According to Numbeo’s 2025 Safety Index, the UAE is the world’s second safest country, after only Andorra. This year’s rating was dominated by Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, with Qatar in third place and Oman in fifth place globally, trailing only Taiwan. Saudi Arabia ranked 14th and Bahrain 16th among GCC countries in the top 20.
According to Numbeo’s 2025 Crime Index, the UAE has the second lowest crime rate in the world, confirming its standing as one of the safest countries. Numbeo’s data is based on visitor surveys.
These surveys’ questions are modeled after various scientific and government questionnaires. For example, the crime index considers survey responses regarding overall perceptions of crime levels, perceived safety, concerns about specific crimes, property crimes, and violent crimes.
To make rankings easier to understand, Numbeo offers them on a scale of 0 to 100. This scale makes it easier to interpret the data and make meaningful comparisons.
What Makes the UAE the Second Safest Country in the World?
The UAE is regarded as the world’s second safest country due to its rigorous rules governing crime, drug usage, and public behavior, which carry severe consequences for infractions. This serves as a disincentive to illicit activity. Law enforcement is extremely effective, with a large police presence and a well-equipped security system.
The country also has significant monitoring, particularly in cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which allows authorities to successfully monitor and prevent crime. Artificial intelligence and smart policing projects are also helping to accelerate crime detection and resolution.
The UAE’s robust economy and good standard of living minimize the motivation for crime. The government invests in social welfare and job opportunities to avoid socioeconomic difficulties from escalating into unrest.
Women and children may travel safely, even at night, thanks to well-lit streets, frequent police patrols, and tough anti-harassment regulations. Tourists usually report feeling more secure in the UAE than in many other global places.
