Jeddah vs Riyadh

Jeddah leads Riyadh by 1 points on the CIRA Index, 60 to 59. Jeddah grades better on 4 measures, Riyadh on 2; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Jeddah 60, Riyadh 59
• OECD: Jeddah 60, Riyadh 60
• UN Tourism: Jeddah 60, Riyadh 51
• UNDRR: Jeddah 46, Riyadh 53

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Jeddah 88, Riyadh 85
• Economy and jobs: Jeddah 92, Riyadh 88
• Climate and hazards: Jeddah 40, Riyadh 50
• Water and environment: Jeddah 38, Riyadh 19
• Community and housing: Jeddah 63, Riyadh 67
• Access and continuity: Jeddah 46, Riyadh 50

Where Jeddah is stronger

• Wastewater safely treated: 85 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (World Health Organization (WHO) Data Portal / WHO-UNICEF JMP, 2022). Between 85 and 95: grade 3/4.
• 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.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Saudi Press Agency & General Authority of Civil Aviation, 2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.

Where Riyadh is stronger

• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated city plan with public early warning for heat, flood or fire (Riyadh Municipality Portal / Saudi General Directorate of Civil Defense, 2025–2026). Grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

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

Jeddah in full · Riyadh in full

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