8 Saudi cities feature on 2026 Smart Cities Index

Eight Saudi cities ranked on the 2026 Smart Cities Index, released by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), with Riyadh advancing to 24th place globally compared to 27th in 2025, notching up by three spots, In addition, both Hail and Hafar Al-Batin entered the ranking for the first time.

Hail ranked 33rd globally in its first appearance on the list, while Al-Ula jumped to 85th globally compared to 112th the previous year, marking the largest improvement among the Saudi cities included in the index.

Jeddah ranked 55th, Al-Khobar ranked 64th, while Madinah maintained its position at 67th. In contrast, Makkah fell to 50th place, while Hafar Al-Batin made its debut at 100th globally.

The IMD Smart Cities Index is considered a benchmark for highlighting how prepared cities are to adopt advanced technologies and their efforts to build smart and sustainable communities. The index focuses on evaluating the development of cities in areas such as healthcare and safety, job opportunities and education, mobility, cultural activities, and governance—while maintaining a balance between economic, technological, and human aspects.

The ranking also highlights how infrastructure and technology impact city performance and residents’ quality of life. According to the institute, a smart city is defined as an urban environment where technology is applied to enhance benefits and reduce the drawbacks of urbanization for its citizens.

On the global level, European cities continued to dominate the top ten rankings, with Zurich, Oslo, Geneva, and London ranking at the top.