It's been the worst year in my 12 years. And last year I was on reserve in summer so I was home a lot, and it was markedly "less bad" last year. I've never seen it so bad, for so many weeks, but of course whenever I ask someone who grew up here about this particularly bad summer they shrug it off and say they have no idea what I'm talking about. I have been using AirVisual this year as well, and I love the facial expressions and recommendations associated with the ever-worsening pollution. When it gets over 300ppm "extremely hazardous" as it did for several days in a row last month, the little face starts wearing a gas mask, and respirator! Good stuff.
Yes, without a doubt the UAE and particularly Dubai is "Number One" consistently outpacing Beijing, Shanghai, and all of India by a wide margin. :-)
