AlUla Joins IMD Smart Cities Index 2025, Highlighting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Progress
Riyadh, The Gulf Observer: AlUla has officially joined the IMD World Smart Cities Index 2025, marking a significant milestone in Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to modernize its urban centers under Vision 2030. The historic city joins Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar as part of the elite group of Saudi cities recognized in the index issued by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).
This recognition underscores the Kingdom’s success in implementing its Vision 2030 strategy through groundbreaking smart city projects spearheaded by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) in cooperation with other government bodies. These initiatives aim to enhance quality of life by building data-driven, environmentally sustainable, and technologically advanced urban environments.
AlUla’s debut in the index highlights Saudi Arabia’s ambition to transform the ancient city into a smart heritage, cultural, and tourism hub, where artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technologies are being used to preserve priceless archaeological sites and enhance visitor experiences.
The IMD Smart City Index 2025 evaluates cities on a broad range of criteria, including residents’ views on smart transformation efforts, the integration of economic and technological progress with human-centric planning, and how well city strategies align with public aspirations.
Among the index’s key areas are the use of digital tools to optimize resources, cut carbon emissions, and create adaptive public spaces that respond to community needs. AlUla’s inclusion confirms the city’s forward-thinking approach and the success of Saudi Arabia’s broader vision to become a global leader in smart urban development.
This development not only reinforces AlUla’s growing international profile but also demonstrates Saudi Arabia’s commitment to shaping cities of the future—where tradition and technology meet in harmony.
