Dubai and Abu Dubai have been ranked the top two cities in the Middle East region for quality of life, according to the latest edition of a global survey by investment services provider Mercer.

Since the 2008 rankings, Dubai has moved up six places in the annual survey, from 83 last year to 77 this year. The increase was attributed to Dubai's improved transport facilities, the development of its road infrastructure and expansion of its international airport, and its telecommunication facilities and consumer facilities, according to the report's analysis.

Abu Dhabi has been ranked 84th this year, from 87 in 2008. The reason behind this climb was linked to the increase in recreational facilities, international schools, and the development of the airport, and the increased connectivity with new networks of Etihad Airways - the national airline.

The Mercer rankings are based on a point scoring index, covering 215 cities globally. The base city is taken as New York, which is given an index score of 100.

Survey rankings are often used to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments.

Globally, Vienna in Austria has this year overtaken the Swiss business centre of Zurich to claim top position in the Mercer rankings. Another Swiss stalwart, Geneva, is in third place, while Auckland (New Zealand) and Vancouver (Canada) complete the top five table, ranked in joint fourth place.

'As a result of the current financial crisis, multinationals are looking to review their international assignment policies with a view to cutting costs,' comments Slagin Parakatil, senior researcher at Mercer.

Countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council rely heavily on an expatriate workforce, and the UAE has especially attracted many multinational companies looking to profit from the country's drive to diversify its economy into financial services, tourism and real estate, in the last few years.