Dubai has once again been ranked the world's cleanest city, securing the top position for the sixth consecutive year with a perfect cleanliness score. The recognition reinforces the emirate's standing as a global benchmark for urban cleanliness and environmental management.
The recognition comes from the Global Power City Index (GPCI), issued by the Institute for Urban Strategies at the Mori Memorial Foundation in Japan — one of the leading global rankings evaluating the performance and competitiveness of major cities.
Dubai achieved a 100% satisfaction score in the cleanliness category under the Environment pillar, outperforming every other major global city assessed in the index.
The result strengthens Dubai's reputation for high standards of urban management, sustainability, and quality of life, cementing its position as an attractive destination to live, work, and visit.
How the Global Power City Index ranks cities
The Global Power City Index measures urban competitiveness across six core categories, using more than 70 international indicators.
These include:
- Quality of life - Environment - Economy - Research and development - Cultural interaction - Accessibility
Dubai's strong performance in the Environment category — particularly public cleanliness — helped the emirate maintain its leading position for a sixth straight year.
Dubai's cleanliness initiatives
Dubai Municipality has implemented a wide range of initiatives to maintain high environmental standards across the city.
These include integrated sanitation operations, sustainable urban planning, and continuous development of public spaces such as parks, beaches, and community areas.
The efforts are also aligned with the Steering Committee for Preserving the Urban Appearance of Dubai, which monitors the Public Cleanliness Index and ensures international standards are maintained across streets and facilities.
Waste management strategy
Dubai's environmental achievements are underpinned by the Dubai Integrated Waste Management Strategy 2041, which focuses on long-term sustainability.
Key goals of the strategy include:
- Reducing waste generation at source - Diverting 100% of waste away from landfills - Supporting a circular economy through recycling and reuse
Dubai Municipality operates a large-scale sanitation network across the emirate, supported by modern technology and specialised infrastructure.
| Infrastructure | Details |
|---|---|
| Vehicles and equipment | 785 operational units |
| Waste collection units | Over 23,300 across the city |
| Sanitation engineers | 2,876 professionals |
| Supervisory staff | 280 inspectors |
The operational system covers 2,400 kilometres of roads, 1,419 kilometres of investment zones, and 33.4 kilometres of water canals, along with beaches, markets, and residential communities.
Sustainability and innovation
Dubai's waste management programmes include initiatives such as Circle Dubai, which encourages recycling and community participation in environmental sustainability.
The emirate also operates the Warsan Waste-to-Energy Centre — one of the largest facilities of its kind in the world — alongside smart recycling centres and digital monitoring platforms.
Officials say these initiatives reflect Dubai's long-term strategy to maintain a clean, sustainable, and highly liveable urban environment.
According to Dubai Municipality, the city's continued global recognition demonstrates how cleanliness has become part of Dubai's culture, supported by cooperation between government entities, private sector partners, and the wider community.
