Dubai Leads Middle East in 2026 Maritime City Rankings, Places 12th Globally
Shipping Arabia, November 15, 2026 – Dubai has retained its position as the Middle East’s leading maritime city, ranking 12th globally in the 2026 Leading Maritime Cities (LMC) report published by DNV and Menon Economics. The emirate also secured fifth place worldwide for maritime resilience, second for attracting maritime headquarters and third for expected maritime leadership over the next five years.
The results come amid significant disruption to regional shipping routes and supply chains. Despite these challenges, Dubai’s maritime sector and Jebel Ali Port maintained operations and supported cargo movements through coordinated government and industry efforts.
The report highlighted Dubai’s integrated logistics infrastructure, including bonded corridors, road and rail connections, and free zones. These capabilities have supported the emirate’s ability to maintain trade flows and adapt to changing regional shipping conditions.
Dubai’s Performance in the 2026 Maritime City Rankings
The 2026 maritime city rankings assessed 50 cities selected from more than 15,000 worldwide. The study evaluated five pillars: shipping centres, maritime finance and law, maritime technology, ports and logistics, and attractiveness and competitiveness.
DNV and Menon Economics combined objective performance data with assessments from 208 senior maritime industry experts. The methodology examined both established maritime capabilities and the factors influencing future competitiveness.
Dubai achieved one of its strongest improvements in attractiveness and competitiveness, advancing nine positions from 15th in 2024 to sixth in 2026. This represented the largest improvement among cities that appeared in the top 15 in both editions.
The emirate also ranked second globally for human capital and joint fourth for world competitiveness. In entrepreneurship, Dubai shared the leading position with Abu Dhabi.
Industry experts placed Dubai second worldwide as a destination for relocating maritime headquarters. They highlighted its international connectivity and strategic location between major regions as important factors supporting its attractiveness to maritime businesses.
Looking ahead, the report ranked Dubai third among cities expected to lead the global maritime industry within five years, ahead of Rotterdam and London.
Maritime Resilience and Jebel Ali Port Operations
The 2026 edition introduced a new assessment of maritime resilience, in which Dubai ranked fifth globally. This placed the emirate among leading international maritime centres, including Singapore, Rotterdam, Shanghai and London.
The assessment recognized Dubai’s infrastructure, strategic location and increasingly diversified maritime business environment. It also emphasized the importance of coordinating operations, recovering from disruption and redirecting commercial activity.
These capabilities gained particular relevance during the recent challenges affecting Middle Eastern shipping routes. Dubai’s maritime sector and Jebel Ali Port continued supporting regional cargo movements through cooperation between government authorities and industry stakeholders.
H.E. Abdulla Bin Damithan, Chairman of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), said Dubai’s standing reflected sustained investment in its maritime capabilities and infrastructure.
He emphasized that the latest rankings demonstrated international shipping companies’ continued confidence in Dubai as a location for establishing maritime operations, even during periods of regional uncertainty.
Bin Damithan also reaffirmed Dubai’s commitment to strengthening its maritime foundations and supporting businesses and international trade under changing market conditions.
DP World Moves Nearly 1 Million TEUs Through Alternative Routes
DP World highlighted its operational response to regional trade disruptions as an example of Dubai’s maritime resilience.
Ahmad Yousef Al-Hassan, CEO and Managing Director of DP World GCC, said the company had moved nearly 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) across the region using new routes and its multimodal logistics network.
The response relied on the connectivity of DP World’s regional operations, allowing the company to maintain cargo movements despite disruption to established shipping routes.
Al-Hassan also confirmed that DP World is investing in additional terminal capacity in Fujairah and strengthening its regional network. These investments aim to provide customers with more routing options and improved connectivity into Dubai.
The developments reflect the importance of integrated port and logistics networks in responding to supply chain challenges and maintaining regional trade movements.
Seatrade Maritime UAE Summit Hosts Report Launch
The 2026 Leading Maritime Cities report was unveiled during the inaugural Seatrade Maritime UAE Summit in Dubai.
The event was held under the theme Navigating the Future: The UAE and the New Era of Global Maritime Leadership and brought together senior representatives from the international shipping and logistics industry.
The report’s findings reinforced Dubai’s position as the Middle East’s leading maritime centre while highlighting its performance in resilience, business attractiveness and future maritime leadership.
They also underscored the role of port infrastructure, logistics connectivity and industry coordination in supporting Dubai’s competitiveness within the global maritime sector.
Source: DP World
