Bahrain gets top financial ranking

TDT | Manama

Bahrain’s capital Manama has been named as the number one city in the world with the best financial benefits to offer, according to a reputed ranking that assesses the attractiveness of 150 global locations. The Global 150 Cities Index, put together by international mobility data authority Associates for International Research, Inc (AIRINC), highlights the cities that have the ideal combination of high salaries, low taxes and costs, and quality of life.

There are three categories in the Index, including Overall Attractiveness, Lifestyle Rank and Financial Rank. Manama is number one in Financial Rank, 116th in Lifestyle Rank, and 68th in Overall Attractiveness. The financial metrics take into account salary levels, housing and cost-of-living, and taxes.

These are aggregated to calculate the net purchasing power of a typical salary in each city, and then converted to a common currency to allow comparison between locations. The lifestyle metrics are weighted and grouped by category to result in a score out of 100 that allows objective assessment of the living conditions between cities.

Both metrics are then combined to reflect the importance of each, resulting in an overall score that allows easy city-to-city comparisons and rankings. Zurich, Switzerland tops both the Overall Attractiveness and Lifestyle rankings, and is third in the Financial Rank behind Manama and Georgetown, Cayman Islands.

AIRINC has been a leading authority on international mobility data since 1954, providing organisations with both data services and insight advice to support their workforce globalisation strategies. Headquartered in the US, it has more than 900 clients around the globe, including half the Fortune 100.