Middle Eastern Cities Rank High in Health and Safety Considerations
Lowest Security Risks Found in Northern Europe and Switzerland
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As countries around the world ease COVID-19 quarantine measures, overseas travelers are increasing significantly again, and the city perceived as the safest by travelers is Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. When considering health and geopolitical instability factors, major cities in the Middle East such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranked high.
According to CNBC on the 23rd (local time), a survey conducted by the UK insurance company William Russell targeting travelers found that the city perceived as the safest worldwide by overseas travelers was Taipei, Taiwan. Tokyo in Japan, Prague in the Czech Republic, Copenhagen in Denmark, and Singapore followed. The city considered the least safe was Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The survey was based on crime rates perceived by travelers. It revealed that Asia and Europe are strongly recognized by global travelers as having relatively good public safety and low crime rates.
For migration, Nordic countries ranked high as the safest countries. In the "Safe Countries to Choose for Overseas Migration in 2023" ranking released by William Russell at the end of last year, Iceland ranked first, followed by New Zealand in second place.
However, when considering geopolitical conflict factors and health issues, Middle Eastern metropolitan cities scored high. In December last year, market research firm Euromonitor International selected Sharjah in the UAE as the number one city in the "2022 Top 100 City Destinations for Health and Safety" index. Other top-ranking cities included many from the Middle East: Dubai, UAE ranked second; Doha, Qatar third; Abu Dhabi, UAE fourth; and Singapore fifth.
Euromonitor explained in the report, "Amid increasing digitalization, technological advancement, and development for sustainability, it shows top cities for business activities based on investment potential and tourism infrastructure."
Meanwhile, considering crime rates and business environments, Nordic countries ranked high as the countries with the least security risks. According to data compiled by International SOS, a global medical and security specialist company, the ranking of countries with the least security risks placed Norway first, Finland second, Switzerland third, Denmark fourth, and Iceland fifth, with most top rankings going to Nordic countries.
Conversely, the country identified as having the highest security risk was Afghanistan. Following were Syria, Ukraine, Mali, and Iraq?regions currently at war or experiencing ongoing local conflicts?evaluated as high-risk areas.
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