A study by global firm Brand Finance has highlighted the strategic role played by Dubai Digital in cementing Dubai's position among the world's leading cities on the City Brand Index, with the emirate ranked fifth globally at a brand value of close to one trillion dirhams.
The study noted that Dubai Digital contributed approximately AED 31 billion to the emirate's total brand value, and received an AA+ rating, placing it among the world's most powerful and distinguished digital government entities.
The study revealed that Dubai Digital played a pivotal role in boosting Dubai's brand strength, helping the emirate achieve 86 points out of 100 on the City Brand Strength Index.
It also contributed approximately AED 31 billion (USD 8.5 billion) to the emirate's total brand value, adding 1.9 points to Dubai's brand strength index — supporting the emirate's rise from seventh to fifth place globally in the City Brand Index.
The study further showed that Dubai Digital achieved outstanding results on the trust and reputation indices, scoring 8.4 out of 10 on each among Dubai's residents and business community, reflecting growing confidence in the emirate's digital services ecosystem and its role in establishing Dubai as a leading global digital city.
His Excellency Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Dubai Digital, said: "These results reflect an aspect of the ambitious vision driving Dubai's journey towards the future — a vision that regards digital transformation as a pillar of comprehensive development, quality of life, and the enhancement of the emirate's global competitiveness.
The digital ecosystem is no longer merely a technical infrastructure or a set of smart services; it has become an essential part of the experience of living, working, and investing in Dubai, and an influential factor in building trust and enhancing the emirate's global appeal."
He added: "Dubai's achievement of an advanced position among the world's most powerful place brands confirms the success of its approach, which is built on investing in people and for people, developing an advanced and reliable digital infrastructure, and reinforcing integration among various government entities within a single ecosystem working as one team.
These results also reflect the vision of our wise leadership, which has made innovation and digital transformation a means of serving people, empowering society, and strengthening the economy — ultimately cementing Dubai's position as a global model for the city of the future and a preferred destination for talent, investors, and entrepreneurs from around the world."
For his part, Tariq Al Janahi, Executive Director of the Corporate Enablement Sector at Dubai Digital, said: "Dubai's digital ecosystem has become a fundamental pillar in supporting economic growth, fostering innovation, and improving quality of life, and has played a central role in establishing the emirate as one of the world's most prominent digital cities.
At Dubai Digital, we attach great importance to our corporate identity and to enhancing confidence in the emirate's digital ecosystem. We continue to develop interconnected and seamless digital services and experiences that keep pace with community aspirations and support quality of life.
The outstanding performance of the digital ecosystem underscores the impact of integration and cooperation among government entities in delivering reliable, flexible, and more future-ready digital services, strengthening Dubai's global standing as a hub for innovation and opportunity."
David Haigh, Chairman and CEO of Brand Finance, said: "The study's findings confirm that a reliable digital infrastructure has become a key factor in enhancing cities' reputations and global competitiveness — which explains the impressive results Dubai has achieved in this regard.
Dubai Digital's AA+ rating for corporate brand strength, alongside its contribution of approximately AED 31 billion to Dubai's total place brand value, reflects the emirate's success in generating a tangible return on investment in world-class, human-centred digital government services."
Dubai Digital recorded strong performance on corporate brand indicators, with brand familiarity (awareness) reaching 92%, and a score of 77.7 out of 100 on the Corporate Brand Strength Index.
It also scored 8.4 out of 10 on both the trust and reputation indices among residents and the business community, along with 8.1 out of 10 on the "Benefit of Doubt" index and 7.9 out of 10 on the engagement index — reflecting the growing standing of Dubai's digital ecosystem and the confidence it commands across various segments of society and business.
The study also showed that Dubai Digital's impact extends beyond digital government services to become an influential factor in enhancing the emirate's global standing and soft power.
Dubai Digital contributed to recording the highest levels of impact in cementing Dubai's position as a globally significant city (+15.3 points), enhancing its image as a destination for startups and innovation (+11.2 points), supporting future growth potential (+10.8 points), reducing bureaucracy (+10.6 points), promoting openness and welcome (+10.1 points), as well as supporting quality of life (+9.7 points), leadership in science and technology (+9.2 points), trust in the emirate (+9.2 points), and ease of doing business (+8.5 points).
According to the study, Dubai Digital contributed directly to reinforcing the concepts of innovation, trust, reduced bureaucracy, openness, and ease of doing business — factors that support Dubai's ability to attract companies, investors, and talent from around the world.
Brand Finance's approach to brand valuation combines marketing and finance concepts to assess brand strength and measure financial value, enabling organisations to make strategic decisions on sound foundations. In this context, cities are evaluated based on detailed and specialised data measuring perceptions associated with the soft power of cities and countries, underpinned by specialist research using international comparisons.
The study surveyed approximately 5,000 participants. The Brand Finance Global City Index is considered the world's most comprehensive research study for measuring city brand perceptions, ranking the top 100 cities globally by brand strength.
The 2024 edition covered more than 15,000 participants across 20 global markets to measure city brand strength across three main dimensions: familiarity, reputation, and preference. The preference dimension covers seven aspects including living and working, studying, visiting, and investing.