Gulf nations ranked in world’s best places to live and work: HSBC report

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Updated 19 October 2021
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Gulf nations ranked in world’s best places to live and work: HSBC report

Three Gulf countries are among the top 10 best places to live in the world for expats, with UAE climbing 10 places to secure the 4th position, while Bahrain ranked 8th and Qatar took the 10th position. 

Switzerland retained its position as the number one place expats rated to live, while Australia came second, according to HSBC's 14th annual Expat Explorer study. 

Saudi Arabia was ranked 39th globally, out of the 48 places. 

Quality of life in the UAE constituted the main reason that makes expats stay longer. 

Chief executive officer of HSBC at UAE, Abdulfattah Sharaf said “The overwhelming sense of optimism from expats in the UAE about the 12 months ahead is reflective of the quick response from authorities to tackle the social and economic impact of the pandemic.”

The survey looked at people’s salaries, career growth potential, job security and savings, but it also asked people about social issues. 


Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 11,183

Updated 16 February 2026
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Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 11,183

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index dipped on Monday, losing 44.79 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 11,183.85.

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR4.05 billion ($1.08 billion), as 69 of the listed stocks advanced, while 191 retreated.

The MSCI Tadawul Index decreased, down 6.63 points or 0.44 percent, to close at 1,504.73.

The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu lost 328.20 points, or 1.36 percent, to close at 23,764.92. This comes as 22 of the listed stocks advanced, while 49 retreated.

The best-performing stock was Maharah Human Resources Co., with its share price surging by 7.26 percent to SR6.50.

Other top performers included Arabian Cement Co., which saw its share price rise by 6.27 percent to SR22.71, and Saudi Research and Media Group, which saw a 4.3 percent increase to SR104.30.

On the downside, the worst performer of the day was Arabian Internet and Communications Services Co., whose share price fell by 8.01 percent to SR207.80.

Jahez International Co. for Information System Technology and Al-Rajhi Co. for Cooperative Insurance also saw declines, with their shares dropping by 5.61 percent and 4.46 percent to SR12.79 and SR75, respectively.

On the announcement front, Etihad Etisalat Co. announced its financial results for 2025 with a 7.9 percent year-on-year growth in its revenues, to reach SR19.6 billion.

In a Tadawul statement, Mobily said that this growth is attributed to “the expansion of all revenue streams, with a healthy growth in the overall subscriber base.”

Mobily delivered an 11.6 percent increase in net profit, reaching SR3.4 billion in 2025 compared to SR3.1 billion in 2024.

The company’s share price reached SR67.85, marking a 0.37 percent increase on the main market.