Dubai ranks second globally in the adoption of AI and intelligent technology

Dubai is ranked second globally in the Intelligent Cities Index published by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), which evaluated 61 cities across 39 countries. The ranking reaffirms Dubai's global leadership in harnessing advanced technologies and AI to enhance quality of life, elevate government services, and facilitate business, reflecting the emirate's success in building a human-centric, future-ready digital city.

Published for the first time by Boston Consulting Group, the index evaluates the maturity of cities in deploying digital technologies and AI to deliver tangible outcomes for residents and businesses. It assesses 61 major cities across five key domains: Outcomes, Strategy, Adoption, Ways of Working, and Enablers, supported by 35 indicators covering 14 dimensions of digital transformation. Together, these provide a comprehensive assessment of how effectively cities leverage technology to drive sustainable development and strengthen their global competitiveness.

The report stated that Dubai ranks first globally in the Adoption of AI technologies and smart city solutions, which recorded the strongest performance across the index's five domains. This reflects the emirate's extensive deployment of AI applications and smart digital services across multiple sectors. Dubai's strong performance in this area has contributed to one of the highest levels of digital maturity among the cities assessed, demonstrating its success in converting advanced technologies into practical services and solutions that generate measurable value for people and businesses.

Reflection of strategic priorities

Commenting on the achievement, His Excellency Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Digital Dubai, said: “This outstanding global 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. Dubai's achievement is the result of an integrated digital ecosystem built on data, shared digital infrastructure, and close collaboration across government entities and all economy sectors. This ecosystem enables advanced technologies to be transformed into practical services and solutions that create tangible value for society while fostering the competitiveness of our economy.”

He added: “In Dubai, AI is more than an emerging technology, it is a catalyst for improving quality of life, simplifying services, and enabling economic growth. We will continue investing in shared digital infrastructure while expanding the use of data and AI across all sectors, reinforcing Dubai's position as a global model for the cities of the future.”

Forward-looking approach

His Excellency Khalfan Juma Belhoul, Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Future Foundation, said: “This ranking reflects the success of Dubai's forward-looking approach, which focuses on transforming emerging technologies into practical applications that benefit both people and the economy. 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: “Dubai continues to set a global benchmark for future readiness by advancing an integrated ecosystem that combines innovation, research and development, agile regulation, and strategic partnerships. This ecosystem is accelerating the adoption of AI across all sectors while strengthening the city's ability to seize future opportunities and pioneer new models for sustainable development.”

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. It also concluded that leading AI cities have a broader portfolio of real-world AI use cases and consistently achieve higher levels of resident satisfaction, highlighting the growing shift towards embedding AI at the core of city operating models rather than a supporting technology.

The report further identified a powerful link between frequent use of generative AI tools and higher levels of public trust in these technologies, as well as more positive perceptions of their future role. It also noted that cities across the Middle East, including Dubai, demonstrate particularly strong enthusiasm for adopting and harnessing AI.