Bayt.com, the number one career site in the Middle East, and YouGov, a pioneer in online market research, have together conducted a new survey titled ‘Top Cities in the Middle East and North Africa, which revealed that more than half of the of residents (51%) in Alexandria are happy about their city of residence. Further,58.5% of respondents in Cairo and Alexandria shared their satisfaction with their cities’ entertainment options that help them in balancing work and life.
Economic Factors
More than one fifth (21%) of Alexandria respondents and just under one fifth (19%) of those in Cairo believe that their cities’ competitive salaries are good or excellent, and similar percentages believe that the benefits for working parents are good or excellent in Alexandria and Cairo (18% and22%, respectively).
45% of respondents in Alexandria and41% of respondents in Cairo believe that the availability of affordable housing is average or above.42% of Alexandria residents and35% of Cairo residents believe that the availability of reasonably priced day-to-day amenities (like food, water, fuel, etc.) is average or above. Comparable percentages believe that the possibility for career growth is good or excellent in Alexandria and Cairo (12% and17% respectively), while21% and24% believe that it is average.
Labor Rights
Just over one fifth (21%) of respondents in Alexandria believe that they receive good or excellent vacation allowances, against more than one quarter (26%) of respondents who feel the same way in Cairo. Parenthood allowances are average, according to one quarter (24%) of respondents in Alexandria and one fifth (21%) of those in Cairo. The same can be said for health insurance and social security systems, according to one third (33%) of respondents in Alexandria and just under one quarter (22%) of respondents in Cairo.
Environmental Factors
Nearly half (45%) of Alexandria respondents and nearly one third (31%) of Cairo respondents rate the comfortability of their weather as good or excellent. Similarly, one third (33%) of those in Alexandria and just under one fifth (18%) of those in Cairo say that the beauty of their city’s architecture and buildings is good or excellent.
Environmental factors relating to cleanliness in Alexandria and Cairo respectively include clean streets and roads (average or above:39% and22%), clean air (average or above:66% and30%), and clean water (average or above:54% and48%).
Standard of Living Factors
Healthcare and education are two major factors in assessing a city’s standard of living. More than one quarter (27%) of respondents in Alexandria and one quarter (25%) of respondents in Cairo believe that the availability of healthcare facilities in their city is good or excellent, while the quality of those facilities is also good or excellent, according to one fifth (21%) of respondents in both Alexandria and Cairo. As for education, a majority (51%) of respondents in Alexandria and Cairo (40%) believe that the availability of educational institutions in their city is good or excellent. A majority (51%) of Alexandria respondents and one third (33%) of Cairo respondents believe the quality of education is average or above.
Socio-Cultural Factors
Important socio-cultural factors in this city include equal treatment of both genders, rated as good or excellent by more than one third (36%) of respondents in Alexandria and more than one quarter (28%) of those in Cairo; fair treatment to all nationalities, rated as good or excellent by nearly four in ten (39%) of those in Alexandria and nearly one third (30%) of those in Cairo; tolerance of different cultures and ideas, rated as good or excellent by one quarter (24%) of Alexandria respondents and one fifth (20%) of Cairo respondents; and freedom of expression, rated as good or excellent by one quarter (24%) of respondents in Alexandria and nearly one fifth (18%) of those in Cairo.
Sports, Arts, Culture, and Recreational Factors
Cultural factors in this category rank relatively high. Availability of world heritage sites and preserved old towns is good or excellent in Alexandria and Cairo, according to39% and47% of respondents, respectively. Similarly, availability of natural areas and landscapes is good or excellent in both cities, according to48% of those in Alexandria and29% of those in Cairo. Culture and arts offerings also score high, with39% of respondents in Alexandria and32% of those in Cairo rating them as good or excellent.
As for recreation, availability of outdoor and sports activities is average or above, according to nearly two thirds (63%) of Alexandria respondents and more than half (55%) of Cairo respondents. Availability of family-friendly activities is also average or above, according to more than two thirds (69%) of those in Alexandria and nearly two thirds (60%) of those in Cairo. Availability of relaxation options received average or above rankings from nearly two thirds (63%) of Alexandria respondents and more than half (52%) of those in Cairo. Finally, when asked about their city always having something going on, nearly half (48%) of Alexandria respondents and slightly less (43%) in Cairo ranked their city as good or excellent.
Entrepreneurship Factors
Entrepreneurship has an impact on a city’s prosperity, affecting the happiness of its inhabitants. Ease of starting up a new business is average or above in Alexandria and Cairo, according to54% and41% of respondents, respectively. Similarly, ease of finding finances to start a business is average or above according to approximately one third of respondents in Alexandria and Cairo (30% and34%, respectively). Affordability of taxes and fees ranked as average or above as well, according to30% of Alexandria respondents and38% of Cairo respondents.
Suhail Masri, Vice President of Employer Solutions at Bayt.com, said: “The MENA region is very diverse when it comes to the factors that affect the overall quality of living in each city. Our Bayt.com Top Cities survey ranks the most desirable cities for people to both work and live in. Our responsibility as a leading career site in the region extends to providing job seekers holistic information to make an informed decision if they are, for instance, looking to relocate to any of these cities for work. Simultaneously, when employers know where their city stands, they can do more to contribute to their city’s standard of living by addressing the needs that job seekers are looking for the most. At Bayt.com, we strive to empower people with the tools, information and technologies to build their lifestyle of choice, which is why we always share valuable insights into life in cities that MENA professionals might choose to live in.“
Arleen Gonsalves, Assistant Research Manager, YouGov, said: “this is one of most comprehensive surveys conducted in the MENA, which provides deeper understanding of standards of living across major cities using social and cultural yardstick instead of focusing merely on physical infrastructure. The survey findings give valuable insights to MNCs as well as job seekers who are planning to move to this region.”
Data for the2016 Bayt.com ‘Top Cities in the Middle East and North Africa’ survey was collected online from September23,2016 to October18,2016. Results are based on a sample of1,436 respondents. Cities assessed include Algiers, Alexandria, Cairo, Amman, Kuwait City, Beirut, Casablanca, Marrakech, Rabat, Muscat, Doha, Jeddah, Riyadh, Eastern Province, Tunis, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Manama, and Sharjah.