ABU DHABI // The UAE has some of the region's best cities to live in, a study has found.
Abu Dhabi came top, according to the Best Cities of the Middle East and North Africa 2010 report compiled by YouGov/Siraj for the recruitment website Bayt.com. Muscat in Oman was second, and Dubai third. Sharjah came in sixth.
More than 11,000 people in 13 countries across the Middle East and North Africa were questioned online about issues including finances, labour rights, the environment, everyday life and culture.
Abu Dhabi and Dubai were first and second respectively in the "everyday life" section of the study. It took into account 11 aspects that were considered to have a direct impact on the overall standard of life in a city. They included the quality and availability of hospitals and doctors.
Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi scored well on public utilities, education, public transportation, recreation and entertainment.
Abu Dhabi and Sharjah shone through in the culture section.
In Abu Dhabi, 82 per cent of respondents said there was little crime, with almost as many (81pc) rating law enforcement as good or excellent.
The full top 10: 1. Abu Dhabi, 2. Muscat, 3. Dubai, 4. Manama, 5. Tunis, 6. Sharjah, 7. Doha, 8. Kuwait City, 9. Marrakech, 10. Amman.
