The Allure of Abu Dhabi, the World's Happiest City

October 16, 2025 | 11:23 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Abu Dhabi has been named the happiest city in the world in 2025 according to the Time Out Index survey. This survey assesses residents' satisfaction with quality of life, community togetherness, and personal needs. Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is located on an island jutting into the Persian Gulf. In addition to being the capital, Abu Dhabi is the largest of the country's seven emirates.

Below Abu Dhabi, four other cities that made the top five are Medellin, Cape Town, Mexico City, and Mumbai. Meanwhile, Beijing, Shanghai, Chicago, Seville, and Melbourne complete the top ten list.

The ranking of happiest cities is based on residents' positive responses to five happiness indicators, including overall happiness, social connectedness in their residential areas, and the extent to which their cities contribute to daily happiness and well-being.

Abu Dhabi's History

According to Britannica, Abu Dhabi started as a small settlement on the coast of the Persian Gulf in 1761, when the Al Bu Falah tribe of the Banu Yas confederation settled in the area. The city initially depended on small trade and pearl diving, but suffered a decline after the emergence of cultured pearls from Japan and the 1929 economic crisis.

A significant change occurred after the discovery of oil fields in 1958 and the start of commercial production in 1962. Abu Dhabi became a new economic ...