DUBAI,— Dubai has secured second place worldwide in the Intelligent Cities Index 2026, a new report released by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) that reviewed 61 cities spanning 39 countries.

The result highlights Dubai’s standing as a leader in using advanced technology and artificial intelligence to improve daily life, strengthen government services, and support business activity.

Officials say the ranking reflects the emirate’s progress in building a digital city centered on people and prepared for the future.

The index, released for the first time by BCG, measures how well cities apply digital tools and AI to produce real benefits for residents and companies.

It examines 61 major cities using five categories: Outcomes, Strategy, Adoption, Ways of Working, and Enablers.

These are broken down into 35 indicators covering 14 areas of digital growth, offering a wide view of how cities use technology to support long-term development and stay competitive globally.

The top five cities in the ranking are London, Dubai, New York City, Washington, and Amsterdam.

Each of these cities performs strongly in at least two of the five categories, though the report notes that no single city leads in every area, even those considered advanced in technology use.

According to BCG, Dubai placed second worldwide in Adoption, the category measuring use of AI tools and smart city systems, which was the strongest-performing category in the entire index.

The report links this to Dubai’s wide rollout of AI-based applications and smart services across many industries.

This performance has helped push Dubai to one of the highest digital maturity levels among the cities studied, the report said, showing the city’s ability to turn new technology into services that create real value.

Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Digital Dubai, said AI in Dubai serves as a tool to raise quality of life, ease access to services, and support economic growth.

He said Dubai will keep investing in shared digital systems and expanding AI use across sectors.

(With files from Government of Dubai Media Office)

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