Eight cities in Saudi Arabia have been ranked in the IMD Smart City Index 2026, with Riyadh leading at 24th globally, up from 27th in the previous edition.

The rankings also placed Makkah at 50th, Jeddah at 55th, Al Khobar at 64th, and Madinah at 67th, with all five cities included among the 148 evaluated worldwide.

AlUla recorded one of the largest movements, rising to 85th from 112th in the previous ranking. Hail and Hafr Al-Batin entered the index for the first time, ranking 33rd and 100th respectively.

The IMD Smart City Index evaluates cities based on residents’ perceptions of how effectively technology is integrated into public services, infrastructure and daily life.

The spread of rankings across the eight cities ranges from Hail at 33rd to Hafr Al-Batin at 100th, reflecting varied resident-reported experiences with digital systems and urban services.

The 2026 edition of the index covers 148 cities globally, assessing the impact of technology-enabled solutions on quality of life and urban functionality.

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