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Dubai ranks 12th globally in 2026 maritime cities report
Emirate placed fifth worldwide for maritime resilience and recorded strongest gain in attractiveness category among top 15 cities.
Dubai ranked 12th globally in the 2026 Leading Maritime Cities report published by DNV and Menon Economics, retaining its position as the Middle East's leading maritime hub. The emirate placed fifth worldwide in a new maritime resilience assessment, alongside Singapore, Rotterdam, Shanghai and London, according to the report released this week.
Dubai maritime ranking rises in attractiveness category#
The emirate moved from 15th position in 2024 to sixth in 2026 within the Attractiveness and Competitiveness category, a nine-place gain. This represented the largest improvement among cities ranked in the top 15 in both editions. Dubai and Abu Dhabi both ranked first for entrepreneurship. Dubai ranked second globally for human capital and joint fourth for global competitiveness. Industry experts surveyed in the report identified Dubai as the second-ranked city for relocating maritime headquarters, with international connectivity and location between major markets cited as factors.
Jebel Ali Port operations maintained during regional disruptions#
Jebel Ali Port continued operations during disruptions to major trade routes that affected supply chains across the Middle East over the past year. The emirate's network of bonded corridors, road and rail links, and free zones helped maintain cargo movement and connections with international markets. DP World moved nearly one million twenty-foot equivalent units across the region during the year, using alternative shipping routes and its transport network, according to Ahmad Yousef Al Hassan, CEO and Managing Director of DP World GCC.
Singapore retains top position as Shanghai climbs to second#
Singapore held first place overall in the 2026 report, maintaining its lead since the report was first published in 2015. Shanghai climbed from fourth to second place, overtaking Rotterdam and London. Tokyo returned to the top five, replacing Oslo. Asia now accounts for three of the world's five highest-ranked maritime cities, compared with two in the previous edition. The report assessed 50 maritime cities across five categories: Shipping, Maritime Finance and Law, Maritime Technology, Ports and Logistics, and Attractiveness and Competitiveness.
DP World capacity expansion in Fujairah announced#
DP World is adding terminal capacity in Fujairah and expanding its regional network to provide customers with additional shipping options and connections to Dubai. The company used alternative shipping routes during the year. The 2026 report introduced a new assessment of maritime resilience, in which industry experts evaluated cities' ability to respond to disruption, recover quickly and redirect operations. Abdulla bin Damithan, Chairman of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, said the ranking reflected the confidence of international maritime companies in Dubai as a preferred base for their regional operations.
Sources2 sources across 2 domains
- gulfnews.comGulf NewsDubai ranked 12th globally and first in Middle East, rose nine places in attractiveness category, placed fifth for resilience, DP World moved nearly one million TEUs
- gcaptain.comgCaptainSingapore ranked first overall, Shanghai climbed to second, Asia holds three of top five positions, report assessed 50 maritime cities across five categories
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MENA Trade Monitor is published by Arabian Media Network. Pieces are produced by the Chokepoint Watch with AI-assisted synthesis of the cited sources and automated verification against the network's editorial policy. Every piece carries a desk rather than a reporter. Corrections are recorded on the piece and on the corrections page.
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