Today's Edition
ISIDORA CIRIC (ABU DHABI)
The UAE has muscled into the ranks of the world's 10 best and most powerful countries, breaking into a top tier otherwise dominated by larger economies and long-established Western and Asian powers.
The country placed 10th overall and 10th for power in the 2026 Best Countries Index, released on Tuesday by the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School - the world's oldest collegiate business school - and global consultancy group WPP.
Besides being only MENA nation to feature in the global top 10, the UAE also placed ahead of the US, Singapore, South Korea, and China in the overall table, as well as G7 members Italy and France. Switzerland topped the index, followed by Japan, Sweden, Canada, and Australia.
“The United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven emirates on the Arabian Peninsula, exemplifies rapid development from desert trading posts into a global economic and tourism powerhouse,” the report said.
The clearest sign of that momentum showed in the Movers category, the factor built to gauge where economies are heading, where the UAE placed first in the world.
The measure draws on WPP's BrandAsset Valuator model, and tracks projected growth against IMF forecasts for 2030. China came second, and the US, despite sitting just one place above the UAE overall, finished 19th.
The report credited that standing to the UAE’s ability to move beyond its early dependence on oil and gas and build major sectors in finance, property, aviation, and tourism.
“Vast oil and gas reserves provided initial capital, yet diversification into finance, real estate, aviation, and tourism has created an economy increasingly independent of hydrocarbon revenues,” it said.
Power, one of the key factors behind the UAE's 10th-place finish, measures a country's economic clout, military strength, international alliances, and global leadership.
The report tied that ranking to geography and governance in equal measure, finding that the country's position "controlling critical shipping channels, combined with its modern infrastructure and business environment, grants it outsized regional influence."
"The country maintains strategic stability through careful management of regional relationships and emphasis on business-friendly policies that attract international capital and talent," it added.
The UAE also ranked 8th in Cultural Influence, with 11th in Entrepreneurship, 17th in Agility, 19th in Open for Business, 23rd in Quality of Life, 50th in Adventure, 52nd in Heritage, and 55th in Social Purpose.
Now in its tenth year, the 2026 Best Countries Index measures how the world perceives a country rather than its economic output alone. It ranks 85 nations, together accounting for 93% of global GDP and 78% of the world's population, against 73 attributes sorted into 10 factors.
The UAE climbed seven places from 17th in 2024, among the fastest rises anywhere in the ranking, according to David Reibstein, the Wharton marketing professor who led the study.
Reibstein also tied the jump to the UAE's investment in its global brand, pointing to Dubai's airport upgrades, the country’s hosting of World Expo in 2021 and 2022, and the free zones that drew in foreign capital.
The report described Abu Dhabi and Dubai as “symbols of modern development,” adding that "the UAE’s transformation from modest origins into a global economic player demonstrates successful resource monetisation".
However, it reserved particular weight for the capital's financial muscle, saying that “Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund rivals Norway's in scale, funding long-term economic diversification and infrastructure development.”
