Dubai Tops Global Air Pollution Ranking as Dhaka Places Ninth

Dubai ranked as the world's most polluted city on Wednesday morning, while Dhaka placed ninth in the latest global air quality rankings.

The data comes from IQAir, a Switzerland-based air quality monitoring platform, based on its live Air Quality Index (AQI) readings between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. local time.

Dubai recorded an AQI score of 155, placing it at the top of the list. Indonesia's Medan ranked second with a score of 148, followed by Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 147. Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, ranked fourth with an AQI of 129.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

• Dubai, UAE – 155
• Medan, Indonesia – 148
• Kinshasa, DR Congo – 147
• Jakarta, Indonesia – 129
• Jerusalem, Israel – 107
• Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel – 104
• Delhi, India – 94
• Doha, Qatar – 94
• Dhaka, Bangladesh – 94
• São Paulo, Brazil – 92

According to IQAir's AQI scale:

• 0–50: Good
• 51–100: Moderate
• 101–150: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
• 151–200: Unhealthy
• 201–300: Very Unhealthy
• 301+: Hazardous

With an AQI of 94, Dhaka's air quality fell into the "Moderate" category, although it remained among the world's 10 most polluted cities during the reporting period. Air quality can change significantly throughout the day depending on weather conditions and local emissions.

Health experts advise children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with respiratory or heart conditions to limit prolonged outdoor exposure when air quality deteriorates.