Top Arab Cities 2010
By Trends • Jun 1st, 2010Doha lagged behind Saudi’s jewels, Riyadh and Jeddah, according to the Doing Business report, which examines governmental procedures that promote business activities, and those which impede them, such as bureaucracy and routine.
This index also covers reforms aimed at simplifying trade regulations, promoting intellectual property rights, opening credit opportunities and enforcing contracts, starting commercial business, issuing construction permits, recruiting staff, registering property, protecting investors, paying taxes, transnational trade and liquidating businesses.
As for Arab cities’ ranking in the health sector, we resorted to a combination of indexes ranging from those which measure medical equipment and health services, to other effects on health such as environmental pollution and cities’ responsiveness in terms of the power of laws enforced.
Among the indicators we set to select the model Arab country in the health sector were the mortality rate for every 1,000 infants, the expected infant mortality rate, the number of doctors for every 10,000 persons, the prospects of not reaching the age of 60, expenditure on the individual’s health, pollution and environmental laws.
The reports which we collected health data from are numerous, including the U.N. Human Development report, the World Health Organization, the World Economic Forum’s Tourism Competitiveness Report and the World Resources Institute.
Abu Dhabi and Dubai were selected best Arab cities in terms of health as the ratio of expenditure on the individual’s health reached $1,409 and the number of doctors reached 4,960 between the years 2000 and 2007, while the mortality rate reached 12.7 for every 1,000 infants
In the sectors of security & human rights, we had to calculate the points reached by each city according to Vision of Humanity reports (which measure stability and the level of security in countries), an ONDD organization specialized in researching investment risks, the Human Development Report, the Tourism Competitiveness Report, Reporters Without Borders, and the U.N. Crime and Drugs Bureau’s bulletin.
This year’s report in the sectors of security & human rights witnessed several changes in the ranking of Arab cities. While some cities’ performance declined, others’ significantly improved. The most dramatic change came from Tunis, which moved back from the first to the tenth position, with the second highest number of premeditated murders (1,022 for every 100,000 persons). It also ranks 154th worldwide in the press freedom index and 44th in the security index.
While Algiers held last position in the sectors of security & human rights, Doha moved from the fourth position in last year’s report to the first position this year. Among the indicators we selected in the sectors of security & human rights: murder crimes for every 100,000 persons, freedom of the press, safety, road accidents for every 100,000 persons, women’s development, war risk, police services’ reliability, organized crime, drug dissemination, and terrorism threats (which reached the highest rate for Algiers).
