Eight Saudi cities achieve a prominent presence in the IMD Smart Cities Index 2026
Eight Saudi cities achieved a prominent presence in IMD Smart Cities Index, 2026
Riyadh advanced to 24th place globally, up from 27th, while Makkah ranked 50th, Jeddah 55th, Madinah 67th, and Al-Khobar 64th.
Al-Ula recorded a significant leap, advancing from 112th to 85th place, indicating the rapid development of its infrastructure and tourism projects.
The index also saw the inclusion of Hail and Hafr Al-Batin for the first time, with Hail ranking 33rd and Hafr Al-Batin 100th, out of 148 cities worldwide.
Improving urban services
Index, Smart Cities issued by the International Institute for Management Development, is a global indicator that measures the extent to which cities have developed in adopting modern technologies, by assessing residents’ impressions of the quality of services and digital infrastructure, and their impact on improving daily life patterns.
This remarkable progress confirms the Kingdom’s continued efforts to improve urban services and build smart and sustainable cities that contribute to improving the quality of life and enhancing global competitiveness, at a time when the Kingdom is celebrating the Year of Artificial Intelligence 2026.
