Dubai has secured second place globally in the inaugural Intelligent Cities Index 2026 published by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), while taking the top spot worldwide for its adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and smart technology solutions.
The comprehensive evaluation benchmarked 61 major global cities across 39 countries using 35 indicators to measure digital transformation maturity. While London achieved the highest overall score, official data released through the Dubai Media Office confirmed that Dubai outperformed all competing global metropolises in the practical deployment of AI and smart city infrastructure.
The study assessed cities across five core domains, Strategy, Adoption, Outcomes, Ways of Working, and Enablers. Dubai’s top ranking in adoption stems from its systematic integration of intelligent systems directly into city operations, public sector workflows, and urban planning rather than treating technology as an auxiliary tool.