Dubai: World’s Cleanest City for Six Years Running, and How the System Works

Dubai has been ranked the world’s cleanest city for the sixth consecutive year in the Global Power City Index (GPCI), published by the Institute for Urban Strategies at Japan’s Mori Memorial Foundation. The city scored 100 per cent on the city cleanliness indicator under the index’s Environment pillar. This guide explains what the ranking measures, the numbers Dubai Municipality gave for its cleaning operation, and what residents and visitors can expect day to day.

At a glance

What the ranking measures

The GPCI ranks major world cities across several areas, including economy, research, culture, liveability, environment and accessibility. The cleanliness result comes from one indicator inside the Environment area, which is based on how satisfied people are with the cleanliness of their city. It is a satisfaction measure for one specific indicator, not a ranking of overall environmental quality, and it does not cover air quality or carbon emissions.

The operation behind it

Dubai Municipality gave these figures in early 2026:

• 785 vehicles and pieces of equipment in the cleaning fleet.
• More than 23,300 waste storage and collection units across the city.
• 2,876 sanitation engineers, plus 280 supervisory and inspection staff.
• 2,400 km of main roads and highways, 1,419 km of investment zones and 33.4 km of water canals covered.

Waste treatment and the longer-term goal

The Dubai Waste Treatment Centre at Warsan is designed to process about 2 million tonnes of waste a year and to generate enough electricity for around 135,000 homes, which would make it one of the largest waste-to-energy plants in the world. It is a central part of Dubai’s plan to cut the share of waste sent to landfill. The emirate’s Integrated Waste Management Strategy 2041 aims for the full diversion of waste from landfill by 2041.

What it means for residents and visitors

• Littering is fined. Dropping litter in a public place carries a fine of AED 500.
• Report problems. Overflowing bins or illegal dumping can be reported to Dubai Municipality through its customer channels.
• Use the right bins. Recycling and general waste are collected separately in many areas, so check the bin label before you throw.
• Cleanliness supports the city’s image. It helps tourism and liveability, which feed into property and investor confidence.