"No Tax Deducted Even When Receiving Salary"... Which City Is Ranked No.1 as the Most Desired Place to Live Worldwide?

The Most Desired City to Migrate: 'Dubai'
Dubai Population Increases by 100,000 in 12 Months

Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has been selected as the 'city where people around the world most want to live.'

Dubai cityscape.
Photo by Dubai Tourism Board

On the 21st, mobile remittance service provider Remitly announced in its recently released 'World Migration Report' that "Dubai has been chosen as the city where people worldwide most want to live."

According to the report, as of 2020, approximately 281 million people live in countries other than their birthplace. This is 128 million more than in 1990, accounting for 3.6% of the global population.

Additionally, Remitly analyzed Google search data from the past 12 months and found that Dubai was the city most searched for by overseas residents in 2023.

This analysis was based on the phrase 'move to (city)' across 164 countries worldwide, with Dubai ranking first, supported by 60 countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The reasons cited for Dubai's top ranking include its ▲smart social infrastructure and services ▲foreign resident-friendly policies ▲tax-free salaries.

In fact, Dubai's population increased by nearly 100,000 during the 12 months between 2022 and 2023.

Following first-place Dubai (supported by 60 countries), the rankings were ▲2nd Miami (12 countries) ▲3rd Paris (10 countries) ▲tied 4th New York, Madrid, Singapore (each 8 countries) ▲tied 7th London, Brussels (each 6 countries) ▲9th Toronto (3 countries) ▲10th Washington DC (2 countries).

Meanwhile, Dubai has been selected for two consecutive years since 2022 as the 'Best Global Destination' by TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel information site.

Dubai is a cultural hub in the Middle East and Persian Gulf region and continues to grow as a central city. It is also a key center for cargo and passenger transportation. Dubai's economy began developing from the oil industry but has since expanded through ongoing business activities to be driven by tourism, aviation, real estate, and financial services. In 2019, Dubai ranked 22nd among the world's most expensive cities, the highest ranking among cities in the Middle East region.