The Stern School of Business at NYU Abu Dhabi, one of the world’s leading business schools, today released the inaugural Financial Center Competitiveness Index (FCCI) at the Global Markets Summit during Abu Dhabi Finance Week. The index evaluates international financial centers worldwide and ranks New York, London, and Singapore as the top three. Highlighting the GCC’s growing influence in a landscape long shaped by established hubs, the Index places Abu Dhabi 12th and Dubai 14th overall, with Riyadh 26th and Doha 29th.
Results rank New York, London, and Singapore as the top three global financial centers. Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Riyadh, and Doha all feature in the top 30, underscoring the GCC’s growing role in global finance. First major publication of the Institute for Global Financial Competitiveness in Abu Dhabi, supported by Ray Dalio
As the global economic landscape becomes more complex, traditional indices offer rankings without fully explaining what drives them. The FCCI addresses this gap. Using data science to blend data driven rankings with strategic analysis, it gives policymakers a clearer view of how financial centers compare and compete, helps emerging centers understand how to strategically plan for growth, and supports decision makers navigating increasingly complex global economic dynamics.
The Institute advances research into the evolving global economic order, with a focus on the role of international financial centers. By creating a systematic benchmark for financial centers, it provides policymakers, business leaders, and investors with an evidence-based framework to navigate shifting global dynamics.
“International financial centers are one of the clearest ways to observe how the global economy is shifting” said Rob Salomon, Dean of Stern at NYUAD. “With the FCCI and the Institute for Global Financial Competitiveness, we wanted to move beyond league tables and provide a research-based view of how cities are engaged in building financial capacity. The strong performance of cities located in the Gulf region shows how fast new hubs can move when policy, regulation, talent, and innovation are aligned.”
The FCCI uses a two-pillar framework that looks at today and tomorrow. The Footprint pillar tracks current scale and activity, including institutional strength, resources, and local ecosystems. The Dynamics pillar assesses growth potential and future readiness, with a focus on technology and innovation. Together, the pillars show where centers stand now and how prepared they are for what comes next.
The principal investigators of the Index are Bruno Lanvin, President of the Descartes Institute and Senior Advisor at the Institute for Global Financial Competitiveness, Stern at NYUAD, and Anisa Shyti, Clinical Associate Professor of Accounting at Stern at NYUAD.
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