Abu Dhabi, London – Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has been named the second best city in the world to live, work and do business in, overtaking London, Paris, and other major cities, according to the Ipsos City Index.

For this survey, Ipsos interviewed over 18,000 people, aged between 16 and 64, in 26 countries worldwide, and showed that New York retained the number one spot.

The leading destinations were chosen from an overall list of 60 cities, including major hubs like Sydney, Hong Kong, Cape Town, Moscow, Toronto and many more.

The results highlighted that 21 percent of survey participants listing Abu Dhabi as a top city to do business, just 2 percent below New York. Abu Dhabi ranked highest among participants from the three youngest generations — Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z, which were all consistent in placing New York and Abu Dhabi as their top two cities.

Commenting on the results, Saif Saeed Ghobash, director general of TCA Abu Dhabi, said: “The rise of Abu Dhabi in this global ranking is testament to the ongoing efforts to establish the emirate as not only a tourist destination of distinction, but a location that international communities want to work, live and do business in. Its distinct popularity among the younger generations highlights the need for global cities to diversify and innovate to sustain their position and strength as business and tourism hubs.”

“With the ongoing rise of tourism in Abu Dhabi we are confident that its international reputation will grow from strength to strength as more international visitors experience what the emirate has to offer. As we leverage the wealth of Abu Dhabi’s cultural heritage sites, such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Al Ain, and the forthcoming opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, we are confident that our position on the map of leading cities will continue to be cemented,” Ghobash added.

Between January and May, 2017, the UAE capital recorded nearly 2 million visitors, a 4 percent growth compared to the same period in 2016. Domestic visitors accounted for more than 600,000 hotel reservations across the emirate’s 167 hotels and hotel apartments in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

Adding to Abu Dhabi’s growing international appeal is the recent accolade of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which was ranked by travelers as the world’s second favorite landmark for the second year in a row by travel planning and booking website TripAdvisor.

Ipsos is a leading international market research firm, with a presence in 88 countries worldwide. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos is controlled and managed by research professionals.