Kazakhstan Digital Nomad program has more than 1,500 applicat...

Safest Countries in the Middle East (2026)

Every Middle Eastern country in our catalog ranked by safety for 2026. Higher scores reflect stronger day-to-day personal safety for residents.

Last updated

Share

The Gulf is not one safety story, and neither is the wider region. A quiet compound in Doha is not the same as a dense city street after dark. This list ranks every Middle Eastern country in our catalog by day-to-day safety for someone actually living there. Turkey is in this set because that is how our map groups it.

Use Compare when two names are close, and read each country's notes on all countries before you treat a national score as your neighborhood.

Safety Score on the map

Higher score = stronger safety

Tap a country to see its score.

Safety Score world map
8.5+
7.0–8.4
5.5–6.9
Below 5.5
RankCountrySafety Score
#1Qatar9.3
#2United Arab Emirates (Dubai)9.2
#3Saudi Arabia9.1
#4Turkiye7.3
#5Iran4.8

Why the leaders rank here for safety

Gulf states lead this short list because violent street crime is relatively rare for residents who follow local rules. The gap under them is large, so rank order matters more than a tiny score difference.

  1. #1
    Qatar9.3

    Doha's residential districts and strict public order keep day-to-day personal risk low for people who live there full time.

  2. #2
    United Arab Emirates (Dubai)9.2

    Dubai and Abu Dhabi feel predictable for daily errands, with heavy policing and low street crime compared with many global cities.

  3. #3
    Saudi Arabia9.1

    Major cities score close to the other Gulf leaders. Family life and visitor rules still shape where you can go, and how.

  4. #4
    Turkiye7.3

    Big-city habits matter. Many neighborhoods feel workable for long stays, but the national score sits well below the Gulf cluster.

  5. #5
    Iran4.8

    Iran is last in this set. Use the score as a national average, then check the city and the rules that apply to your passport.

Rankings are based on our scoring model. Always verify visa and cost information with official sources before making relocation decisions.

How we calculate these rankings

We filter to Middle Eastern countries in our geographic model, including Turkey, and sort by safety score, highest first. The table below is generated at build time from our latest editorial model.

What this does not measure: One neighborhood, protest weeks, or whether your passport can enter. A high score is not a personal safety guarantee.

Updates: Rankings refresh when we redeploy after underlying country data changes.

Explore these countries

Open any country profile for full safety context, visas, and scores. Use compare when you are weighing a shortlist.

Open compare toolWhere do you belong?Browse all countries

Quick compares from this list

Related rankings