Today's Edition
By Mays Ibrahim (ABU DHABI)
Abu Dhabi and Dubai have been ranked among the world's five most child-friendly cities in a 2026 index published by travel company Radical Storage.
Dubai ranked second with a score of 6.5 out of 10, behind Tokyo, which topped the ranking with 6.8 points, while Abu Dhabi shared fifth place with Seoul, South Korea, with a score of 6.1.
The ranking assessed 50 of the world's most populated cities across 14 factors, including family-friendly accommodation, safety, healthcare accessibility and child-friendly attractions.
The UAE cities also ranked jointly as the safest destinations for families in the study, recording a safety score of 88.7, ahead of Kyoto in Japan, which scored 85.8.
Abu Dhabi ranked second globally for the share of child-friendly attractions, with 29.6% of its attractions considered suitable for children.
The city had 34 qualifying attractions, while Dubai ranked eighth, with 20.2% of its 86 attractions classified as child-friendly.
Dubai also ranked third for affordable hotel accommodation, with an average nightly price of €53 (about Dh225), behind Bangkok at €35 and Kuala Lumpur at €47.
The study identified 642 family-friendly accommodation options in Dubai, the third-highest number among the cities assessed.
The index drew on data collected in September 2026 from Booking.com, Numbeo and traveller reviews.
It assessed 14 factors, giving equal weight to each, across accommodation, safety, healthcare access and family-friendly activities.
The findings place both UAE cities among the leading destinations for families travelling with children, with their high safety scores and range of child-friendly attractions contributing to their overall rankings.
