10/31/2008
The ranking selects 65 cities from all over the world, which are believed to become leading commercial and economic centers. It is based on the results of Mastercard's Emerging Market Index.
The cities are assessed on the basis of eight criteria: economic and commercial environment, economic growth and development, business environment, financial service environment, commercial connectivity to world markets, education levels and IT connectivity, quality of life and risk and security.
The top ten of World's Next Great cities include four Chinese cities - Shanghai (1st), Beijing (2nd), Guangzhou (6th), and Shenzhen (10th); and two Eastern European capitals - Budapest (3rd), and Warsaw (8th); as well as the cities of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (4th); Santiago, Chile (5th); Mexico City, Mexico (7th); and Bangkok, Thailand (9th).
The top thirty spots in the Forbes ranking include fifteen Chinese cities. The other countries with the greatest number of cities in the ranking are India, Russia, and Brazil.
Bulgaria's capital Sofia is two spots ahead of Romania's capital Bucarest, which is ranked 32nd; of Ukraine's capital Kiev (57th), and the Russian city of St. Petersburg (41st).
Sofia Echo
UK
Morocco
Istanbul
Montenegro
Solar Investments
