Abu Dhabi has passed London and Paris to become the second most popular city in the world, according to a new report.
The Ipsos City Index ranked New York as the most popular city in the world, followed by Abu Dhabi in second place. London trailed the UAE capital, coming in third followed by Paris, which ranked fourth. Sydney came in fifth on the ranking.
"The cities in the global top five have unique strengths; New York and Abu Dhabi are unparalleled as centers for business," Ipsos said in a statement included in the index.
However, it pointed out that the top two cities "score less strongly as a place to live or visit."
"With the ongoing rise of tourism in Abu Dhabi we are confident that Abu Dhabi’s international reputation will grow from strength to strength as more international visitors experience what the Emirate has to offer," Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority Director General Saif Saeed Ghobash said, according to Gulf News.
The annual ranking was launched by Ipsos in 2013. New York has retained the No. 1 spot since the report's inception.
"People in 26 countries worldwide were asked which, from a list of 60 global cities, they felt were best to live in, do business in, and visit. The scores from the three questions were then added together to create the Ipsos Cities Index," Ipsos explained.
Here's a look at the full ranking
- New York
- Abu Dhabi
- London
- Paris
- Sydney
- Zurich
- Tokyo
- Rome
- Los Angeles
- Amsterdam