The United Arab Emirates (UAE) strengthened its global standing in 2025, topping international safety rankings while posting solid gains across competitiveness, digital government and human development indices.
The UAE was named the world’s safest country in the mid-2025 Numbeo Safety Index, scoring 85.2, reinforcing its reputation for stability and quality of life. The safety ranking complemented broader advances across economic and institutional benchmarks during the year.
In the IMD World Competitiveness Ranking 2025, the UAE placed among the global top five with a score of 96.09 out of 100, rising two places year on year and retaining its position as the highest-ranked country in the region for the ninth consecutive year. The performance reflected strengths in infrastructure, government efficiency and business environment.
The country also ranked first globally for the fourth year running in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report 2024/2025, which identified the UAE as the best place for entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises among 56 economies assessed.
UAE strengthens global leadership in 2025
International recognition extended to the brand and human development. In the Global Soft Power Index 2025, released in London, the UAE ranked 10th worldwide, while its nation brand value increased to $1.223 trillion. In the United Nations Development Programme Human Development Index, the UAE climbed 11 places to 15th globally, remaining the only Arab country in the world’s top 20.
Digital leadership was another key pillar. The UAE topped global rankings for telecommunications infrastructure, digital government frameworks and digital content in the State of Digital Transformation Report, and led the Government AI Readiness Index. It also placed fourth in the World Bank’s GovTech Maturity Index and 11th in both the IMD Digital Competitiveness Index and the UN E-Government Development Index.
Healthcare outcomes further reinforced the country’s competitiveness. According to the Health Inclusivity Index, developed by Haleon with Economist Impact, the UAE ranked first globally for health outreach programmes, community participation in health policy and wellbeing promotion, while also placing among the top countries for person-centred healthcare.
Investor confidence remained strong. The UNCTAD World Investment Report 2025 ranked the UAE 10th globally for foreign direct investment inflows, recording AED167.6 billion (US$45.6 billion) in 2024.
Together, the results underline how safety, entrepreneurship and advanced digital infrastructure continue to support the UAE’s economic momentum and international competitiveness heading into 2026.
