Dubai ranked third safest destination for solo travel

Dubai has been rated the third safest city to travel for females as a solo traveller, thanks to a very low crime rate in the city, according to a study by InsureMyTrip, a UK-based travel insurance company.

“Overall, Dubai has a very low crime rate and is considered a safe place to travel as a woman, with the majority of public transport in Dubai offering a ‘women’s only section’”, said the study.

The Emirate was rated quite high in the index in terms of women’s safety. Out of 10, the Emirate scored 9.43 about women feeling safe walking alone at night and 8.64 score for the absence of attacks based on gender.

Recently, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai were rated among the top 10 safest cities globally in a report released by data services provider Numbeo. The three Emirates were ranked ‘very low’ when it comes to crime, fear of being mugged or robbed, and drug use. But they scored high when it comes to feeling safe when walking alone.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe while traveling. We strive to take the worry out of travel because it should be fun. We hope this study empowers more women to travel, with or without a companion,” said Suzanne Morrow, senior vice president at InsureMyTrip.

According to the InsureMyTrip study, Saudi city Madina was found to be the safest city for solo female travellers with an overall score of 10/10.

Known as “The Enlightened City”, Madina ranked highly (10/10) for ‘absence of attacks based on gender and feeling safe walking alone at night in the sub-indexes.

While visiting women are not required to wear the abaya robe, it is required for females to dress modestly.

Thailand’s Chiang Mai city is the second safest city with an overall score of 9.06. the city has a big range of activities such as Thai cooking classes, elephant sanctuaries and guided temple tours.

Kyoto in Japan and Macao in China complete the top five safest cities for solo female travellers.

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com