• Dubai’s Burj Khalifa ranks as having the best view in the region, while views from the likes of the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar and the Dubai Frame also feature
  • The Burj Khalifa also ranked as offering the fourth best view in the whole world, beaten only by the Eiffel Tower, London Eye and New York’s ‘Top of the Rock’

A new study by Remitly has revealed that the Burj Khalifa offers the best view in the Middle East and ranks as the fourth best worldwide.

Seeking out the picture-perfect view of a new location is often a priority for travellers and people moving to a new city, so Remitly, a leading digital financial services provider for expats and their families, analysed over 1.4 million TripAdvisor reviews to find which attractions have left visitors talking about its view most regularly. The results of the study by Remitly were then ranked to name the greatest viewpoints in the world, in addition to those within various regions.

With its breath-taking view mentioned by reviewers over 28,000 times, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa takes the crown. Also holding the title as the tallest building in the world, its observation deck offers far-reaching views of the dynamic metropolis that is Dubai. More broadly, the United Arab Emirates  also plays host to most of the greatest viewpoints in the region, including the Dubai Fountain, Burj Al Arab and in Abu Dhabi, the Observation Deck at 300 in Etihad Towers.

Meanwhile, Doha in Qatar helps to make up the top five, with both the Museum of Islamic Art and the Doha Corniche featuring for the impressive views they provide. The seven-kilometre Corniche promenade runs along Doha Bay and gives visitors photo-ready views of Doha’s skyline.

The 10 Best Viewpoints in the Middle East

Rank

Viewpoint

Country

Mentions of ‘view’ on TripAdvisor

1

Burj Khalifa, Dubai

United Arab Emirates

28,518

2

The Dubai Fountain, Dubai

United Arab Emirates

9,285

3

Burj Al Arab, Dubai

United Arab Emirates

2,516

4

Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Qatar

1,437

5

The Doha Corniche, Doha

Qatar

1,251

6

Dubai Frame, Dubai

United Arab Emirates

1,121

7

Observation Deck at 300, Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates

1,090

8

Dubai Creek, Dubai

United Arab Emirates

1,059

9

Jebel Hafeet, Al Ain

United Arab Emirates

1,041

10

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates

936

Remitly’s research also looked at the best viewpoints from the rest of the world, and revealed that the ‘Top of the Rock’ at the Rockefeller Center in New York City can now lay claim to having the best view in the whole world. With 42,000 reviewers praising its great views, it beat competition from other renowned viewpoints such as the London Eye, Eiffel Tower and Victoria Peak in Australia. The Burj Khalifa in Dubai maintained a high position, ranking as the fourth best viewpoint in the world. 

The 10 Best Viewpoints in the World

Rank

Viewpoint

Country

Mentions of ‘view’ on TripAdvisor

1

Top of the Rock, New York City

United States of America

42,552

2

London Eye, London

United Kingdom

34,975

3

Eiffel Tower, Paris

France

32,875

4

Burj Khalifa, Dubai

United Arab Emirates

28,518

5

Victoria Peak (The Peak)

Hong Kong

21,524

6

Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh

United Kingdom

16,896

7

Guinness Storehouse, Dublin

Ireland

15,590

8

High Roller, Las Vegas

United States of America

15,535

9

Diamond Head State Monument, Hawaii

United States of America

15,191

10

Charles Bridge, Prague

Czech Republic

13,685

Jago McKenzie, Principal Business Manager at Remitly comments: “Whether you’ve moved somewhere new or are just visiting somewhere for the first time, getting a good view of a place can be a great way to get a feel for the location, and give that satisfying feeling that you’ve truly ‘arrived’.

Under the hashtags for #newhome or #imoved on Instagram, we can see many photos of people looking out over a view of where they will now be calling home, so we wanted to use our research to help people no matter where they’ve moved, to find the best viewpoints close to them. The diversity of the findings from dense cityscapes to natural wonders just goes to show the beauty the world has to offer, and why we should continue to celebrate moving around it and experiencing new sights and sounds.

For anyone having moved to, or visiting the Middle East, the research shows there’s no lack of great views in the region. There are not many better feelings than looking out from the top of the tallest building in the world!”

For the full findings and accompanying graphics that visualise the greatest views worldwide, visit: https://www.remitly.com/gb/en/landing/best-views-in-the-world

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About Remitly

Remitly is a leading digital financial services provider for expats and their families in over 160 countries around the world. Remitly helps expats send money home in a safe, reliable and transparent manner. Its digitally-native, cross-border remittance app eliminates the long wait times, complexities and fees typical of traditional remittance processes. Building on its strong foundation, Remitly is expanding its suite of products to further its mission and transform financial services for expats all around the world. Founded in 2011, Remitly is headquartered in Seattle and has seven global offices, including London, Cork, Singapore, Manila and Managua.

Methodology:

Remitly analysed TripAdvisor data from every country in the world, in addition to each US state and 253 cities around the globe. Using the ‘Things to Do’ section of the TripAdvisor website, the attractions in each location that had the highest number of mentions of ‘view’ (English language) in their reviews were ranked as providing the best view for the specific location (country, state or city).

Results where the term ‘view’ was used negatively or for another context (a sports stadium offering a good view of the pitch) were omitted from the final results.

Data as of May 2022.