Rabat ranks among top emerging cities in Global Attractiveness Index

Sunday 29 March 2026 - 17:15

Rabat has secured the 29th position out of 80 cities in the latest Global Emerging Cities Attractiveness Index. The ranking evaluates urban performance using sixteen quantitative indicators across economy, environment, social integration, and infrastructure.

With a score of 6.20 points, Morocco’s capital performs strongly in this international assessment conducted by The European House – Ambrosetti. For comparison, Kuala Lumpur tops the index with 10 points, while Abidjan ranks last with a single point. The index measures cities’ ability to retain local resources and attract external investment, focusing on actual performance rather than announced policies.

Economically, Rabat is placed in the upper half of the ranking, 28th with 6.47 points, based on cost of living, purchasing power, GDP per capita, and the ratio of real estate prices to income. These indicators underscore the city’s attractiveness to investors.

Rabat also shows solid results in environmental and social dimensions, ranking 34th (6.72 points) and 36th (4.99 points), reflecting air quality management, public transport availability, green spaces, sanitation, and housing policies addressing urban expansion.

The study further evaluates urban infrastructure, including access to clean water, electricity, and internet. While Rabat’s specific ranking in this category is not detailed, leading cities such as Astana and Tbilisi excel in these basic networks, whereas lower-ranked cities like Cotonou and Brazzaville face infrastructural delays that impact their overall scores.