The UAE has been racking up titles for years. In 2019 alone, it was named the "least corrupt in the Arab world," "the happiest in the region," and "the No.1 mover among Arab countries."
To no one's surprise, really, and as the year enters its seventh month, the GCC country ranked 16th out of 75 countries in the 2019 FutureBrand Country Index.
"Countries have traditionally been measured and ranked by measures of might—GDP, population size, even a sovereign's nuclear arsenal. However, in the current day when our world is defined by rapid change, do these measures continue to make sense in the ranking of nations?" FutureBrand argues in its report.
The global sample that helped reach the results was made up of 2,500 participants. From the Middle East and Africa, 400 people took part in the survey, with 150 people from Turkey, 150 from South Africa, and 100 from the UAE.
The company used different metrics to properly evaluate the countries including "quality of life, business, culture, values, and tourism."
In addition to these, "Made In: Products & Services," "Environmental Friendliness," and "Polarizing Politics" were taken into consideration when ranking the nations.
"Country making unveils a potential new world order, as countries with much smaller GDPs can now realistically challenge traditionally dominant nations. This upends the playing field when it comes to attracting everything from tourists to significant inward investment," the report reveals.
Dubai's Ruler and Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, tweeted about this new accomplishment.
"I've been briefed today on the world's FutureBrand Global Index that measures the success of 75 countries around the world in terms of visitors, accommodation, investment and stability. The UAE is the first Arab country and the 16th in the world. We will remain in the race to improve the attractiveness of our country in all fields," his tweet reads.
Dubai was also ranked 11th in the "most influential cities" list, the only Arab city to successfully compete among its international counterparts.
The Arab countries that made it to the list
Out of the 75 countries that were evaluated, nine Arab countries were mentioned:
- UAE (No. 16 globally)
- Qatar (No. 26)
- Kuwait (No. 28)
- Saudi Arabia (No. 30)
- Oman (No. 31)
- Egypt (No. 55)
- Algeria (No. 60)
- Sudan (No. 65)
- Iraq (No. 75)