DUBAI, June 22 — Digital Dubai contributed an estimated AED31 billion ($8.5 billion) to Dubai’s overall brand value, helping the emirate climb to fifth place among the world’s strongest city brands, according to a study by global brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance.
The study said Digital Dubai accounted for a significant share of Dubai’s nearly AED1 trillion place-brand value and played a key role in boosting the emirate’s standing in the City Brand Strength Index, where Dubai scored 86 out of 100.
Digital Dubai was also assigned an AA+ institutional brand strength rating, placing it among the world’s leading digital government entities, according to the report.
The digital transformation authority contributed 1.9 points to Dubai’s overall brand strength score, helping lift the emirate from seventh to fifth place in the global rankings, the study found.
“Today, the digital ecosystem is not merely a technology infrastructure or a collection of smart services. It has become an integral part of the experience of living, working and investing in Dubai,” Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Digital Dubai, said in a statement.
Trust, innovation drive brand strength
The study highlighted strong public confidence in Dubai’s digital ecosystem, with Digital Dubai scoring 8.4 out of 10 on both trust and reputation measures among residents and businesses.
Brand familiarity reached 92%, while the authority recorded a Brand Strength Index score of 77.7 out of 100. It also achieved scores of 8.1 on the “benefit of doubt” indicator and 7.9 on engagement.
According to the report, Digital Dubai’s strongest impact areas included reinforcing Dubai’s strategic global importance, strengthening its reputation as a hub for startups and innovation, supporting future growth prospects and reducing bureaucracy.
The digital ecosystem also contributed to perceptions of openness, quality of life, scientific and technological leadership, trust and ease of doing business, factors seen as critical in attracting investors, companies and skilled professionals.
Digital transformation central to competitiveness
Tariq Al Janahi, Chief Executive of Digital Dubai’s Corporate Enablement Sector, said the emirate’s digital ecosystem had become a key enabler of economic growth, innovation and quality of life.
He said collaboration across government entities had helped deliver trusted and integrated digital services while supporting Dubai’s competitiveness as a global business and technology hub.
David Haigh, Chairman and Chief Executive of Brand Finance, said the findings demonstrated how trusted digital infrastructure had become a major driver of a city’s reputation and global competitiveness.
“Digital Dubai’s AA+ institutional brand strength rating, alongside its AED31 billion contribution to Dubai’s overall place brand value, demonstrates the tangible impact of the emirate’s investment in world-class digital government services,” Haigh said.
Global rankings
Brand Finance said its city brand assessments combine financial analysis with international perception surveys measuring factors including reputation, familiarity and consideration for living, working, studying, visiting and investing.
The consultancy’s Global City Index ranks the world’s top 100 city brands using responses from thousands of participants across major international markets.
