Dubai ranks second globally in BCG's inaugural Intelligent Cities Index

August 06, 2026 (MLN): Dubai has secured second place globally in the Intelligent Cities Index published by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), which evaluated 61 cities across 39 countries, reaffirming the emirate's global leadership in harnessing advanced technologies and AI to enhance quality of life, elevate government services and facilitate business.

Published for the first time by BCG, the index assesses the maturity of cities in deploying digital technologies and AI to deliver tangible outcomes for residents and businesses across five key domains Outcomes, Strategy, Adoption, Ways of Working, and Enablers supported by 35 indicators covering 14 dimensions of digital transformation, APP reported.

Dubai ranks first globally in the Adoption of AI technologies and smart city solutions, recording the strongest performance among the index's five domains and reflecting the emirate's extensive deployment of AI applications and smart digital services across multiple sectors, contributing to one of the highest levels of digital maturity among the cities assessed.

Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Digital Dubai, said the ranking reflects the success of our wise leadership's vision, which has established digital transformation and AI as strategic priorities for building a more efficient government and a future-ready city, adding that Dubai's achievement stems from an integrated digital ecosystem built on data, shared digital infrastructure, and close collaboration across government entities and all economic sectors.

He further noted that in Dubai, AI is a catalyst for improving quality of life, simplifying services, and enabling economic growth, and that the emirate will continue investing in shared digital infrastructure while expanding the use of data and AI across all sectors.

Khalfan Juma Belhoul, Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Future Foundation, said the ranking reflects the success of Dubai's forward-looking approach in transforming emerging technologies into practical applications that benefit both people and the economy, noting that leadership in AI is not measured by the number of technologies adopted, but by their ability to deliver meaningful impact, improve productivity, and unlock new opportunities for growth and innovation.

He added that Dubai continues to set a global benchmark for future readiness by advancing an integrated ecosystem combining innovation, research and development, agile regulation, and strategic partnerships.

The report found that cities embedding AI at the core of their services and operations achieve faster and more sustainable improvements in quality of life and service delivery, with leading AI cities maintaining a broader portfolio of real-world AI use cases and consistently achieving higher levels of resident satisfaction.

It further identified a link between frequent use of generative AI tools and higher levels of public trust in the technology, noting that cities across the Middle East, including Dubai, demonstrate particularly strong enthusiasm for adopting and harnessing AI.

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