Dubai Secures 12th Spot Globally and 5th for Resilience in Maritime Study
Dubai has retained its position as the Middle East’s leading maritime city and placed 12th globally in the 2026 Leading Maritime Cities report released by DNV and Menon Economics. Global shipping operators and international trade firms saw the emirate navigate supply chain disruptions across the region while maintaining operations through Jebel Ali Port, backed by bonded corridors, multimodal transport links, and dedicated free zones.
City Ranks Fifth Globally for Resilience After Trade Corridor Gains
In a new maritime resilience assessment included in the study, industry experts ranked Dubai fifth worldwide alongside established maritime hubs Singapore, Rotterdam, Shanghai, and London. The benchmark evaluated 50 cities selected from more than 15,000 globally across five pillars, integrating objective metrics with survey responses from 208 senior maritime industry figures.
Dubai recorded its sharpest rise in the Attractiveness and Competitiveness category, climbing nine places from 15th to sixth, the largest jump among any hub in the top 15 compared to the 2024 report. The city led the entrepreneurship indicator alongside Abu Dhabi, placed second globally for human capital, and secured joint fourth position for world competitiveness. Industry experts also designated Dubai the second most attractive destination globally for relocating maritime headquarters, while ranking it third for expected global maritime leadership over the next five years.
Operational metrics supported the ranking during a period of regional trade challenges. DP World moved nearly 1 million TEUs across the region using alternative routes and its multimodal network, while directing new investments into terminal capacity in Fujairah to expand regional connectivity into Dubai.
The results of the 2026 study were presented in Dubai during the inaugural Seatrade Maritime UAE Summit.
