(MENAFN Press) Melbourne has been named the most liveable city in the world, claiming the title again.
Premier Ted Baillieu has welcomed the latest rankings published today by the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) Global Liveability Survey.
"Melbourne has stolen the crown from Vienna for a second year in a row," Mr Baillieu said. "This confirms what all Melburnians know: Melbourne is not only Australia's best city, it's the best city in the world.
John Butler, the State of Victoria's Commissioner to the Middle East and North Africa, said Melbourne rated highly in all of the EIU's criteria and received a maximum score in healthcare, education and infrastructure.
He commented: "The links between the State of Victoria and the Middle East continue to grow and these results are just further testament to the worth of these partnerships." Melbourne's universities are home to 162,417 international students, including 6,447 from the Middle East.
Meanwhile in the UAE, Monash University offers four Bachelor level courses in Allied Health with the Abu Dhabi-based Fatimah College of Health Sciences.
Mr Baillieu continued: "We are envied by the rest of the world for our vibrant lifestyle, competitive business environment and skilled and innovative workforce."
"Melbourne has a vibrant multicultural community, a renowned arts scene and world famous food and beverages as well as Australia's best shopping and leisure opportunities," Mr Baillieu said.
"Our events calendar is packed with iconic cultural and sporting events like the Spring Racing Carnival, the Australian Tennis Open, the Grand Prix, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Melbourne International Arts Festival and of course the AFL Grand Final.
"With support from the Victorian Coalition Government, Melbourne continues to attract some of the world's most prestigious sporting events and conferences.
"Later this year the best hockey players in the world will visit Melbourne for the Champions Trophy while up to 20,000 people from around the world will visit Melbourne in July 2014 for the International AIDS Conference," Mr Baillieu said.
Australian cities dominated the rankings claiming four of the top 10 spots. Adelaide tied with Calgary for fifth place while Sydney and Perth fell one place in the rankings to sixth and eighth position respectively.
The EIU's Liveability Ranking, part of the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, assesses living conditions in 140 cities around the world by assigning a rating across five broad categories of stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.
