by the human resources consultancy firm Mercer, is based on an evaluation of 39 criteria contributing to the overall livability of each city.
These indicators include:
* Political and social environment (political stability, crime, law enforcement, etc)
* Economic environment (currency exchange regulations, banking services, etc)
* Socio-cultural environment (censorship, limitations on personal freedom, etc)
* Health and sanitation (medical supplies and services, infectious diseases, sewage, waste disposal, air pollution, etc)
* Schools and education (standard and availability of international schools, etc)
* Public services and transportation (electricity, water, public transport, traffic congestion, etc)
* Recreation (restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports and leisure, etc)
* Consumer goods (availability of food/daily consumption items, cars, etc)
* Housing (housing, household appliances, furniture, maintenance services, etc)
* Natural environment (climate, record of natural disasters)
Data for the survey was collected by telephone interviews from 2,381 adults in major population centres between September and November, 2006.
Further details can be obtained to check out cities according to neighborliness (the ease at which you can ask the next door neighbors for a cup of sugar and whether you know their names) to safety (do you leave your front door unlocked, the rate of burglary and anxiety levels experienced when you go on holiday).
Geoff Pound
Source: 2007 World-wide Quality of Living Survey, Mercer Human Resource Consulting, 2 April 2007.
Image: Last year’s Quality of Living list as a comparison.
