Saudi Gazette report

ALULA — AlUla has joined the IMD World Smart Cities Index 2025, issued by the International Institute for Management Development, alongside five other Saudi cities that have already joined the index: Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar.

This step confirms the success of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 plans to transform the country's cities through pioneering projects, which are led by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and in partnership with several government agencies, to build smart cities that offer the highest quality of life standards.

AlUla's inclusion in the Smart Cities Index for the first time this year is a result of Saudi Arabia's ambitious plans to develop the city as a smart heritage, cultural, and tourism destination, where modern technologies enhanced by artificial intelligence have been employed to preserve archaeological sites.

The IMD Smart City Index 2025 was based on several criteria, including residents' perceptions of the scope and impact of efforts to make their cities smart, the extent to which economic and technological aspects are balanced while not neglecting human dimensions, and the contribution to bridging the gap between residents' aspirations and needs and modern trends in smart city construction.

It also includes the use of digital technologies to better utilize resources, reduce carbon emissions, and make public spaces more responsive to residents' needs.