Abu Dhabi vs Jeddah

Abu Dhabi and Jeddah are level on the CIRA Index at 60. Abu Dhabi grades better on 8 measures, Jeddah on 4; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Abu Dhabi 60, Jeddah 60
• OECD: Abu Dhabi 66, Jeddah 60
• UN Tourism: Abu Dhabi 64, Jeddah 60
• UNDRR: Abu Dhabi 56, Jeddah 46

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Abu Dhabi 95, Jeddah 88
• Economy and jobs: Abu Dhabi 94, Jeddah 92
• Climate and hazards: Abu Dhabi 35, Jeddah 40
• Water and environment: Abu Dhabi 38, Jeddah 38
• Community and housing: Abu Dhabi 50, Jeddah 63
• Access and continuity: Abu Dhabi 67, Jeddah 46

Where Abu Dhabi is stronger

• Nights in the three busiest months: 28.7 % of annual nights (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: UN Tourism by United Nations World Tourism Organization), 2022, 2023 moving average). At or below 30: grade 4/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 79 % average annual occupancy (region figure) (Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), Hotel Performance Report 2024 (reported by Aletihad), 2024). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 100 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (region figure) (Emirates News Agency (WAM) / TAQA Water Solutions, 2024). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
• Tourism intensity: 4.5 visitor nights per resident per year (region figure) (Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi & Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi (SCAD), 2024). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated city plan with public early warning for heat, flood or fire (Emergencies, Crises and Disasters Management Centre - Abu Dhabi (ADCMC) / NCEMA, 2024–2026). Grade 3/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A written destination crisis plan (Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), 2023–2025). Grade 2/4.
• Government effectiveness: 82.5 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). At or above 80: grade 4/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), 2023–2026). Grade 2/4.

Where Jeddah is stronger

• Average length of stay: 5.4 nights per visitor (Airbtics, Jeddah Tourism Statistics: Insights from Airbnb User, Oct 2023–Sep 2024). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Wildfire and storm hazard: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 511 kg per resident per year (MDPI / King Abdulaziz University study via Mordor Intelligence and Case Studies on Saudi Arabia Provinces, 2024). Between 450 and 550: grade 2/4.
• Rent growth: 4.4 % change in rents over the last 12 months (country figure) (General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) via Arabisk London, June 2026). Between 3 and 6: grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• United Arab Emirates: #22 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Saudi Arabia: #29 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Abu Dhabi in full · Jeddah in full

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