Saudi Arabia’s Global Quality of Life Index is spreading fast. More than 100 cities from over 50 countries across six continents have applied to join the initiative.
Driving the news: The interactive platform now ranks 35 qualifying cities, up from 19 at the start of 2026. Riyadh, Seoul, Vancouver, Manchester and Yokohama have already published their data. The Quality-of-Life Program, a Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, developed the index with UN-Habitat, the United Nations human settlements agency.
Why it matters: The index gives mayors and planners a scientific tool to measure quality of life, plan services and shape policy. In practice, cities can benchmark progress, find service gaps and back investment decisions with comparable evidence. Moreover, the rapid growth shows that cities worldwide trust its methodology.
Davos Launch Sets the Pace
Zoom in: Officials unveiled the index at the World Economic Forum’s 2026 annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The Saudi House pavilion hosted the session, which featured Princess Reema bint Bandar and Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb. Speakers highlighted the Kingdom’s role in building global frameworks that support human well-being. The session also placed quality of life among the top priorities for urban planning and policy.
Princess Reema stressed the project’s global character. She called it “not just a Saudi initiative, it’s a UN initiative.” In addition, she explained that the data and content belong to the UN system. She added that the index is not a competition, although Saudi Arabia expects its own cities to appear in the rankings.
Al-Khateeb described the thinking behind the project. He said no city meets every benchmark, so the team worked with UN-Habitat to define the ideal, identify gaps and measure them.
At the same time, the team launched the interactive platform. The site displays results for participating cities. Decision-makers and researchers can compare quality-of-life levels and explore the underlying data.
Go deeper: UN-Habitat’s 2026 review of pilot cities describes an index that spans nine domains of urban life. The initiative began with a pilot in nine cities. UN-Habitat then scaled it to more than 100 cities. Its platform offers interactive maps and visual tools, and it uses advanced technologies to generate insights. Meanwhile, Jeddah Municipality has announced its official entry into the initiative.
By the numbers:
- 100+ cities from more than 50 countries on six continents have applied to join.
- 35: Cities that currently meet the platform’s participation requirements, compared with 19 in early 2026.
- SAR 78 billion ($20.8 billion): The Quality-of-Life Program’s economic impact in 2025.
- 90+ cities from 35 countries already featured in the index by the end of 2025.
- 97%+ of targets: The share of program goals the Kingdom has achieved ahead of 2030, according to program chief Khalid Al-Bakr.
- 9 domains: The dimensions of urban life that the index measures.
- Three Saudi cities: The number the Kingdom wants among the world’s top 100 livable cities by 2030.
- 28: Global indicators used in the index at launch.
- 160-plus: Experts and stakeholder representatives who helped develop the framework.
UN Backing Builds Momentum
The big picture: The UN Statistical Commission praised the index. It called the tool strategic for city-level decision-making and recommended that the initiative continue. The commission is the UN body that guides global statistical standards. Consequently, the recognition boosts the index’s credibility and its chances of wider adoption.
Al-Bakr framed the shift clearly. He said the Kingdom chose to offer its own development experience as “a gift to the world” rather than adopt Western benchmarks. He added that more than 100 cities in 50 countries have adopted the index, so the Kingdom now exports standards instead of importing them.
Al-Bakr also traced the program’s growth. It began with three sectors: sports, culture and entertainment. After the pandemic, it added tourism, municipal services and security. He explained that the program rests on two pillars: livability, which covers infrastructure, housing, urban planning and safety, and lifestyle, which covers entertainment, sports and culture.
The Kingdom also took the message to the World Urban Forum. Dialogue sessions there showcased Saudi experience in improving quality of life at home and abroad. Furthermore, they showed how the index helps cities spot gaps and choose suitable fixes. Participants swapped global practices and highlighted Saudi initiatives that put human well-being at the center of planning.
What’s next: More cities want to join and publish their data. Newcomers gain shared lessons and comparable benchmarks. The Kingdom’s goal is clear: better cities for residents and visitors alike. Meanwhile, the program also aims to place three Saudi cities among the world’s top 100 on livability indexes by 2030. The 2026 achievements show how Saudi Arabia is turning quality of life from a national target into a global contribution. As a result, cities gain a data-driven tool to build more sustainable urban environments that meet residents’ needs.
