Beirut vs Damascus

Beirut and Damascus are level on the CIRA Index at 26. Beirut grades better on 3 measures, Damascus on 3; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Beirut 26, Damascus 26
• OECD: Beirut 25, Damascus 28
• UN Tourism: Beirut 24, Damascus 36
• UNDRR: Beirut 29, Damascus 22

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Beirut 8, Damascus 50
• Economy and jobs: Beirut 19, Damascus 13
• Climate and hazards: Beirut 40, Damascus 20
• Water and environment: Beirut 31, Damascus 42
• Community and housing: Beirut 0, Damascus 0
• Access and continuity: Beirut 21, Damascus 21

Where Beirut is stronger

• Extreme heat days: 2 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Country disaster risk: 6.4 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). Between 5 and 6.5: grade 1/4.
• Water scarcity: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.

Where Damascus is stronger

• Unemployment rate: 13.6 % of the labour force (country figure) (Trading Economics / ILOSTAT, 2025). Between 12 and 18: grade 1/4.
• Tropical nights: 74.4 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 60 and 100: grade 1/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 219 kg per resident per year (country figure) (Hemidat et al. / Academic Review of Solid Waste Management Status in Middle East Arab Countries, 2021). At or below 350: grade 4/4.

Beirut in full · Damascus in full

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